What Is the Evidence to Support the Use of Therapeutic Gardens for the Elderly?

Horticulture therapy employs plants and gardening activities in therapeutic and rehabilitation activities and could be utilized to improve the quality of life of the worldwide aging population, possibly reducing costs for long-term, assisted living and dementia unit residents. Preliminary studies have reported the benefits of horticultural therapy and garden settings in reduction of pain, improvement in attention, lessening of stress, modulation of agitation, lowering of as needed medications, antipsychotics and reduction of falls. This is especially relevant for both the United States and the Republic of Korea since aging is occurring at an unprecedented rate, with Korea experiencing some of the world's greatest increases in elderly populations. In support of the role of nature as a therapeutic modality in geriatrics, most of the existing studies of garden settings have utilized views of nature or indoor plants with sparse studies employing therapeutic gardens and rehabilitation greenhouses. With few controlled clinical trials demonstrating the positive or negative effects of the use of garden settings for the rehabilitation of the aging populations, a more vigorous quantitative analysis of the benefits is long overdue. This literature review presents the data supporting future studies of the effects of natural settings for the long term care and rehabilitation of the elderly having the medical and mental health problems frequently occurring with aging

Utilization of Standardized Patients to Decrease Nursing Student Anxiety

Background: Undergraduate nursing students often view the mental health clinical rotation as a source of anxiety. This anxiety can have a negative influence on the establishment of a therapeutic relationship, jeopardize patient safety, and impact student well-being and success in the program. Incorporation of standardized patients (SPs) into the mental health specialty may be one strategy to decrease student anxiety and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design to assess if SPs can reduce student anxiety as measured by an anxiety visual analog scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). A convenience sample of 69 senior level undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Results/Conclusion: The results of the study revealed a statistically significant reduction in student anxiety after the interaction with the SP and provide preliminary support of incorporating SPs as a teaching methodology in the mental health specialty. © 2014 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning