Month: July 2018

Why are many health care organizations hesitant to adopt electronic health records (EHR) when they have the potential to improve quality, increase access, and reduce costs? Some organizations are concerned with the ethical and legal issues that may arise in daily operations. In 2010, legislators noticed health care’s reluctant transition into full EHR integration, and began to provide financial incentives to those organizations that not only adopt EHRs, but also use them meaningfully to improve quality of patient care. As an advanced practice nurse, it is important to be aware of the challenges, policies, and incentives associated with integrating EHR systems. It is also critical that you understand the concept of “meaningful use” and how it plays out in today’s health care organizations.

To prepare:

In this Application Assignment, you analyze meaningful use criteria to determine the authentic legal, financial, and ethical issues that may surround it.

• Reflect on the information presented      in the Learning Resources, focusing on meaningful use legislation and the      “Ethics in Nursing Informatics” section of your course text.
• Investigate the legal, financial, and      ethical issues surrounding meaningful use.
• Ask yourself: What are the goals of      meaningful use?

By Friday 10/06/17 10 pm, write a 4- to 5-page essay in APA format with at least 5 references from my list of required readings provided below, in which you include the level one as per APA format guidelines:

1) A cover page.

2) An introduction ending with a purpose statement (e.g. “The purpose of this paper is…)

3) Summarize the legal, financial, and ethical issues that may arise as a result of meaningful use legislation.

4) Explain how these issues might present barriers to successful implementation within an organization.

5) Discuss ways that health care organizations can make the most of their electronic health record (EHR) investments in light of meaningful use.

6) Explain how EHR-related meaningful use legislation is being implemented in your organization.

7) A conclusion

8) A references pages in APA format.

Required Readings

California HealthCare Foundation. (2011).

Retrieved from http://www.chcf.org/

The California HealthCare Foundation outlines quality reform plans that improve efficiency and reduce cost for California’s patients.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2010). CMS EHR meaningful use overview.

https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines the term meaningful use and also its view of meaningful use criteria, requirements, and financial impact.

Course Text: Ball, M. J., Douglas, J. V., Hinton Walker, P., DuLong, D., Gugerty, B., Hannah, K. J., . . . Troseth, M. R. (Eds.) (2011). Nursing informatics: Where technology and caring meet (4th ed.). London, England: Springer-Verlag.

• Chapter 14, “Usability and      Clinical Application Design”

This chapter begins by defining the terms usability and application design as they are used in the field of nursing informatics. The authors then describe the literature review and analytic process that the TIGER Collaborative group underwent to positively transform the development of HIT systems.

Write a 750-1,000 word paper analyzing Woterstorff’s reflections in Lament For a Son. In addition, address Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief, as they are expressed throughout Lament for a Son, and respond to the following questions:

1. How does Wolterstorff find joy after his loss?
2. What is the meaning and significance of death in light of the Christian narrative?
3. How does the hope of the resurrection play a role in comforting Wolterstorff?

Include three sources including the textbooks, bible and other reliable/academic sources.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is not required.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.

Week 5 Topic 5 DQ1

The theoretical foundations of qualitative and quantitative methods are very different, but many researchers believe both methods should be used in the research study to increase validity and reliability. What advantages or disadvantages do you see in using both types of methods in a nursing study? Support your answer with current evidence-based literature.

Topic 5 DQ2

Nursing research is used to study a dilemma or a problem in nursing. Examine a problem you have seen in nursing. Why should it be studied? Justify your rationale.

Individual Power Plan

What can you do to develop your individual power base? This week, you have heard and read about several types and sources of power. For this Assignment, consider your goals and how enhancing your own power may help you to achieve them.

To Prepare •Reflect on your personal current sense of power within your organization and the profession;

•Do a self–assessment of your leadership skills by doing the How Good are your Leadership Skills? assessment at http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_50.htm

 

How did you score? You do need not to reveal this in your paper, but hopefully it will guide you in how to apply the concepts to your own situation.

•Reflect on your motivation for increasing your power within your organization and/or within the nursing profession.

•Do a self–assessment of your leadership motivation by doing the assessment The Leadership Motivation Assessment found at http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_01.htm

•Again, it is not necessary to post your score but hopefully it will guide you in how to discuss your motivation at this point in time.

•Review the information on power in the Learning Resources and conduct additional research on your own to examine strategies that seem relevant and worthwhile for helping to enrich your power as a nurse leader.

•Identify specific strategies you can use to develop and leverage sources and types of power to achieve desired outcomes.

To Complete  Write a 2– to 3–page paper, not including the cover and Reference page, describing:

•A self–assessment of your current sense of power within your organization and the profession;

•A self–assessment of your motivation for increasing your power base;

•Write a detailed plan for enhancing your power as a nurse and a leader–manager, including specific strategies for achieving that plan.  Be sure to include strategies for mobilizing the power of nursing for social change, empowering others, and building a personal power base.

Required Readings

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.  •Chapter 13, “Organizational, Political, and Personal Power”  Fry, B. (2013).

Power up your leadership: Straight talk for nurse managers. Canadian Nurse, 109(5), 32–33.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Mindtools (1996–2015). French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power. Understanding Where Power Comes From in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_56.htm

Discussion 1

As you work on your capstone project proposal, you may want to share your progress with your peers and instructor and seek or provide guidance or share insights. By Week 1, Day 2, go to the Discussion Area and post responses to the discussion question. All responses should be posted to the appropriate topic in this Discussion Area. It is important to support what you say with relevant citations in the APA format from both the course materials and outside resources. Include the South University online library in your research activities utilizing not only the nursing resource database, but also those pertaining to education, business, and human resources.   Be objective, clear, and concise. Always use constructive language. All comments should be posted to the appropriate topic in this Discussion Area.

Discussion Question

Melynk and Fineout-Overholt (2011) note that there are seven steps to the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. The first step is to cultivate a spirit of inquiry. To encourage this spirit of inquiry, you are asked in this discussion to:  •Identify a problem or issue from within your specialty area that you feel needs to be improved upon. The Doctor of Nursing Practice site (http://www.doctorsofnursingpractice.org/resources/dnp-scholarly-projects/) provides many examples of these projects. The list below may help focus your thoughts.

◦Educational program

◦Evidence-based healthcare policy change

◦Evidence-based clinical issue or protocol for specific disease/condition

•Discuss the relevance of the issue from your perspective (not the literature at this juncture) in relation to your selected advanced role option.

◦What piqued your interest about this issue or problem?

◦How does it relate to your area of specialization?

◦What gave you the idea that evidence exists to support this change? See “note” below.

◦Provide a rationale as to why this will be an evidence-based project to improve outcomes and not generate new evidence (research).

Please remember that the project will not be implemented during this course and no data will be collected. The outcome of this course is to complete a project proposal only.

Note: To avoid false starts and wasted effort, it is important that you approach this week with some idea that your idea for proposed change has some research evidence to support that change. You may want to take a cursory look at the literature, have an informal discussion with classmates or colleagues in your specialty area, or ask your classmates in this week’s discussion for ideas. Take the time to do some background searching and reflecting to pinpoint your areas of interest so those you ask for assistance are not starting from scratch.

Discussion Question

By the due date assigned, post your response to the assigned discussion questions in the below Discussion Area. It is important to support what you say with relevant citations in the APA format from both the course materials and outside resources. Include the South University Online Library in your research activities utilizing not only the nursing resource database, but also those pertaining to education, business, and human resources.

No later than by the end of the week, review and comment on the discussion question responses posted by at least two of your peers. Always use constructive language. All comments should be posted to the appropriate topic in this Discussion Area.

Discussion Question

In this course, each of you will be developing a research proposal. Our focus this week is to identify a problem specific to your role option that is amenable to an innovative solution.

Based on your specialty role option (i.e., Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Nurse Informaticist, Nurse Administrator), identify a potential problem (topic) that you would like to investigate through nursing research. Begin by reading the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) position statement on nursing research (Nursing Research).

Next explore South’s Online Library and conduct a search to locate a minimum of three nursing research articles that have addressed the problem you have identified. The literature may not be older than 5 years. After reading the literature respond to the following:

1. Note your role specialization and briefly describe the problem you are interested in researching and why this is of interest to you.

2. Discussion Question

   By the due date assigned, post your response to the assigned discussion questions in the below Discussion Area. It is important to support what you say with relevant citations in the APA format from both the course materials and outside resources. Include the South University Online Library in your research activities utilizing not only the nursing resource database, but also those pertaining to education, business, and human resources.

   No later than by the end of the week, review and comment on the discussion question responses posted by at least two of your peers. Always use constructive language. All comments should be posted to the appropriate topic in this Discussion Area.

   Discussion Question

   In this course, each of you will be developing a research proposal. Our focus this week is to identify a problem specific to your role option that is amenable to an innovative solution.

   Based on your specialty role option (i.e., Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Nurse Informaticist, Nurse Administrator), identify a potential problem (topic) that you would like to investigate through nursing research. Begin by reading the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) position statement on nursing research (Nursing Research).

   Next explore South’s Online Library and conduct a search to locate a minimum of three nursing research articles that have addressed the problem you have identified. The literature may not be older than 5 years. After reading the literature respond to the following:

   1. Note your role specialization and briefly describe the problem you are interested in researching and why this is of interest to you.
   2. Discuss your library search strategies and briefly summarize the literature you reviewed. Focus your discussion on the “problem” and how the literature you identified provides evidence of the existence of the problem.
   3. Include in your discussion a potential innovation that you might consider as a solution to the problem identified.
   4. Include citations/references in APA style format, using citations where appropriate.
3. Include in your discussion a potential innovation that you might consider as a solution to the problem identified.
4. Include citations/references in APA style format, using citations where appropriate.

Evidence-Based Project Proposal

Project Overview:

Title: Evidence Based Project-Proposal  Description:  As the course progresses over the 11 weeks, learners will develop a scholarly project that demonstrates an application of evidence to practice for substantive change. This project emphasizes critical appraisal and application of evidence-based research, scholarly writing, and critical thinking. The scholarly project will be submitted as a written paper in APA format/style. In addition, learners will present a summary of the final project orally or by creating a PowerPoint presentation.

Learners will select one of the following types of projects related to their specific advanced role specialization and target population:

•Educational program

•Evidence-based healthcare policy change

•Evidence-based clinical issue or protocol

Overview of the Evidence Based Project (EBP):

In Week 1 of the course, students will identify an area of inquiry as a basis for practice change, and in Week 2, write their clinical question in PICOT format that will drive the literature search.

Following approval of the practice change idea and the PICOT question by course faculty, in Week 3 students will begin their literature search and rapid critical appraisal (RCA) using the RCA checklists available in Appendix D of the course text (Melynk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011) and in Word format. The Search Tracker may be useful in organizing and tracking your search.

Your evidence review will be completed in Week 4, resulting in a finished Evaluation Table containing only the “keeper” studies.

In Week 5 you will synthesize the evidence to determine best evidence for your project. Faculty will continue to serve in the role of mentor as the student progresses through the remaining steps of the project.

Weekly submissions will be used to monitor progress in the development of your proposal. It is recommended that upon receiving feedback from faculty on each section, you revise your work and add that section to build your final paper. Doing so as you proceed through the course will avoid last-minute work.

When you began your study of evidence-based practice it was contrasted with the research process. The underlying goal of EBP is to appraise research and study its application to specific patient populations in order to identify best practices. In order to accomplish this, what must be included within your project is a research study. You will most likely compare pre-intervention data with post-intervention results. In come cases, statistical analysis will be necessary. Your proposal will include plans for this study.

EBP Project Criteria

Students will prepare a formal project proposal using APA format. Below is an outline for the final paper with the weeks where this content will be covered. Each week you will turn in parts of this outline as Dropbox assignments. The week each part will be due is indicated in the outline. After receiving feedback from faculty on each part submitted, it is recommended that you begin building your paper, adding the pieces where they belong. Since you will not be implementing this project, the results section has been omitted. This outline is consistent with the format used for journal articles when reporting results of evidence-based practice projects.

Criteria and organization of final paper

Abstract

Part 1

•Introduction – Week 2

◦Practice issue

◦Summarize the practice issue in need of change providing background information about the organization (setting) and the perceived significance and severity of the problem

◦Describe the specific aims of the project – what improved outcomes do you hope to achieve

•PICOT question – State your question in PICOT format, labeling each part with P-I-C-O-T in parentheses

•Significance – what is the significance of the issue in terms of poor outcomes, cost, etc.

Part 2 – Week 3. 4, & 5

•Evidence review and synthesis

◦List the names of the databases you searched and if limited to a span of time, i.e., less than 5 years old

◦Summarize “keeper” studies

◦Summarize the synthesis of the body of evidence

Part 3 – Week 6

•Purpose of the project – include intervention

•Theoretical framework

•Clinical questions

Part 4 – Week 7

•Studydesign

•Setting/sample

•Confidentiality

•Procedure/intervention

•Instruments/scales and measurement of outcomes

•Data collection

Part 5 – Weeks 8 & 9

•Data analysis

•Outcomes expected

•Aligning stakeholders

Appendices

•Evaluation Table – turned in Weeks 3 & 4

•Synthesis Table – turned in Week 5

The paper provides evidence of synthesis of coursework, professional writing, and graduate level scholarship.

Oral or Poster Presentation

In addition to the written paper, students will present a summary of their project by submitting a professional Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

Criteria:

•Organize the presentation to include all required criteria of the EBP project proposal.

•Quality of presentation is professional and provides evidence of graduate level scholarship.

This week’s Dropbox Assignment

Keep in mind that this proposal will be developed piece by piece during the course. The Dropbox assignment this week provides you an opportunity to identify the problem or issue within your specialization that is in need of improvement and receive feedback from faculty.

Review the grading criteria listed below as you begin this assignment. Note that you must pass all elements in order to move forward with your proposal development. Faculty will provide feedback either approving or asking that you resubmit prior to further development of your project.

For this week’s assignment discuss the following:

•State your idea for your evidence-based project proposal including the rationale as to how it reflects an EBP project vs. a research project

•Very briefly describe the issue you will address, the intervention that you feel has research evidence (this may change later after you complete the literature search), and the expected outcomes

•Discuss how this project is relevant to your role specialization

Assignment 3 Grading Criteria                                                Maximum Points

Stated the practice issue or problem providing background information and the perceived significance of the problem.  20

Discussed how the clinical issue is relevant to the selected role option.  20

Used APA format with a professional writing style throughout.  10

Total:  50

A logic model is a tool to assist in creating a detailed management plan and framework to address a public health issue. A logic model is the first step in evaluation. It assists researchers to determine the effectiveness of the process and outcome measures defined.

There are about 60% of the community restaurants that are not smoke-free. You have been asked to draft a logic model for a tobacco free coalition in a small community to target smoking in restaurants.

Using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research about the logic models. Based on your research, respond to the following:

• Design a logic model to address the above public health issue utilizing the following components of the model:
  • Inputs
  • Outputs
  • Outcomes
  • Assumptions
  • External factors
• List and describe your examples.
• Explain why you feel each is an important component in your model.
• Describe how each component will contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness of your program.

Part 1: Researching Federal Initiatives

There are numerous federal initiatives in place to address current public health issues in environmental health, emergency preparedness and response, and injury prevention. Educating the public and developing health promotion programs are essential for improving the nation’s health and lowering healthcare costs associated with injury and disease.

Using the readings for this week, the South University Online Library, and the Internet, research various federal initiatives that have addressed public health issues. Respond to the following:

• What federal initiatives are in place to address current public health issues? Explain in detail with a minimum of two examples.
• What are the outcomes of these initiatives? Explain with examples.
• Are there some issues that are not being adequately addressed? Explain giving examples from your research.

Part 2: Federal Response to Mass Immunizations

After a natural disaster or an infectious disease outbreak, immunizations are necessary to reduce the risk of infection. This is because immunizations work with the body’s natural defenses to help the body safely develop immunity to a potentially life-threatening disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established protocols to initiate mass immunizations to reduce the risk and spread of infectious diseases.

Consider the CDC’s public health response to an infectious disease outbreak in the aftermath of a hurricane.

Using the readings for this week and the Internet, respond to the following:

• What is the CDC’s procedure for mass immunizations that are necessary for certain types of infectious outbreaks such as influenza, mumps, and tetanus?
• How does the CDC communicate information on mass immunization clinics to the public?
• What is the procedure for establishing a mass immunization clinic for tetanus in the aftermath of a hurricane because of the likelihood of injuries during the cleanup? Is this similar to the protocol established for influenza? Compare the two protocols.
• What are some of the controversies surrounding such vaccinations?

 

Find a food label of a food you have tried or would like to try.  Include an active link to an image of that food label that includes the Ingredients List AND the Nutrition Facts Panel.   This must be a packaged food – not a fast food or restaurant item.  In 150 words or more answer the following questions:

1. Why did you choose this particular food?  Is it one that you eat often? Did you include an active link to the label showing the nutrition facts and the ingredients?
2. In which food group does this food fit into ChooseMyPlate.  Recall that this is a food group plan that groups foods according to their nutrient content.  Empty calorie foods (such as candy or chips), would NOT fit into a food group. They would be in the discretionary kcalorie category.  Likewise, cheddar flavored crackers do not have enough calcium to fit into the dairy food group – they would fit into grains.  If you are not sure where your food fits, make your best guess and then ask for help in your discussion posting.
3. Look at the Nutrition Facts Label for your food.  List the % of the Daily Value (DV) for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. (or Vitamin D, iron, calcium, and potassium if your label is one of the new ones!)  Read the definition for the Label Claim ‘HIGH” in the “Glossary of terms on Food Labels” in chapter 2.  Is your food high in any of these 4 micronutrients?
4. Does your food contain any food additives? If yes, tell us what type of food additive it is and present information on it’s safety rating from the Center for Science in the Public Interest found at:  Chemical Cuisine (use this active link)
5. Now that you have looked closely at the food label, do you think this item is a part of a healthy diet? Why or why not?

Creating an Active Link:

If a link is ‘active’, when you click on it you will be taken directly to the website.

Even if your link was active in your word document, you will need to recreate that active link

in HTML. Follow these steps to make your link active:

• Place your cursor where you want to insert your web address and click on the link icon (it is on the 2nd taskbar, third from left – it looks like the link of a chain).
• When you click on the link icon you will see a new screen appear that will allow you to insert your website address.
• Type your address in the box under URL radio button, click OK and your active link will be inserted wherever you placed your cursor in the text of the message.
• If you would rather have text than the actual address, type the text you want into the box under “link text‟.
• When you are finished, click “preview‟ and check your link to make sure it is active and takes you to the site.  Then you can click “Post”.