Tag: Clinical-Nursing

As the country focuses on the restructuring of the U.S. health care delivery system, nurses will continue to play an important role. It is expected that more and more nursing jobs will become available out in the community, and fewer will be available in acute care hospitals.

Write an informal presentation (500-700 words) to educate nurses about how the practice of nursing is expected to grow and change. Include the concepts of continuity or continuum of care, accountable care organizations (ACO), medical homes, and nurse-managed health clinics. Share your presentation with nurse colleagues on your unit or department and ask them to offer their impressions of the anticipated changes to health care delivery and the new role of nurses in hospital settings, communities, clinics, and medical homes. In 800-1,000 words summarize the feedback shared by three nurse colleagues and discuss whether their impressions are consistent with what you have researched about health reform. A minimum of three scholarly references are required for this assignment. While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Rubrics. Main concept is easily identified, and subconcepts branch appropriately from the main idea. Addresses all of the issues related to the evolving practice of nursing and patient care delivery. Evidence of feedback and forecasting of the nursing role from colleagues is described in detail, with relevant personal insight, reflection, or analysis. All of the recommended terms have been included in the correct context. Content shows significant evidence of originality and inventiveness. The majority of the content and many of the ideas are fresh, original, inventive, and based upon logical conclusions and sound research. The writer is clearly in command of standard, written academic English. All format elements are correct. In-text citations and a reference page are complete. The documentation of cited sources is free of error.

This is a continuation of the Course Project presented in Week 2. Before you begin, review the Course Project Overview document located in the Week 2 Resources area. The literature review is a critical piece in the research process because it helps a researcher determine what is currently known about a topic and identify gaps or further questions. Conducting a thorough literature review can be a time-consuming process, but the effort helps establish the foundation for everything that will follow. For this part of your Course Project, you will conduct a brief literature review to find information on the question you developed in Week 2. This will provide you with experience in searching databases and identifying applicable resources. To prepare:

1. Review the information in Chapter 5 of the course text, focusing on the steps for conducting a literature review and for compiling your findings. 2. Using the question you selected in your Week 2 Project (Part 1 of the Course Project), locate 5 or more full-text research articles that are relevant to your PICOT question. Include at least 1 systematic review and 1 integrative review if possible. Use the search tools and techniques mentioned in your readings this week to enhance the comprehensiveness and objectivity of your review. You may gather these articles from any appropriate source, but make sure at least 3 of these articles are available as full-text versions through Walden Library’s databases. 3. Read through the articles carefully. Eliminate studies that are not appropriate and add others to your list as needed. Although you may include more, you are expected to include a minimum of five articles. Complete a literature review summary table using the Literature Review Summary Table Template located in this week’s Learning Resources. 4. Prepare to summarize and synthesize the literature using the information on writing a literature review found in Chapter 5 of the course text. To complete: Write a 3- to 4-page literature review that includes the following:

1. A synthesis of what the studies reveal about the current state of knowledge on the question that you developed Point out inconsistencies and contradictions in the literature and offer possible explanations for inconsistencies. 2. Preliminary conclusions on whether the evidence provides strong support for a change in practice or whether further research is needed to adequately address your inquiry 3. Your literature review summary table with all references formatted in correct APA style

Note: Certain aspects of conducting a standard review of literature have not yet been covered in this course. Therefore, while you are invited to critically examine any aspect of the studies (e.g., a study’s design, appropriateness of the theoretic framework, data sampling methods), your conclusion should be considered preliminary. Bear in mind that five studies are typically not enough to reflect the full range of knowledge on a particular question and you are not expected to be familiar enough with research methodology to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the studies.

Critiquing the validity and robustness of research featured in journal articles provides a critical foundation for engaging in evidence-based practice. In Weeks 5 and 6, you explored quantitative research designs. In Week 7, you will examine qualitative and mixed methods research designs. For this Assignment, you critique a quantitative and either a qualitative or a mixed methods research study and compare the types of information obtained in each. To prepare: 1. Select a health topic of interest to you that is relevant to your current area of practice. The topic may be your Course Portfolio Project or a different topic of your choice. 2. Using the Walden Library, locate two articles in scholarly journals that deal with your portfolio topic: 1) Select one article that utilizes a quantitative research design and 2) select a second article that utilizes either a qualitative OR a mixed methods design. These need to be single studies not systematic or integrative reviews (including meta-analysis and metasynthesis). You may use research articles from your reference list. If you cannot find these two types of research on your portfolio topic, you may choose another topic. 3. Locate the following documents in this week’s Learning Resources to access the appropriate templates, which will guide your critique of each article:

A. Critique Template for a Qualitative Study B. Critique Template for a Quantitative Study C. Critique Template for a Mixed-Methods Study

4. Consider the fields in the templates as you review the information in each article. Begin to draft a paper in which you analyze the two research approaches as indicated below. Reflect on the overall value of both quantitative and qualitative research. If someone were to say to you, “Qualitative research is not real science,” how would you respond? To complete this Assignment: a. Complete the two critiques using the appropriate templates. b. Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following: c. Contrast the types of information that you gained from examining the two different research approaches in the articles that you selected. 1. Describe the general advantages and disadvantages of the two research approaches featured in the articles. Use examples from the articles for support. 2. Formulate a response to the claim that qualitative research is not real science. Highlight the general insights that both quantitative and qualitative studies can provide to researchers. Support your response with references to the Learning Resources and other credible sources. d. As you complete this Assignment, remember to: e. Reminder: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The School of Nursing Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available from the Walden University website found in this week’s Learning Resources). All papers submitted must use this formatting. f. Combine all three parts of this assignment into one Word document including both critique templates and the narrative with your references. Submit this combined document.

