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  • Population Health and Healthy People 2020 Analysis Essay

    For this Population Health and Healthy People 2020 Analysis Essay assignment, you will select a Healthy People 2020 goal and consider the role of public health nurses in achieving this goal. Select a goal and a specific population that is impacted by this goal and the health issue it targets. In a 1,250-1,500 word paper, provide an analysis of the population and discuss how the goal and related health issue affects them. Include the following:

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    Describe the issue and the population that it affects. Why is this a vulnerable population? Include demographics of the population and why this issue is prevalent in this population.

    Analyze the vitality and social determinants of health for the population. Consider indicators of social and economic conditions, health resources, environmental conditions related to health, social functioning, and attitude toward health care.

    Discuss a proposed intervention and discuss how its benefits the target population. Consider any drawbacks or shortcomings of the intervention as well. Include in your discussion evidence that the intervention is in line with the core functions and ten essential public health services. Population Health and Healthy People 2020 Analysis Essay.

    Cite at least five resources in your response.

    Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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 Population Health and Healthy People 2020 Analysis Essay assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

  • Discussion – Is Grieving Healthy?

    You have learned that the grieving process can be a healthy experience for people who have experienced a life-changing event in their lives. Explain why you think nurses need to establish a trusting relationship with the grieving person before moving on to aid them in their grieving process. You may use other resources than your book for information. It may help to think of a loved one or friend you know that has experienced a life-changing event and how that person may have reacted to a nurse, clergy, or other third party wanting to help them through the grieving process. Discussion – Is Grieving Healthy?

  • NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    NUR 699 GC Week 1 Discussion 1 – NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    What is the difference between research- and evidence-based practice projects? Provide an example of each one and the reason for the difference. Why should nurses be interested in learning about EBP?

    NUR 699 GC Week 1 Discussion 2

    How would a nurse practitioner and a nurse manager differ with regard to how they use and incorporate EBP in their areas of practice?

    NUR 699 GC Week 2 Discussion 1

    Review the “General Appraisal Overview for All Studies,” available in Appendix B in the textbook. You should save this tool and use it throughout the development of the PICOT question, problem description, and literature review. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

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    Begin the development of your PICOT question, using the following resources:

    1. “Appendix A: Template for Asking Clinical Questions,” available in the textbook appendix

    2. Text readings

    Formulate your PICOT question and post it to the main forum. Respond to at least four other statements, providing feedback. Review the statements to see if the clinical issue is clearly defined and that all aspects are identified. Also refer to the “PICOT: Components of an Answerable, Searchable Question” table, located in chapter 2 of the text. If one PICOT statement has at least three feedback posts, move to another statement.

    You will be using the feedback to make revisions to your PICOT question before using it in your “Section B: Problem Description” assignment. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    NUR 699 GC Week 2 Discussion 2

    What strategies will you use in your new practice as an advance practice nurse to review and critique literature pertinent to your practice?

    NUR 699 GC Week 3 Discussion 1

    What levels of evidence are present in relation to research and practice, and why it is important regardless of the method you use?

    NUR 699 GC Week 3 Discussion 2

    What factors must be assessed when critically appraising quantitative studies (e.g., validity, reliability, and applicability)? Which is the most important? Why?

    NUR 699 GC Week 4 Discussion 1

    What are some of the obstacles or barriers to implementing EBP in nursing? Provide a rationale for your answer. Since there are numerous topics on the issue, it is not appropriate to repeat one that has already been mentioned unless providing new information.

    NUR 699 GC Week 4 Discussion 2

    Conducting research projects while ensuring the protection of human subjects is necessary. What are some methods to protect personal rights of someone in one of the groups that is labeled as vulnerable? Justify your rationale.

    NUR 699 GC Week 5 Discussion 1

    Why is it important to incorporate a theory or model related to change when implementing practice changes? Does the benefit of incorporating a change model outweigh the time and effort it took to include it?

    NUR 699 GC Week 5 Discussion 2

    Identify barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practice. What are two ways to address this problem?

    NUR 699 GC Week 6 Discussion 1

    When reviewing the literature and different types of evidence, there are often gaps in the findings. Are such gaps a help or a hindrance when wanting to create a change?

    NUR 699 GC Week 6 Discussion 2

    What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence? How would each of these findings be used to advance an evidenced-based project?

    NUR 699 GC Week 7 Discussion

    Research and EBP projects can be communicated in many ways. Which method do you think is most effective to get to the staff nurse level? To the advance practice nurses? How will you ensure that all appropriate audiences receive your information?

    NUR 699 GC Week 8 Discussion 1

    Post your “Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Project Presentation.” Review all of the presentations but provide critical commentary only to five others posted. Address the strengths of the proposal as well as recommendations for improvement. If a post already has five feedback posts then move on to another one. You will be responsible for responding to each peer’s feedback that is posted to your original presentation post.

    NUR 699 GC Week 8 Discussion 2

    There is power in having data to support change. The EBP process is one way of advancing improvements in healthcare. Identify three strategies that you will now incorporate into your practice based on this course. Explain your rationale.

    NUR 699 GC Week 2 Assignment 1

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment

    Details:

    Before making a case for an evidence-based project, it is essential to understand the culture of the organization in order to begin assessing its readiness for EBP implementation.

    1. Complete the “Organizational Culture and Readiness for System-Wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice Survey,” located in the textbook appendix.

    2. Develop an analysis of 250 words from the results, addressing your organization’s readiness level, possible project barriers and facilitators, as well as how to integrate clinical inquiry.

    3. Make sure to include the rationale for the survey categories scores that were significantly high and low, incorporating details and/or examples. Also explain how to integrate clinical inquiry into the organization, providing strategies that strengthen the organizations weaker areas.

    4. Submit a summary of your results. The actual survey results do not need to be included.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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.

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, revise “Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment” for your final paper submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section.

    NUR 699 GC Week 2 Assignment 2

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section B: Problem Description

    Details:

    Write a paper of 500-750 words (not including the title page and reference page) on your proposed problem description for your EBP project. The paper should address the following:

    1. Describe the background of the problem. Tell the story of the issue and why it deserves attention.

    2. Identify the stakeholders/change agents. Who, or what organizations, are concerned, may benefit from, or are affected by this proposal. List the interested parties, patients, students, agencies, Joint Commission, etc.

    3. Use the feedback from the Topic 2 main forum post and refine your PICOT question. Make sure that the question fits with your graduate degree specialization.

    4. State the purpose and project objectives in specific, realistic, and measurable terms. The objective should address what is to be gained. This is a restatement of the question, providing focus. Measurements need to be taken before and after the evidence-based practice is introduced to identify the expected changes.

    5. 5) Provide supportive rationale that the problem or issue is an important one for nursing to resolve using relevant professional literature sources.

    6. Develop an initial reference list to assure that there is adequate literature to support your evidence-based practice project. Follow the “Steps to an Efficient Search to Answer a Clinical Question” box in chapter 3 of the textbook. Use “NUR-699 Search Method Example” to assist you.

    7. 7) The majority of references should be research articles. However, national sources such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS), or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and others may be used when you are gathering statistics to provide the rationale for the problem.

    8. Once you get into the literature, you may find there is very little research to support your topic and you will have to start all over again. Remember, in order for this to be an evidence-based project, you must have enough evidence to introduce this as a practice change. If you find that you do not have enough supporting evidence to change a practice, then further research would need to be conducted.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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.

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, refine “Section B: Problem Description” for your final submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section.

    NUR 699 GC Week 3 Assignment

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section C: Literature Support

    Details:

    To begin, work through the reference list that was created in the “Section B: Problem Description” assignment in Topic 2. Appraise each resource using the “Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists,” available in the textbook appendix. The specific checklist you use will be determined by the type of evidence within the resource.

    Develop a research table to organize and summarize the research studies. Using a summary table allows you to be more concise in your narrative description. Only research studies used to support your intervention are summarized in this table. Refer to the “Evaluation Table Template,” available in the textbook appendix. Use the “Evaluation Table Template” as an adaptable template.

    Write a narrative of 750-1,000 words (not including the title page and references) that presents the research support for the projects problem and proposed solution. Make sure to do the following:

    1. Include a description of the search method (e.g., databases, keywords, criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and number of studies that fit your criteria).

    2. Summarize all of the research studies used as evidence. The essential components of each study need to be described so that readers can evaluate its scientific merit, including study strengths and limitations.

