...RN-BSN Capstone Proposal The Attitudes and Barriers of Nurses towards Pressure Ulcers in Long Term Care Facilities that Hinders Prevention & Treatment Takoya Walker College of Costal Georgia Introduction and Background Pressure ulcers (PUs) have post a problem to healthcare for thousands of years. Since at least the 1980s, pressure ulcers have been considered a result of poor quality of care (Lyder & Ayello, 2012). In response to the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, the National Quality Forum designated hospital-acquired Stage III or Stage IV PUs as “never events” (considered avoidable health care incidents) (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2012). Since 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse providers for treatment of facility acquired Stage III or Stage IV PUs. Populations at risk for PU development include older adults, patients with dementia, and any person with conditions of immobility (Ratliff, Tomaselli, & The Guideline Task Force, 2010). Because an older adult is more likely than a younger person to have impaired mobility and co-morbid health conditions, elders are especially vulnerable for PU development. This is of particular concern given the large population of these individuals in our nursing home facilities. In 1992, the AHRQ developed early guidelines for preventing pressure ulcers. In general, prevention guidelines...
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...Health Care Interview Lisa Smith HCS/235 February 17, 2014 Instructor: Eugene Burwell A career in the health care field is a growing profession. Unlike many different avenues of career choices, the health care field is projected to grow rapidly in many years to come. When a person decides to obtain a health care position they are able to literally live anywhere and still be able to find a job. There are numerous options of working anytime that fits into the daily routine of a person’s schedule. Also, the choice of deciding whether or not to work alone or work on team, depending on which path is chosen. I have had the pleasure in interview a licensed practical nurse name Rosa Witcher. A licensed practical nurse, LPN, is, “a member of the medical profession that does their duties taking care of patients while under the management of registered nurses or doctors. The LPN does what is considered essential care, which means they help patients to eat, dress, walk, take a bath, comb their hair, etc. They may also give them their medicines, take their temperature or other vital signs, and do other similar duties.” ("What Is A Licensed Practical Nurse (lpn)?", 2013). Rosa Witcher is not only a respected LPN, but she is also my mother. Rosa has been a licensed practical nurse for over 25 years. The choice to become a LPN was certain for her when she was 12 years old. At the young age of 12, her grandmother suffered a massive heart attack in her arms. Her grandmother complain...
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...Health Care Interview The person I chose for my interview is Marlene Jones-Wallace. She is 42 years old and she is a LPN or in other words a Licensed Practical Nurse. Marlene has been a LPN for 7 years at Montefiore Medical Center. She works within the Emergency field. I have gained information about what is takes to become a LPN, What do they do? And other information I felt that we should know. A licensed practical nurse or LPN works under the direction of registered nurses and doctors. They care for patients who are sick, injured, recovering or disabled. A licensed practical nurse is also known as a licensed vocational nurse or LVN. The job involves a variety of daily tasks ranging from dressing wounds to feeding infants. On the job, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses perform a variety of functions. These functions can be maintaining records of patients' histories, provide dressing or bathing assistance, update doctors and registered nurses on a patient's status, measure vital signs, assist doctors and registered nurses with tests and procedures, caring for and feeding infants, assemble and or use and clean certain medical equipment, start IV drips or give medication, and monitor medication and a patient's response. Most LPNs are trained to work in all aspects of health care, but there are some who specialize in certain areas. LPN’s or LVN’s can be found in all kinds of medical settings like hospitals, clinics, physicians' offices, nursing homes and even in...
