...Today’s healthcare institutions and providers strive to be safe places for patients to receive care, but past data indicates it has not always been so. The Institute of Medicine determined in the late 1990’s that 44,000 to 98,000 patients die from medical mistakes each year (Wachter, 2008). This tremendous number of deaths places medical care mishaps between the fifth and eighth leading causes of deaths in the United States (Kizer, 2001). In 2002, The Joint Commission established National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) to help accredited organizations with patient safety in specific areas. An advisory group comprised of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, risk managers, clinical engineers, and others with appropriate experience advises The Joint Commission on how to address emerging patient safety issues. This group also periodically develops and updates the goals. The goals are grouped into broad categories and for 2011-2012, cover such categories as patient identification, health care-associated infections, improving communication, medication safety, reducing falls, and risk assessment. A discussion of selected elements underlying the current NPSG such as hand washing techniques, training, and lack of communication between healthcare personnel that can lead to medication errors, to falls, and even death, plus other related factors such as staffing shortages, problems with using outdated equipment, considerations in using the electronic medical records, and compliance with statutes...
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...that we have come one full circle to integrate and merge spirituality, alternative and complimentary medicine with traditional practices to enrich patient care. In today’s world that is so commercialized, this integrated approach revitalizes the very intension of the medical mission by considering the subject as a whole person. It does not renounce the modern medicine but recognizes the spiritual components of healing and wholeness. None of us would disagree with the fact that compassionate care is a golden thread for complete cure. Characteristics of Healing Hospital:(components of healing hospitals) ‘Healing Hospital’ is a formalized approach to healing and it has three vital components as follows: 1.A healing physical environment 2.Integration of work design and technology and 3.A culture of radical loving care. This is a holistic approach that meets not only patient’s physical needs but their emotional and spiritual needs as well. As per wftv.com news(Feb, 2008), Parrish Medical Center was the #1 Healing Hospital for third straight year, and its CEO George Mikitarian was awarded too. According to Erie Chapman the President of the Baptist Healing Trust, the Trust uses six criteria to define a Healing Hospital as follows. 1. Work is done out of a passion to care for others. 2. Every employee, physician and volunteer treats patients with respect, dignity and loving care. 3. Every single leader, physician, director, manager or supervisor treats employees, volunteers and each...
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...Death with Dignity Act Kleta Shinn HSC/430 September 26, 2011 Professor Smith Death with Dignity Act In Washington State, the people voted and passed a law to legalize assisted suicide, called Death with Dignity Act in 2009. This law is for terminally ill patients, diagnosed by their physician to have less than six months to live. There are several steps before the patient is allowed to receive the medication for assisted suicide .“The patient must be a resident of the state, be at least eighteen years old, declared mentally competent to make the request, and two doctors have to certify that he or she has less than six months to live” ( Medical News Today, 2009 ). The representative for Compassion and Choices, an aid in dying advocacy group for assisted suicide, is very supportive of the new law, which gives terminally ill patient other option and helps he or she decide how they wish to live their last days. The Death with Dignity Act allows physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medications to the terminally ill patient. Barbara McKay is terminally ill from advance ovarian cancer and she said “I have watched both my parents suffer with few choices at the end of their lives. I want to be able to decide what time and the way I wish to die.”(Medical News Today,2009). Death with Dignity Act has placed a considerable load of ethical and unethical consequences of emotions on the health care professionals, who will be performing this request. Death with...
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...every practice, hospital, healthcare facility in the United States will be using Electronic Medical Records to keep track of a patient’s information. These facilities will still need to keep a paper record of a patient’s information for those times when the power may go out, and the system is not available to input what the doctor has said about the patient. Electronic Medicals Records are the same as a paper file in the sense that we input information in different sections, like a patient’s personal information, medications, vital signs results, lab work, x-rays, physician notes, diagnosis, etc. Major Features and Benefits of EMR No more repetitive typing, once an individual’s information is entered into the system it will automatically be on any documents or forms. Any information the physician puts in a progress note – such as medications, vital signs results or lab results – will be updated automatically to an individual’s chart. Some of this information can be added to an individual’s chart while the physician is seeing that individual, which I believe can give the physician more time with each patient and the patient won’t feel anxious or scared about going to the doctor. How many of you misplace or forget to take your prescriptions to the pharmacy? You don’t have to worry about that happening, the physician can send them straight to the pharmacy whether it is a new prescription or a refill. It...
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...Education); and nurses should partner in full with doctors and professionals in health care in the redesigning of practices (Transforming Leadership). Impact of Report on Transforming Education The report recommends five core competencies to be integrated in the nursing education. They are, patient centered care, working with other interdisciplinary teams, emphasize practice based on evidence, seeking improvement in quality, and informatics. Computer skills and information management are required for nurses in order to keep up with the technological advancement in the medical field. The need for highly educated nurses and improved and improved education system are a must to keep up with the drastic changes and challenges the healthcare field in the United States has shifted in this century. Patient care in the 21st century is not the same as last century. The need and patient care have become more complicated and complex so nurses have to obtain competencies and skills in order to deliver high quality care. The need for expansion in their roles for higher levels of education and an improved system of education are required for nurses now for meeting the diverse needs of the patients and to provide better care. Improving the education system and achieving a more educated work force is increasing with nurses having baccalaureate degrees, that is, a traditional Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Nursing program or a traditional 4 year Bachelor of Nursing program or a program that...
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...Guasha(yuan dynasty) Gua means “to scrape” and Sha means “red skin rash” (in other words, the result of the Gua).So The essence of Guasha is the scraping of the back and other areas to release blocked Qi (energy) and to cure other illnesses. When is Gua Sha used? Gua Sha is used whenever a patient has pain whether associated with an acute or chronic disorder. It can resolve musculo skeletal pain, Gua Sha is used to treat as well as prevent common cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma, as well as any chronic disorder involving pain, congestion of Qi and Blood. Where is Gua Sha applied? Sha is raised primarily at the surface of the body: the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs. On occasion, Gua Sha is applied at the chest and abdomen. How is Gua Sha applied? Doctors their patients to find areas that feel tight. They then rub them with a spoon or similar tool until they turn red. “Essentially, you are scraping the restriction in their skin,” What kind of instrument is used to Gua Sha? A soupspoon, coin, or slice of water buffalo horn is used in Asia. I have found that a simple metal cap with a rounded lip works best and is by far more comfortable to the patient. What does the type of Sha indicate? The color of the Sha is both diagnostic and prognostic. Very 1.light colored Sha can indicate Deficiency of Blood. 2.If the Sha is purple or black, the Blood stasis is long-standing. 3.If brown, the Blood may be dry. 4.Dark red Sha can indicate heat...
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... | | | | | Thank you for choosing our practice! Here at Joliet Pediatrics we are committed to the success of your medical treatment and care. Your understanding of our financial policy is an essential element of your care and service. Please understand that payment of your bill is part of this treatment and care. “All charges you incur are your responsibility regardless of your insurance coverage. We must emphasize that as your medical care provider, our relationship is with you, our patient, not with your insurance company. Your insurance policy is a contract between you, your employer, and the insurance company. Our office is not a party to that contract.” (Brown & Kushner DDS) Full payment is due...
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...Records Organization The similarities that I found for the organizations of patient files are that most of the paper files between the small and medium facilities are handled the same way. With the demographics and administrative filed on the left and medical on the right. Such as reports of labs, patient progress notes, prescription documentation, and any miscellaneous reports. Some of the small and medium facilities seem to use this filing method. This filing works well in a small to medium facility because there are not many files for the staff members to handle on a daily basis. I believe this system would not work with large facilities because the large facilities will need to use a filing system that is beneficial to the facility to keep track of patient’s files. The difference that I saw with the patient files are there organized by different departments and chronological, oldest to newest in small facilities and also organized using filing alphabetically this filing system will work because it will help keep these facilities organized and help maintain the patients records efficiently. In large facilities numerical filing will work to keep track of all patient files. The similarities I found with all three facilities are that loose documentation remains loose until the attending physician or the patient signs the required documentation needed. All this is done before anchored into patient files. Any remaining administrative documentation is anchored when found loose....
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...Healing Hospital Paradigm The Healing Hospital paradigm does not only bring love and care back to health care but radical loving care to the bedside. This concept, although seemingly progressive, borrows and puts into action theories of such great theorist as Jean Watson that believe in treating the mind, body, and soul (Watson, 2009). The average hospital mission statement is filled with promises of caring compassionate health care, but as with society today, they are mostly talk and no action. The Healing Hospital brings the talk into action bringing the radical care from the management down, believing that each person has a calling not a job that simply ends in provision. The spiritual aspect is brought back into health care for the patients as well as the staff, where each meeting is considered a sacred encounter. Although this sounds like a hospital made in heaven, it is a reality for such hospitals as Baptist Trust in Nashville, Tennessee and Mercy Gilbert Hospital in Gilbert, Arizona (Chapman, 2007). Mind, Body, and Soul So what are the mind, body and soul? The mind is defined as the part that processes reason, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, and judges the processes of the human brain. It is the totality of the conscious and unconscious thought processes and activities (Dictionary.com, 2011). The body is the physical being that can be seen with the naked eye. This brings us to the question of: what is a soul? According to the dictionary the soul is “the principle...
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...writer will identify and discuss any recommendations that could be made. Article/Case Law Search Facilitating patient choice has always been fundamental to palliative care. However, the choice agenda challenges us to question what this truly means for palliative care now and in the future (Kite and Tate, 2005). With this in mind, the writer has chosen an article found in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 28, 2009, entitled, System was deaf to pleas; mother died. For the purpose of this paper, the writer will provide sufficient background on the article and discuss the major points. Next, the writer will discuss the legal issues involved in the article. In conclusion the writer will identify and discuss any recommendations that could be made. The article was about a case involving the Georgia Regional Hospital/Atlanta. In January of this year, a patient, Na Young, with a history of psychotic behavior was released. The patient requested not to be released and refused to sign the release forms. The patients bother also pleaded with the hospital to reconsider releasing her and even delayed picking her up for almost a week. Prior to the Na Young being admitted to the facility she had physically abused her mother several times. She had even told physicians and nurses, if released she would kill her mother. With this in the mind the doctor still released the patient. 12...
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...identifies and explains how the Patient Bill of Rights applies to Nancy giving Mrs. Jones an extra dose of narcotic. It also discusses three ethical and three legal considerations. It also identifies and explains three business considerations. Finally it explains what the manager should do in this situation and why. Improving the end of life and advocating for a “good death” has become the mission of many dedicated individuals and organizations, and is also a frequent subject of research and focus for policy improvements (Jennings, Runder, and D’Onofrio, 2003). Assisted Suicide Effective health care requires collaboration between patients and physicians and other health care professionals. Open and honest communication, respect for personal and professional values, and sensitivity to differences are integral to optimal patient care. As the setting for the provision of health services, hospitals must provide a foundation for understanding and respecting the rights and responsibilities of patients, their families, physicians, and other caregivers. Hospitals must ensure a health care ethic that respects the role of patients in decision making about treatment choices and other aspects of their care. Hospitals must be sensitive to cultural, racial, linguistic, religious, age, gender, and other differences as well as the needs of persons with disabilities (A patient’s bill of rights, 1992). To participate effectively in decision making, patients must be encouraged to take responsibility...
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...community, health communication improves the public health information infrastructure and facilitates clinical decision-making while building health skills and knowledge. As an essential component to improve patient understanding, health care communication further establishes a line of communication between health care professionals and patients that influence the outcome of care and health wellbeing (Nelson, 2011). Effective Personal Health Care Communication Effective communication between patients and health professionals is challenged by personal experiences, attitudes, and values, which influence patient comprehension and ability to absorb health-related issues. Whereas ethnic and cultural backgrounds influence personal understanding and expectations, they also generate the increased risk of low health literacy. Poor health knowledge increases the likelihood of noncompliance with medications and treatments furthering the patient’s disadvantage of comprehending all aspects of disease prevention and health promotion (Williams, 2007). Trust plays an essential role in the human communication process and represents a patient’s expectations of building a relationship that forms unique qualities confined within the health care process. Interpersonal trust between patients and professionals reduce the fears of uncertainty projecting...
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...high-quality musculoskeletal, neurologic and occupational rehabilitation to the greater Memphis area. Clinics are located in the Midtown, Bartlett and Cordova. Description of Organization Baptist Rehabilitation Germantown is a private company categorized under Physical Therapists and located in Germantown, TN. Records show it was established in 1997 and incorporated in Tennessee. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of 13,100,000 and employs a staff of approximately 250. Baptist Rehabilitation Germantown is also a non-profit acute care hospital based at 2100 Exeter Road in Germantown, TN. The facility is accredited and does not provide emergency services. In 2006, 761 Medicare patients were given 10,749 days of Non-PPS inpatient care and services. 1,768 Medicare patients were given outpatient care and services by this provider in 2006. The provider was...
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...Healthcare has been changing so much the last few years that patients have become consumers. As consumers, they are educating themselves trying to get the best medical treatment for their healthcare dollars. Hospitals find themselves in a position of proving they are the better choice than the hospital down the street. To do this many hospitals are looking at how nurses are prepared whether it be Associate degree in nursing (ADN) or Bachelor degree in nursing (BSN) and how this affects patient outcomes. According to Hood, L. J., & Leddy, S. K. (2006) the ADN degree in nursing is a concentrated study of clinical skills at the community college level, while the BSN degree is completed at the 4-year institution, where education is focused on not only skills but also science, liberal studies, research and community health. The ADN was first introduced back in the 1940’s when after the war America found itself in a nursing shortage. Many of women who would have filled nursing positions found other jobs that were now open to them due to the war effort. During this time community colleges and hospitals started programs in which the ADN nurse spent most of their education learning technical skills, in the hospital setting many of the students were taught these skills by on the job training. This training included more practical then theory and there was no continuity in what was taught at the community college level or the hospital programs. Hood, L. J., & Leddy, S. K. (2006). To...
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...Disease knows no boundaries nor is there any age limitations. What is consistent, is the disease inflicted patients need to learn about their disease and how to live normal lives regardless of their literary level. In 1956, Benjamin Bloom and a group of educational psychologists developed Bloom’s Taxonomy, a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. The taxonomy has three domains: the cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Each domain begins with the most basic learning level, and increases to the more intellectual level of learning. As Larsen and Lubkin states, “The teaching-learning process is characterized by multifaceted, dynamic, and interactive exchanges that are fundamental to client-family education and nursing practice” (p. 320). Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education equips nurses with the tools necessary to help patients and family members become successful in coping with their chronic illnesses. The findings of the cognitive domains represent use of knowledge and mental skills of the patient, and is further divided into 6 levels from the lowest level to the highest level of learning, which are: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. If the patient is on the lowest level, knowledge, the nurse educates by having the patient recall, repeat, recognize, and relate the information. For example, the patient should be able to repeat what the medications are and the side effects. At the highest level, evaluation...
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