    3. Incorporate a description of the validity of the internal and external research.

    It is essential to make sure that the research support for the proposed solution is sufficient, compelling, relevant, and from peer-reviewed professional journal articles.

    Although you will not be submitting the checklist information or the evaluation table you design in Topic 3 with the narrative, the checklist information and evaluation table should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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.

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, refine “Section C: Literature Support” for your final submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    NUR 699 GC Week 4 Assignment

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section D: Solution Description

    Details:

    Write a paper of 500-750 words (not including the title page and reference page) paper for your proposed evidence-based practice project solution. Address the following criteria:

    1. Proposed Solution: (a) Describe the proposed solution (or intervention) for the problem and the way(s) in which it is consistent with current evidence. Heavily reference and provide substantial evidence for your solution or intervention. (b) Consider if the intervention may be unrealistic in your setting, too costly, or there is a lack of appropriate training available to deliver the intervention. If the intervention is unrealistic, you may need to go back and make changes to your PICOT before continuing. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    2. Organization Culture: Explain the way(s) in which the proposed solution is consistent with the organization or community culture and resources.

    3. Expected Outcomes: Explain the expected outcomes of the project. The outcomes should flow from the PICOT.

    4. Method to Achieve Outcomes: Develop an outline of how the outcomes will be achieved. List any specific barriers that will need to be assessed and eliminated. Make sure to mention any assumptions or limitations which may need to be addressed.

    5. Outcome Impact: Describe the impact the outcomes will have on one or all of the following indicators: quality care improvement, patient-centered quality care, efficiency of processes, environmental changes, and/or professional expertise.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, refine “Section D: Solution Description” for your final submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section.

    NUR 699 GC Week 5 Assignment 1

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section E: Change Model

    Details:

    In 500-750 words (not including the title page and reference page), apply a change model to the implementation plan. Include the following:

    1. Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory is a particularly good theoretical framework to apply to an EBP project. However, students may also choose to use change models, such as Duck’s change curve model or the transtheoretical model of behavioral change. Other conceptual models presented such as a utilization model (Stetler’s model) and EBP models (the Iowa model and ARCC model) can also be used as a framework for applying your evidence-based intervention in clinical practice. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    2. Apply one of the above models and carry your implementation through each of the stages, phases, or steps identified in the chosen model.

    3. In addition, create a conceptual model of the project. Although you will not be submitting the conceptual model you design in Topic 5 with the narrative, the conceptual model should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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.

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, refine “Section E: Change Model” for your final submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    NUR 699 GC Week 5 Assignment 2

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal – Section F: Implementation Plan

    Details:

    In 500-750 words (not including the title page and reference page), provide a description of the methods to be used to implement the proposed solution. Include the following:

    1. Describe the setting and access to potential subjects. If there is a need for a consent or approval form, then one must be created. Although you will not be submitting the consent or approval form(s) in Topic 5 with the narrative, the consent or approval form(s) should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    2. Describe the amount of time needed to complete this project. Create a timeline. Make sure the timeline is general enough that it can be implemented at any date. Although you will not be submitting the timeline in Topic 5 with the narrative, the timeline should be placed in the appendices for the final paper. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    3. Describe the resources (human, fiscal, and other) or changes needed in the implementation of the solution. Consider the clinical tools or process changes that would need to take place. Provide a resource list. Although you will not be submitting the resource list in Topic 5 with the narrative, the resource list should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    4. Describe the methods and instruments, such as a questionnaire, scale, or test to be used for monitoring the implementation of the proposed solution. Develop the instruments. Although you will not be submitting the individual instruments in Topic 5 with the narrative, the instruments should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    5. Explain the process for delivering the (intervention) solution and indicate if any training will be needed.

    6. Provide an outline of the data collection plan. Describe how data management will be maintained and by whom. Furthermore, provide an explanation of how the data analysis and interpretation process will be conducted. Develop the data collection tools that will be needed. Although you will not be submitting the data collection tools in Topic 5 with the narrative, the data collection tools should be placed in the appendices for the final paper. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    7. Describe the strategies to deal with the management of any barriers, facilitators, and challenges.

    8. Establish the feasibility of the implementation plan. Address the costs for personnel, consumable supplies, equipment (if not provided by the institute), computer related costs (librarian consultation, database access, etc.), and other costs (travel, presentation development). Make sure to provide a brief rationale for each. Develop a budget plan. Although you will not be submitting the budget plan in Topic 5 with the narrative, the budget plan should be placed in the appendices for the final paper.

    9. Describe the plans to maintain, extend, revise, and discontinue a proposed solution after implementation.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    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.

    NUR 699 GC Week 6 Assignment NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    Evidence-Based Practice Proposal: Section G: Evaluation of Process

    Details:

    In 500-750 words (not including the title page and reference page), develop an evaluation plan to be included in your final evidence-based practice project. Provide the following criteria in the evaluation, making sure it is comprehensive and concise:

    1. Describe the rationale for the methods used in collecting the outcome data.

    2. Describe the ways in which the outcome measures evaluate the extent to which the project objectives are achieved.

    3. Describe how the outcomes will be measured and evaluated based on the evidence. Address validity, reliability, and applicability.

    4. Describe strategies to take if outcomes do not provide positive results.

    5. Describe implications for practice and future research.

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

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

    Upon receiving feedback from the instructor, refine “Section G: Evaluation” for your final submission. This will be a continuous process throughout the course for each section.

    NUR 699 GC Week 7 Assignment 1

    Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper

    Details:

    Throughout this course you will be developing a formal, evidence-based practice proposal.

    The proposal is the plan for an evidence-based practice project designed to address a problem, issue, or concern in the professional work setting. Although several types of evidence can be used to support a proposed solution, a sufficient and compelling base of support from valid research studies is required as the major component of that evidence. Proposals are submitted in a format suitable for obtaining formal approval in the work setting. Proposals will vary in length depending upon the problem or issue addressed; they can be between 3,500 and 5,000 words. The cover sheet, abstract, references page, and appendices are not included in the word limit.

    Section headings and letters for each section component are required. Responses are addressed in narrative form in relation to that number. Evaluation of the proposal in all sections is based upon the extent to which the depth of content reflects graduate-level critical-thinking skills. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    This project contains seven formal sections:

    1. Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment

    2. Section B: Problem Description

    3. Section C: Literature Support

    4. Section D:
    Solution Description

    5. Section E: Change Model

    6. Section F: Implementation Plan

    7. Section G: Evaluation of Process

    Each section (A-G) will be submitted as separate assignments so your instructor can provide feedback (refer to applicable modules for further descriptions of each section).

    The final paper will consist of the completed project (with revisions to all sections), title page, abstract, reference list, and appendices. Appendices will include a conceptual model for the project, handouts, data and evaluation collection tools, a budget, a timeline, resource lists, and approval forms.

    Use the “NUR-699 EBP Implementation Plan Guide” and “NUR-699 Evidence-Based Practice Project Student Example” to assist you. Also refer to “NUR-699 Evidence-Based Practice Project Proposal Format.”

    Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

    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.

    NUR 699 GC Week 7 Assignment 2

    Evidence-Based Practice Presentation

    Details:

    Develop a presentation no longer than 10-12 minutes with comprehensive speaker’s notes that covers all of the major areas of your proposal.

    You will need to post your Evidence-Based Practice Presentation to the main forum in Topic 8 as directed by the instructor for class discussion and peer feedback.

    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. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

    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 not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. NUR 699 Evidence-Based Practice Project

  • Mutual-aid agreements Essay – Program Evaluation and Policy analysis for Missouri Mutual aid agreement

    Mutual-aid agreements Essay – Program Evaluation and Policy analysis for Missouri Mutual aid agreement

    44.090. Mutual-aid agreements

    Background of Missouri Emergency Response efforts

    The state of Missouri

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    Program Overview

    Missouri first mutual aid agreement in legislative was in 1990, this began as a statewide fire response mutual aid agreement. Instead of each individual department belonging to a certain town or jurisdiction they are all considered to be a part of Missouri Fire Mutual Aid System. The system includes all the resources that those fire departments have and their specialized teams such as wildland, hazmat, and rescue. The only separation they have is by split into regions where each is led by a fire-based regional coordinator, regions followed by State Trooper regions. Upon the tested fire service showing success and achievement with mutual aid assistance others followed suit. The agreement later amended to include law enforcement, emergency medical services, and public works. Mutual-aid agreements Essay – Program Evaluation and Policy analysis for Missouri Mutual aid agreement.

    Inputs

    Activities

    Outcomes

     

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  • Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples

    Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples

    Watson’s theory of human caring

    Nursing has drastically changed over the last one hundred years. It has grown because nurses care about the health and well-being of their patients. Throughout history, nurses have made an impact on the care that patients have received. Caring is the root of nursing. Jean Watson created a nursing theory to guide nursing in their caring for patients. Nursing is not just a set of skills, and caring is the basic component of nursing.

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    Watson created the theory of human caring to guide nursing in caring for human beings. “Watson’s theory of human caring focuses on the human component of caring and the moment-to-moment encounters between the one who is caring and the one who is being cared for, especially the caring activities performed by nurses as they interact with others” (Fawcett, 2002). Caring has been the basis of nursing for generations. However, not everyone learns to care truly. Watson’s theory was created to guide nurses to developing a caring attitude. Watson’s theory places high regard on life and dignity. Nursing allows for growth and development of a person. Who a person is and who the person will become Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples. Watson’s theory creates a holistic approach to nursing care and “promotes health better than a simple cure” (Nursing Theory, 2013). The three major elements of Watson’s theory are carative factors, transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring moment (Lukose, 2011).

    The carative factors are concepts that satisfy human needs. According to Nursing Theory (2013) ”Watson’s 10 carative factors are: forming humanistic-altruistic value systems, instilling faith-hope, cultivating a sensitivity to self and others, developing a helping-trust relationship, promoting an expression of feelings, using problem-solving for decision-making, promoting teaching-learning, promoting a supportive environment, assisting with gratification of human needs, and allowing for existential-phenomenological forces” (para. 9). The first three of these caritas are the basis for Watson’s theory. The other seven are created from the first three. These caritas allow the nurse to treat the patient as a whole and to explore his or herself in the process. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples These guidelines allow nurses to first meet the basic needs of the patient, then to meet more advanced needs. This allows the nurse to incorporate all aspect of life into caring for the patient.

    Transpersonal caring occurs when the nurse sees the patient not as an object but as a human being. The nurse feels and shows concern for the patient. Both the nurse and the patient search for meaning for the illness and situation at hand. “The goal of transpersonal caring relationship corresponds to protecting, enhancing, and preserving the person’s dignity, humanity, wholeness, and inner harmony” (Cara, 2003) Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    According to Watson Caring Science Institute and International Caritas Consortium (2014), “A caring occasion occurs whenever the nurse and another come together with their unique life histories and phenomenal fields in a human-to-human transaction” (para. 13). The nurse is open to the needs of the patient’s feelings, thoughts, goals, environment, and beliefs. The nurse sees that patient not as an object or a set of tasks that need to be completed. The nurse sees the patient as a human being who needs healing physically, mentally, and spiritually. The nurse and patient connect creating a moment that will affect the universe. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    My personal caring moment occurred recently. I am a nurse employed in a long-term acute care hospital. I take care of patients who continue to need specialized care and do not meet the requirements to stay in an acute care hospital, but require more than a nursing home or home care can provide. I recently took care of a patient who came to use with severe ischial and coccyx wounds. This patient had been a through much in her short life. She was in a motor vehicle accident ten years ago, suffering a pelvic crushing injury. The patient later had bilateral amputations to both legs at the hip. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples She has suffered from anxiety and depression since the accident. She has remained physically healthy since the recovery from her amputations. This is the first time she has developed a wound. She had been treating the wound at home until sepsis set in, and she had to be taken to the local emergency room. The patient had had a change in level of consciousness at that time. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    I entered the room to provide my morning care of assessing the patient, collecting vital signs, and administering medications. Upon entering the roo I noticed that the patient seemed withdrawn. She was looking down at her blankets, clutching them tightly in her hands, and would not make eye contact. She had few personal items about her, and the television was off. She did not speak unless spoken to. I asked her how her first night went and if she was having any pain. She gave short answers and did not make eye contact. I explained what I was there to do and asked if she needed anything before I started with my exam. She began to cry. I held her hand and asked what I could do. She stated she was scared and didn’t know if she would ever be able to go back home. I continued to hold her hand as she cried. I asked her why she felt she would not be able to go back home, and she explained how she had never had a wound like this and didn’t know how she would care for herself. She was concerned that she would not get a motorized wheelchair that she had ordered because she wasn’t home for them to deliver it. I explained that I was there to help her to get better and stronger. I also told her that I would talk to her case manager personally to see what we could do about her wheelchair. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples. She seemed more at ease after our discussion. I explained what each of her medications were for and asked if she needed anything for pain. I changed her dressings and explained each step I was taking to do it properly. I then left the room and immediately called her case manager to discuss the wheelchair situation. I discussed the plan of care for her with her physician so that I could reinforce the information with my patient.

