| Learning Objective #1: Describe the collaborative roles of the nurse scientist and the arthritis clinical nurses in providing care for a vulnerable population | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Analyze how nursing knowledge of arthritis can be linked with the concept of self-efficacy to help people with arthritis reduce pain and feel more in control of their illness |
Arthritis is the third most common health problem among older African Americans and the leading cause of activity limitations. Living with arthritis, then, is a serious health problem; particularly for minorities, since some of the obstacles facing people experiencing health care problems fall disproportionately on poor, older racial and ethnic minority populations.
Arthritis self-help intervention programs have become an important part of the support for people living with the consequences of arthritis; however, few studies have investigated the responses of minorities to these intervention programs. This NINR (NIH AREA Grant No.1 R15 NR/ODO4016-01A1) supported study was designed to understand the effects of arthritis self-help intervention in older African Americans who lack resources to seek health care. The specific intervention was the Arthritis Foundation endorsed, Arthritis Self-Help Course (ASHC) based on the concept of self-efficacy.
The research project represents a community-campus partnership that has been maintained over the past 10 years. The two nurses of Arthritis Patient Services, a United Way Agency, are expert rheumatology nurses, certified as ASHC leaders, and have served for many years as research community partners. To reciprocate, the researcher serves on the Board of Directors for the Agency. With the nurse scientist-expert clinician colleague relationship in place, this pre post experimental research project was able to link scholarship and practice.
One hundred fifty, older impoverished African Americans with arthritis participated in a study to investigate differences in self-efficacy in self-help course participants and a control group. As hypothesized, participants experienced increases in self-efficacy for pain management and other symptoms (p<.05). The nurses reported problems associated with the readability of the data collection instruments and the low reading levels of the participants. Despite problems however, valuable health services and education were provided to a vulnerable population who would not otherwise have received care for their arthritis.
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