This Clinical Mental Health Academic Award resubmission describes a program of advanced preparation and a research project for developing a doctorally prepared psychiatric nurse and educator as a geriatric mental health researcher, educator/developer of other researchers, and consultative resource in academic and clinical settings (long-term career objectives). Immediate objectives include obtaining specialized training in (a) the research-based care of acutely-ill, cognitively impaired older adults, (b) multivariate practice-based research, and (c) methods for promoting the utilization of the clinical trial protocols by clinicians. The Award will permit the nominee to participate full-time in academic and research experiences in order to undertake an independent research project and assume a faculty leadership role in geriatric mental health research. Resources committed to the nominee by the applicant institution include (a) supervision of her overall program, (b) tutorials and clinical research experiences, (c) access to patient populations of older adults, (d) an atmosphere of scientific inquiry manifested by ongoing, funded, multidisciplinary and nursing research, and (e) access to the expertise and services of the Center for Research on Health and Aging and the emerging Institute on Aging. During the award period, pilot data for an R01 class application to NIMH will be generated by developing and testing a clinical trial protocol for managing behavioral disturbances associated with cognitive impairment in acutely-ill, hospitalized older adults. Quasi-experimental research designs and methods will be used to test the hypothesis that nurses' use of the protocol (independent variable) will result in the maintenance or improvement of older adults' cognitive functioning (dependent variable) and a reduction in the behavioral disturbances associated with cognitive impairment (dependent variable).
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