CONCLUSION
The importance of healthy sleep in older adults cannot
be overestimated. Nurses have a key role in understanding
the consequences of poor sleep on quality of life; recognizing
the relationships among sleep complaints, sleep
disorders, and serious illness; and promoting optimal sleep
among elders with no sleep problems and those with sleep
disturbances. Nurses often are the providers who make decisions
to administer sleeping pills to elderly patients or to
try nonpharmacologic interventions. Educational programs
for nursing staff that offer information about sleep
and sleep-promoting interventions are critical in ensuring
practice patterns that address sleep problems and promote
positive sleep outcomes. Interestingly, one of the most important
factors found to determine the number of sleeppromoting
interventions nurses implement is the nurse’s
personal belief that sleep is a priority for the patient