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...Health Care Interview Denise Palmer HCS/310 July 16, 2012 Martha Plant Health Care Interview The following summary is based on the information that was obtained from an interview of Mrs. Rayshondal Merrell a Licensed Practical Nurse for 9 years and enjoys everything about the job. Mrs. Merrell work at a state prison in a 21 bed infirmary as a Licensed Practical Nurse. The infirmary is designed to house inmates with acute illnesses as well as inmates who have returned from hospitals for more serious illnesses. Licensed Practical Nurses will conduct routine checks of these inmates or a daily basis. To become a Licensed Practical Nurse one must attain a high school diploma, and have completed and passed a nursing program with a Practical Nursing Diploma. Once the diploma is obtained the student must apply to the state licensing department and pass the state test. The student must also pass a physical and criminal background check. They should also have the love and passion for this profession. The Licensed Practical Nurse must perform duties that are within her/his scope of practice. The duties include, but are not limited to management of acute illnesses and injuries; treat medical problems; perform physical assessments and perform EKGs. The Practical Nurse must review that care of the patient with the physicians. The Practical Nurse can order prescriptions for all medications and medical devices. Prior to order medications the Practical Nurse must consult with the physician...
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...Running Head: ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS Analysis and Implications of Practice: Quantitative Research Analysis and Implications of Practice: Quantitative Research Why are Nurses Leaving? Findings From an Initial Qualitative Study on Nursing Attrition Carol Isaac MacKusic and Ptlene Minick Introduction/Purpose As the population ages and chronic disease runs rampant, the need for bedside nurses grows. MacKusick and Minic (2010) further tackle the nursing shortage in Why are Nurses Leaving? Findings from an Initial Qualitative Study on Nurse Attrition. The purpose of this study is clearly stated, “to understand the factors influencing the decision of registered nurses (RN’s) to leave clinical nursing” (p. 335). This purpose statement clearly states and highlights its importance to the nursing practice. Interviews were conducted to find out what factors influenced the decisions of the RN’s to leave clinical nursing. The introduction of this study gave a great summation of the entire article which pulled the reader in. Review of Literature In reviewing the article, it was discovered that the authors did a thorough search of bedside RN’s leaving the nursing practice and found that very limited data was available regarding nursing attrition. Their search began with “GoogleScholar and was narrowed to include CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO, and LexisNexis MacKusic and Minic” (2010 p.335). MacKusic and Minic (2010) found the data search for this topic ended in 2007 when the...
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...Ethics Case Study – Jerry McCall University of Phoenix Ethics Case Study In health care today, there is sometimes a lax attitude regarding rules and regulations. Some allied health professionals may be tempted to inappropriately use their position because of a personal feeling of empowerment. There are always ethical and legal issues that influence outcomes and this care is just another example of the difficulties that allied health professionals face every day. Jerry is trained as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and currently working as a medical assistant. Jerry’s training allows him to provide general assessments, administer medications, and provide treatments. As an LPN, he is able to administer oral medications, as well as some injectable medications. Also, as a medical assistant, Jerry is also responsible for varying levels of clerical work, which may include the writing of scripts. This is more of a common practice today because of electronic prescription software. However, all prescriptions must be originated by a licensed physician and must undersigned by this same provider. Even though this patient is a personal friend of Dr. Williams, the same prescription standard needs to apply. Jerry would need to contact the physician to obtain a verbal order, which he needs to document appropriately before he can give the patient the script. Whether the fact that the medication is for fear of flying or if it is a critically needed medication like anti-hypertensive’s...
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...Five years ago, I began the journey of becoming an LPN (License practical nurse). Even though there where many obstacles. I was able to complete the program and become the great LPN that I am today. Unfortunately, as the years have passed, I once again have decided to continue my education and finish what I started 5 years ago and become an RN (Register Nurse). Not only do I want to become an RN because, I love taking care and providing for others, but I want to be able to be more financially stable to provide for my family. There are also better opportunities as far as work places and duties. My skills will no longer be limited and the benefits will be more gratifying. In total, becoming an RN seems to have more pros than cons. Not only do I want to become an RN because, I love taking care and providing for others, but I want to be able to be more financially stable to provide for my family. It will be fewer hours for better monetary outcome. It will endow me the time needed to spend with my family. As an RN, there will be doors that will open to provide better opportunities and flexibility. Upon completion of graduation, registered nurses are able to work on staff at hospitals, nursing homes, teaching positions at colleges, hospitals, and universities. They can also specialize in certain nursing fields, such as: neonatal nursing, patient educator, oncology, and clinical nurse manager. The need for nurses also gives you some flexibility for your schedules, various shifts...
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...advanced compared to years before? I have the answer. The nurse is the person in charge of taking care of patients, and medicine is so advanced thanks to the technology we have nowadays. I chose to be a Registered Nurse (RN), but I know is not an easy job because they have to perform different job duties. Not everyone can become a nurse, in fact, to be one, you need some requisites first. Afterward, medicine has become improved because of the advances we have on technology. When people choose Registered Nursed (R.N.) as their career they have to perform various job obligations. According to a website called “Monster” registered nurses have to “provide direct patient care and report any changes in patient status to the doctor treating the patient”. The nurse also “needs to keep in contact with the patient to let the patient know he is in good hands and good care”. In addition to that, the doctor always “needs to be informed about any change in the patient’s health” so he knows what medicines give the patient to become healthy again. Additionally, the same website also addresses that “they also need to update the condition of the patient to their family members and about the trainings, medicines and precautions that the patient needs to take as per plan of care.” The patient is not going to be in the hospital under a nurse’s care forever, so the nurse needs to inform the family how to take care of the patient. The nurse needs to tell them about the medicines the have to give...
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...exam, change wound dressings, drawing blood (depending on state laws) obtain wound cultures, remove sutures or staples from superficial incisions or lacerations, provide patient information and instructions; among many more duties (Buppert, 2008). There are some other duties that Jerry can perform, which are “administering medications topically, sublingually, vaginally rectally and by injection” and also providing the patient with a single dose of oral medication only when ordered by the physician, to a patient for immediate self-administration under observation. These are just some of the limitations that a Medical Assistant faces, which in this case Jerry is facing this (Balasa, JD,MBA, 2012). Although Jerry has previous Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) training, he is still unable to prescribe medications to a patient without and authorizing physician. Any type of medication refills or new prescriptions can be called in or prepared by a...
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...License Practical Nursing Introduction (paragraph 1)--License Practical Nursing is a career field that I always had an interest in, but I just never put a title to the interest. I have been working in this career path for 8 years now as a personal care aide for a home care agency. I have had the pleasure of being on the physical, side working directly with the patient, and administrative side, maintaining the office and clerical information. Paragraph 2-- When I first started into this career path I had all kinds of emotional, squeamish, and frightening obstacles that I had to overcome. In this career path, to be awesome at what you do, there is no room for being squeamish or frighten by the things that come along with it. You must always put the best on the outside. You are there to take care of the sick and that means that the sick isn't always a tolerable sight. The skills of an LPN goes far beyond education. A nurse must be compassionate, observant, firm but fair, and most of all willing to the support for the patient. These skill are innate, they cannot be taught but developed from within. While LPNs should possess a compassionate nature, they sometimes need to be thick-skinned when it comes to occasional unkind treatment from others. ("Licensed Practical Nurses."Ferguson's Career Guidance Center) A care provider whitout a heart is a poor care provider. As an LPN you are responsible for makings sure that the patient receives the proper care that is laid out by the Physician...
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...decisions everyday. Moral and value systems influence the ethical decision process, but the law and licensure regulations do as well. This case study is an example of a potential ethical dilemma and a possible breach of the law. The following questions will be explored: 1. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? 2. Would it make a difference if the medication is for controlling high blood pressure that the patient critically needs on a daily basis? 3. If Jerry calls in the refill and the patient has an adverse reaction while flying, is Jerry protected from a lawsuit under the doctrine of respondent superior? Scope of Practice Jerry has had training as both a medical assistant and as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Medical assisting as an occupation remains loosely regulated in the United States. Most states lack specific medical assistant certification and training requirements. Licensing for medical assistants does not exist. Despite inconsistent regulation, every state...
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...and 1 brother. I attended private school from elementary to high school. I attended boarding school to receive an education that offered college preparatory classes in Huntsville Alabama. I was raised in the Seventh Day Adventist church and currently continue in the same faith. I enjoy, watching television, reading fictional and nonfictional books, and spending time with my family. I have a dog name Nahla, who a blue pit-bull. She is lovable and friendly. My husband and I have been married for 21 years and have 2 children, ages 16 and 22. I attended Alabama A&M University before, returning to Cleveland to pursue a career in the healthcare industry. I started as an EMT and then transitioned into the LPN program at Central School of Practical Nursing, graduated 1994. After, 4 years practicing as a LPN. I attended Excelsior College and graduated with an associate degree in nursing. Working in various areas of nursing, I come to realize continuing my education would open additional doors within the healthcare industry. I continued my journey, by enrolling at Indiana Wesleyan University. I completed my bachelors of nursing December 2010. I worked agency throughout my career. Agency allowed me to work and experience various areas of nursing; home care, medical surgical nursing, PACU, ambulatory surgery, clinical instructor, intensive care, and case management. Currently, I work as a clinical liaison for long term acute care facility, marketing being the primary focus. Marketing...
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...Ethics Case Study Sandra Childers HCS/335 January 16, 2012 Patricia Tobin. PhD, LCSW Ethics Case Study This paper discusses the dilemma of Jerry McCall. Jerry, office assistant of Dr. Williams, is a trained medical assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). While covering the front desk while the receptionist was out to lunch, a patient and friend of Dr. Williams calls requesting a refill order for Valium. The friend is taking a trip by plane and takes the Valium when he flies. There are questions that arise from this scenario. Is Jerry qualified to fulfill this request? If the refill was for a different medication such as blood pressure medication would it make a difference? What are the legal ramifications should there be any harmful reactions? Does the doctrine of respondeat superior protect Jerry from any lawsuits? The answers to these questions are discussed within this paper. As a medical assistant Jerry McCall is trained to perform administrative and medical duties to maintain the smooth operation of the healthcare facility. He reports to the office manager and the physician, as he goes about performing his duties. Medical assistants are not physician’s assistants and do not have the training that a physician’s assistant has to examine, diagnose, and treat patients. As a medical assistant the administrative duties include updating and filing medical records, complete insurance claim forms, set up hospital admissions and lab appointments. When acting...
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...leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. What should he do" (Fremgen, 2009, p. 85)? Medical ethics is a subject open to much interpretation and is prone to many grey area's without definite answers. In the case of Jerry McCall, Medical Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse and Office Assistant the rationale, ethical and legal, for not refilling a prescription without physician consent are justified. If Mr. McCall chooses to refill the unauthorized prescription and the patient has an adverse reaction, his employer, Dr. William's can be held legally responsible for the committed tort even though he is personally without fault (Regan & Regan, 2002). Ethical and legal ramifications are at stake; using effective problem-solving methods to assist with decision making can help to avert a problematic outcome. Qualifications Required for Authorizing Prescriptions The duties that Licensed Practical Nurses can legally perform are mandated by state regulation and differ according to the individual states definition of their scope of practice (National Council for the State Boards of Nursing, 2011). Although this scenario does not list the state in which Mr. McCall lives it is, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy...
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...of working in an electrical wire factory it shut down and moved to Mexico. It seem that all the factories were doing the same thing, so I knew that it was time I chose a different career. Not knowing what I wanted to do I signed up for general studies at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana. Six months in to the program my father in law had a heart attack. I spent the next three days and nights at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the leading heart hospitals in our area. The nurses there were “awesome” they told me about everything they were doing and explained all the equipment and what it was for. If it was not for them explaining what to expect when I first walked in to the recovery room, I know that I would have passed out. Those three days helped me decide what I wanted to study, my original goal was to be a registered nurse specialized in cardiology. In June 2004 I graduated form the nursing program at Ivy Tech as a licensed practical nurse. I was employed at a long term care facility. I spent another year taking the rest of my general studies course before getting into the RN BSN program at Indiana State University's online program. There were bumps and bruise along the way so it took a little longer that I had planned to graduate, but in December 2009 I did. After several failed attempts at passing the state boards, I gave up my goal When I decide to apply to the masters program I was excited and nervous at this same time. Excited because...
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