Analyze the health status of a specific minority group. Select a minority group that is represented in the United States (examples include: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian American, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.)

In an essay of 750-1,000 words, compare and contrast the health status of the minority group you have selected to the national average. Consider the cultural, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical barriers to health. How do race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education influence health for the minority group you have selected? Address the following in your essay:

What is the current health status of this minority group? How is health promotion defined by the group? What health disparities exist for this group? Describe at least one approach using the three levels of health promotion prevention (primary, secondary, and tertiary) that is likely to be the most effective given the unique needs of the minority group you have selected. Provide an explanation of why it might be the most effective choice. Cite a minimum of three references in the paper.

As hospitals seek to reduce the incidence of Never Events and improve the overall quality of health care provided, it is apparent that ultimate success will require the effort of the entire medical staff. Consider the nurse’s role in supporting the organization’s strategic agenda as it relates to improving clinical outcomes. For this application you are asked to interview a quality manager in an acute care or long-term care agency of your choice. Your goal is to determine the manager’s view regarding the impact of the direct care nurse’s role in clinical outcomes for the organization. How does this influence the ability of the organization to achieve its strategic agenda? Before you attend the interview, create a list of relevant questions that will help you better understand the effect a nurse can have on the successful treatment of the patient. Write a 2- to 3-page paper discussing what you learned from this interview. How will what you learned impact how you approach your nursing responsibilities?

The nurse’s position in between the patient and the health care agency provides a unique platform for viewing and addressing quality-care issues. Nurses can gain personal feedback from their patients, who may trust them more and speak with greater openness. They can also work collaboratively with their colleagues to create strategies to improve patient care. Recall how nurses can use data to improve patient safety and quality-care delivery. In NURS 4005, you analyzed a Dashboard to determine nursing practice improvements. This week, you reviewed the importance of and focus on patient quality and safety. The following data are shared by the unit manager with her staff at a recent staff meeting. There has been a higher than acceptable level of patient falls on the telemetry unit in the last 4 months. The distribution of falls is outlined below. Information about the unit also includes the following: The average age of the patients is 72.4 years old, and every patient has a cardiac diagnosis. The majority (68%) of the patients are women. Recently, 1 FTE of nursing assistants were moved from the night shift (11P–7A) to the evening shift (3P–11P). The rooms on this unit are all private. 94% of the patients are on diuretics. 12% of the patients have secondary diagnoses of confusion or disorientation. In a 3–5 page paper, respond to the following: Describe some possible interpretations of the data related to the patient fall rate on the telemetry unit. Discuss the quality management process you would follow to improve patient fall rates on the unit. What change management strategies would you incorporate in your quality improvement plan? What leadership characteristics are needed to assist in improving the patient fall rates?

Discuss the role of the public health nurse in a specific setting. Based on your assigned chapter and bearing in mind the primary prevention focus of the community/public health nurse, respond to the following: What differentiates the role of the community and public health nurse from other health professionals? What skills and knowledge are necessary for the type of decision making inherent in population-focused nursing practice? How do these skills differ from those required in the institutional setting? Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.

Look at public health nursing at local, state, and national levels and an overview of the evolution of global health. In particular, in the Global Health Care Issues and Policies textbook, the introduction outlined the role of the World Health Organization and the assistance provided by the World Bank in promoting global health. Chapters 1 and 2 outlined the current health status of both developed and developing countries and provided an overview of issues those selected countries are facing. Health statistics can be used to examine the functioning of a health care system within a nation. For example, infant mortality is often used for this purpose. For this Application, write a 3- to 4-page paper comparing the infant mortality rates and HIV rates for the U.S. to one developed and one developing country. Include a summary on what the United States could learn from other countries that have better rates. Include information about the workforce that is available to care for the population in each country.

Create and post a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your Leadership Change Project. In this Discussion, post the Leadership Change Project you developed. In addition and based on your experiences, observations, and readings, compose a Discussion post that responds to the following: Review all of your team members’ presentations in your group and summarize the challenges and opportunities inherent in facilitating change in a interdisciplinary environment. Present strategies for addressing these challenges.

Health and disease are global issues. She pointed out that with the mobility of today’s population, those health issues experienced in one area of the world are easily brought to other areas of the world. Consider the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, avian flu, H1N1, or SARS. These diseases have quickly crossed oceans and spread to a variety of countries. They are a public health concern in the U.S. as well as other countries. To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on the role of the BSN nurse in public and global health. With these thoughts in mind, respond to the following: Why should BSN nurses be concerned with global health issues? How do global health issues influence nursing practice at your local level or in your work setting? Include specific examples. Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature. Post your response to at least two of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways: • Ask a probing question. • Expand on the colleague’s posting. • Offer polite disagreement or critique, supported with evidence. In addition to, but not in place of, the above you may: • Offer and support an opinion. • Validate an idea with your own experience. • Make a suggestion or comment which guides or facilitates the Discussion. Review and reflect on your colleagues’ replies to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues.