...Substance Abuse in Nursing The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of nurses impaired by substance abuse and to explore actions that are being taken to either prevent or correct the problem once it has occurred. My reasons for choosing this topic is that I will soon be entering the nursing field and the likely hood of me working with an impaired or addicted nurse appears to be very likely; the more I know on the subject the better prepared I will be to handle the situation. It has been estimated that roughly 10% of the nursing population has alcohol or drug abuse problems furthermore 6% has an addiction serious enough to interfere with their ability to practice (Talbert, 2009). The American Nurses Association (ANA) estimated that 6%--8% of nurses use alcohol or drugs to the extent that professional judgment is impaired. Impaired nursing is defined as a nurse's inability to perform essential job functions because of chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol or mental illness (Blair, 2002). This is of particular relevance because substance abuse among nurses is an issue that threatens the delivery of quality care and professional standards of nursing, “many nurses are not identified as having a problem until patient safety has been compromised” (Talbert, 2009). A. Introduction-5 points State the purpose of your paper and your reason for choosing your topic. B. Definition of Topic-10 points Begin with a definition of the issue, followed by identification of...
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...Substance Abuse in Nursing Erika O. Substance Abuse in Nursing The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of nurses impaired by substance abuse and to explore actions that are being taken to either prevent or correct the problem once it has occurred. My reasons for choosing this topic is that I will soon be entering the nursing field and the likely hood of me working with an impaired or addicted nurse appears to be very likely; the more I know on the subject the better prepared I will be to handle the situation. It has been estimated that roughly 10% of the nursing population has alcohol or drug abuse problems furthermore 6% has an addiction serious enough to interfere with their ability to practice (Talbert, 2009). The American Nurses Association (ANA) estimated that 6%--8% of nurses use alcohol or drugs to the extent that professional judgment is impaired. Impaired nursing is defined as a nurse's inability to perform essential job functions because of chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol or mental illness (Blair, 2002). This is of particular relevance because substance abuse among nurses is an issue that threatens the delivery of quality care and professional standards of nursing, “many nurses are not identified as having a problem until patient safety has been compromised” (Talbert, 2009). A. Introduction-5 points State the purpose of your paper and your reason for choosing your topic. B. Definition of Topic-10 points Begin...
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...an increasingly more important role in nursing practice. With the increased utilization of nursing research comes a need for a form of communication that classifies diagnosis, applies interventions, and expected patient outcomes. In order to unify nursing communication and support nursing practice, standardized terminology has been developed. This paper will introduce three forms of standardized terminologies in nursing which are the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), Nursing Outcome Classification (NOC), and Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC). The purpose of this paper is to define the three standardized terminologies, processes developed, and to provide and example of their useful application in patients at risk for or diagnosed with pressure ulcers. The NANDA was established with the goal of enhancing all aspects of nursing practice by refining and promoting terminology to accurately reflect the clinical judgment of nurses (Azzolin et al., 2013). The mission of NANDA if to facilitate the refinement, dissemination, and development, and utilization of nursing standard terminology (Peres et al., 2015). Their main focus is to utilize this communication to promote evidence based practice and care, thereby improving care for everyone. NANDA promotes their missions and goals by publishing the world leading evidence based nursing diagnosis, funding research, establishing a global nursing network, and integrating evidence based terminology (Peres et al....
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...Hearing Impaired Patients Paula Inman NUR 440 October 10th, 2011 Priscilla Aylesworth Hearing Impaired Patients Hearing loss is a common health issue that affects 10% of the work population as indicated by many international studies” (Bento & Penteado, 2010, pg 64). According to Healthy People 2020 three out of every 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss (HealthyPeople.gov, n.d.). As we age hearing loss is caused by colds, earaches, medications, head trauma, and the aging process. At Illinois Valley Hospice most of our patients are elderly, and we wanted to see how we can help the hearing impaired patient feel comfortable in their surroundings even if they have difficulty hearing. The Sample Group We took a three-month sample of our patient. In total we served 57 patients ranging from 44 to 99 years old. Thirty of the patients had no hearing impairment, 19 had mild impairment, five had moderate and three had severe. In hospice, patients get to the point where they no longer respond, but research shows that hearing is the last sense to leave as they are dying. The hospice staff noted the different ways each patient was could communicate. With the mild and moderate hearing impaired patients the staff just needed to talk loudly and look directly at the patient so they had the opportunity to read lips. It was more difficult communicating with the severe hearing impaired. Staff noted that they needed to make sure the patient had their hearing aids in; staff would...
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...TITLE PAGE Therapeutic Communication And Nursing Considerations As a nurse, one must expect to be faced with diverse situations. From teaching patients of varied educational backgrounds to explaining a difficult diagnosis, it is the place of the nurse to build a proper relationship and provide therapeutic communication to each person in the most effective manner possible. This paper first describes the fundamental elements of the communication process, and second, reviews the three levels of communication with nursing applications. Third, this paper differentiates between verbal and nonverbal communications, and furthermore describes the nurse’s focus in the nurse-patient relationship. This paper outlines therapeutic and non-therapeutic communication techniques, with regard to cultural diversity and patients with alternative communication needs. The Communication Process “Communication is an interactive process between two or more persons who send and receive messages to one another”(Varcarolis, 2010, p. 175). “Two common elements of every communication exchange are the sender and receiver. The sender initiates the communication. The sender is a person who has a need or desire to convey an idea or concept to others. The receiver is the individual to whom the message is sent. The sender encodes the idea by selecting words, symbols, or gestures with which to compose a message. The message is the outcome of the encoding, which takes the form of verbal...
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...One Paper: 8/19-8/25 NUR 3826: Ethical & Legal Issues in Health Care Week One Paper: 8/19-8/25 Nursing is a profession that is diverse and those practicing have the potential to adopt their own standards and competencies. However, thanks to the American Nurses Association, standards and competencies have been adopted, stating that all registered nurses regardless of role, population, or specialty are expected to perform competently (ANA, 2010, p. 2). The 2004 Scope and Standards were revised in 2010 secondary to the change in dynamics of the nursing profession. The current 2010 Scope and Standards (1-16) are thoroughly stated, leaving those reading minimal occasion for misinterpretation, in comparison to the 2004 Scope and Standards (1-15). For example, the 2010 Standard 1. Assessment, specifically states the competencies in collecting data, recognizing the impact of personal attitudes values and beliefs, and the fact that the health care consumer’s care preferences is to be honored because they have the authority over their health. The 2004 Scope and Standard 1. Assessment, gives very general authoritative statements. It never highlights the attitudes, values and beliefs of the nurse and the impact it has on the health care consumer or the fact that the health care consumer has the authority over their health and the nurse has to honor their preferences (ANA, 2010, pp. 32-33, 119). The 2010 Standard 7. Ethics competencies states that that the registered nurse will...
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...Promotion In Nursing Practice To equate and distinguish, the author had to search literatures from the GCU library and Google. The author noted that there was a lot to learn about health promotion in the three articles. Today’s health promotion is not just restricted to preventing disease, restoring health, containing illness, concentrating health pedagogy, lifestyle and behavioral alterations, but has attempted a new paradigm, authorizing the patients by taking governmental and societal action to encourage health improving environment (Irvine, 2007). This paper focuses on the intention of the health promotion in nursing practice, roles and responsibilities of nursing evolving health promotion, implementing methods that encompasses all the domains of nursing, and compares the three phases of health promotion prevention of diabetes. There are various definitions given by authors and organizations regarding the health promotion but the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO, 1986), Ottawa charter is the popular one, which reads “Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.” This definition emphasizes on responsibility of patient health and also expands its role in healthy lifestyle changes for betterment...
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...Evidence Based Nursing Practice Morise Oluwole Walden University Nurs 4000- Research and Scholarship for Evidence -Based Practice September 6, 2015 PRESSURE ULCERS An essential part of nursing care of hospitalized patients is skin integrity maintenance. As markers of the values or products of care most affected by the assessment and interventions delivered by nurses, the rate of PUs is being screened thoroughly now than ever before (Manning, 2015). Pressure ulcers (PUs) are preventable, but PU rates persist to increase disturbingly fast, according to an article by Gary and Hampton published in 2015, the incidence of PUs has increased in the US between 1995 and 2008. The purpose of this paper is to review the incidence of PUs and how to prevent its occurrence and nurses’ responsibility. Practice Setting Problem Pressure ulcer occurs when part of the skin and the tissues underneath are impaired as a result of being placed under enough pressure to impair blood supply. Immobility-related pressure ulcers are defined as localized areas of tissue damage that develops when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface for a prolonged time. The most common sites were the sacrum, the heel, the ischium and the trochanter. Pressure is where the weight of the body squeezes the tissues between a bony prominence (such as heel, elbow, sacrum or ischials etc) and a hard surface (such as bed, chair or, in the case of heels, the floor). There are four...
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...prevalent in numerous areas including examples of abuse toward healthcare professionals, abuse of patients, substance abuse, financial abuse to name a few. Awareness of violence or abuse within the healthcare system is rapidly growing. The significance of abuse results in the negative impact on the health of individuals and the health consequences that they can encounter in their own mental, financial, and physical health (McIntyre & McDonald, 2014). This paper examines three different articles from different sources as follows: news feed, scholarly journal, and a website posting discussing abuse which impacts the health of the effected individual and bringing...
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...Medicine reports that there are over 98,000 deaths caused by preventable errors (1999). The purpose of this paper is to respond to a peer reviewed concept analysis article, describing the method of analysis, the steps of the process, results for each step and to apply the concept to a practice situation. Concept Analysis The Electronic Health Record (EHR) improves the exchange of patient data, accuracy, and quality of patient care. Poor communication and technology can impede a positive outcome for the patient. A core competence of nursing is documentation of patient’s response to nursing interventions and effectively communicating the care given. In the article Concept Analysis of Similarity Applied to Nursing Diagnoses: Implications for Educators the author uses the Walker and Avant concept analysis of similarity. In nursing, concept analysis clarifies unclear concepts and gives a mean to common understanding within nursing practice. “The purpose of a concept analysis is to describe the concept well enough so that defining characteristics can be determined and used to distinguish “likeness or unlikeness” between concepts” (Walker & Avant, 2005, p. 64). Wilson developed an 11 step process in 1963 that defined the concepts to improve communication and comprehension of the meanings of terms in scientific use (McEwen & Willis, 2011, p.53). Numerous nurses have used Wilson’s process to...
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...Nursing Abstract This paper is intended to provide an overview regarding the Colorado End of Life Options Act. This paper includes information regarding what it is, who qualifies to use it, and what the entirety of the process looks like. The ultimate goal of this paper, however, is to provide enough information regarding the Colorado End of Life Options Act to ensure that a general understanding of the basic requirements/qualifications, processes, individuals involved, and dilemmas surrounding physician assisted suicide is obtained. Keywords: Colorado, End of Life Options, Physician assisted suicide The Colorado End of Life Options Act The concept of physician...
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...Wesley D. Pointjour Final Research Paper: Telehealth In Nursing Homes Health Quality Management April 02, 2015 Introduction In many nursing home facilities, patient safety is little to non-existent and if they are, there displayed on a need be and not obliged basis. They are displayed case by case rather than nursing home protocol. Even with changes in regulations, reporting systems, and documentation over the past couple of years, the nursing home industry still has its share of problems. Patient safety is meant to provide patients freedom from healthcare associated preventable harm, meaning when things go right, nothing bad happens. Nursing home organizations have been constantly trying to improve their reputation and the way people view them, but how? Don’t patients make up a nursing home? What about their safety? Shouldn’t we start there? How do we make improvements? Telehealth, a new approach to improving patient safety in nursing homes, will use telecommunication technologies to deliver health related services and information that support patient care, administrative activities, and health education (Dixon, Hook, McGowan, 2008). In this paper I will explore the major benefits of Telehealth and how its implications can improve patient safety in nursing home care. What is Telehealth and why is it important? Telehealth is the means and methods to improving access to care and reducing healthcare associated costs. It is also a system that can be used for education...
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...University NURS-430V Professional Dynamics 23-Aug-2010 (0106) September 19, 2010 Accountability of Nursing Professionals for Patient Safety Practices Related to Informed Consent Accountability in nursing can be defined as the state in which the nurse is responsible for upholding a professional agreement with the patient to provide services and be held answerable for the outcomes of behaviors related to these services (Hood, 2010). One of the main areas we are held accountable for as professional nurses is the safety of our patients. After an evidence-based review of patient safety practices, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has identified numerous opportunities for quality improvement. The practices identified were rated by strength of evidence, with the highest rated being listed first. This paper will examine practice number five, asking patients to recall and restate what they have been told during the informed consent and the responsibility of the professional nurse in this process. The Informed Consent Process According to Terry (2007) informed medical consent occurs when a patient autonomously and expressly permits a professional to perform a medical act on that patient or include the patient in a research project. Patients are now encouraged to be more informed consumers and take an active part in their own healthcare. Terry (2007) has acknowledged that this process takes time and merely having a patient sign a consent form does not mean true informed...
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...Literature Review Patient Education for Post-Hospitalization Home Care Debra Scully Walden University NURS 6010-11 Advancing Nursing through Inquiry and Research April 8, 2012 Patient Education for Post-Hospitalization Home Care Changes in health care delivery brought on by financial constraints have affected the length of stay for certain patient procedures, resulting in an early discharge. Patients discharged from hospitals sooner than anticipated are finding themselves ill prepared, regarding insufficient education and instructions on self-management for home care, post-hospitalization. Patient education in nursing should be a focal priority, yet is often slighted due to time constraints, and lack of staff, preparation and materials. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of sufficient patient education prior to discharge for patients with residual home care. Research on this topic could have beneficial implications for patient satisfaction pertaining to quality education for home care prior to discharge. Evidenced-based research has illustrated that the development of educational tools to aid nursing in providing succinct and pertinent information of discharge criteria has attributed to a rise in patient satisfaction. Considerations for educational materials were preferred language, specificity of patient concerns, and simplicity of educational materials. Summary Contemporary day surgery: patients’ experience of discharge and recovery ...
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...Title: The differences in Competencies between Nurses Prepared at ADN versus BSN level of Nursing with- Patient Case Scenario Name: Lu-Anna Godett Grand Canyon University: NRS-340V May 3rd, 2015 Nursing is a field that is constantly changing and evolving which makes it necessary for nurses to grow and evolve with it. One of the ways to facilitate these changes is through education. This paper will take a look at the difference in competencies of an Associates Degree and a Bachelorette Degree nurse. We also look at the differences in approach, and the roles that experience and skills play in the clinical decisions made by a BSN and an ADN prepared nurse by evaluating a clinical scenario of a BSN versus an ADN. Associate Degree Nursing This program takes about 2 to 3 years to complete, usually at a technical or community college. According to Ellis and Hartley (2008), this program was expected to put new nurses into the work field more quickly to help eliminate the nursing shortage. Mildred Montag designed the ADN in 1952 as an alternative to typical college education. Creasia (2011) states that Montag’s intent was that ADN nurses would work under the direct supervision of BSN level nurses. Bachelor Degree Nursing This degree is completed in a 4-year college or University. The first school to introduce this program was the University of Minnesota in 1909. Bachelorette nursing programs teach basic nursing skills along with concepts of health...
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