    A short while later, I returned to my patients room with the information that I learned. She was impressed that I went through “all that trouble for her.” I stated that that was what I was here for, to care for her. I explained that I talked to her case manager, and she gave me a number to the wheelchair company and I called them personally to make arrangements for its delivery. I also explained in depth the plan the physician had for her and her care. I explained to her that she was only with us for a few weeks for antibiotics to combat the infection and to assist her in caring for her wounds. After I had given her the information, her face lit up, and she began to cry again. This time the tears were for happiness. She said that no one else would explain what was going on and that I went above and beyond her expectations. I told her I saw that she was hurting and scared, and I tried to do what I could to ease her mind. After that day, she requested me as her nurse.  She did not want anyone else to care for her. It touched my heart that I could do so much for her and that she wanted me to continue to provide care for her. I felt at that moment that we reached a caring moment. We both set in motion a moment that had touched both of us and will continue to have an impact on our lives.

    I learned that I do care deeply for my patients. I want to see them succeed and be at peace. I learned that by going the extra mile for a patient can bring comfort to them. I learned that simple things such as talking and holding a patient’s hand can make them feel important and loved. Humans are not uncaring people. They are not made of stone. They laugh, hurt, cry, and love. That is what make us the same. Hospitals are such sterile worlds that humanity is often lost. If I can bring even an ounce of that into my work, it can make a world of difference.

    I feel that my patient perceived my care in a positive way. She requested that I remained her nurse. She felt at ease talking with me about her fears and expectations. She trusted me to care for her and meet her needs. She trusted me enough to discuss aspects of her life. We discussed her depression and hardships she has had to face over the years. I developed an understanding of the life experiences that have made her who she is today. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    I am not sure what I could have done to enhance the caring moment. I wish that I could have spent more time with her. She is an amazing person who has overcome so much in her short life. It was an honor to know and care for her.

    I used Watson’s human caring theory to create a caring moment. I treated my patient as a person who deserved to be valued and loved. I held her hand and listened to what she felt was important. I showed empathy and compassion. I attended not only to her health needs but the needs that put her mind at ease. I created an environment of trust and compassion. I treated the patient as a whole. I cared for her body by administering proper medication and attending to her wounds.Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples. I cared for her mind by discussing with her depression and easing her mind of worrying factors. I cared for her spirit by showing her that I cared and that she was valued.

    The carative factors that were utilized in this caring moment are: forming humanistic-altruistic value systems, instilling faith-hope, cultivating a sensitivity to self and others, developing a helping-trust relationship, and promoting an expression of feelings (Nursing Theory, 2013). I feel that I did meet other requirements of carative factors, however, these standout to me. In forming a humanistic-altruistic value system, I regarded my patient’s needs. I did not look at the simple numbers like her vital signs but looked at the person. I saw that she was withdrawn and scared. I saw that she needed someone to see her not just another body in a room. She is a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own. I instilled faith-hope in my patient by going above and beyond nursing skills. I listened to issues that were bothering her and did my best to find information for her. I relayed this information that gave her hope that all would be well. I cultivated a sensitivity to my patient’s needs and perceptions that were important to her. I held her hand as she cried. I listened to her fears and desires, without making judgment. I shared in her stories and life experiences. I developed a helping-trust relationship. My patient requested my care. She trusted that I could provide the care that she needed. My patient trusted me enough to allow me into her life and to share her thoughts and feelings. I developed this by listening and acting on what I perceived as important to her. My patient saw my effort and love. I created an environment where she could express herself.

    Watson’s theory of human caring guides nursing to care not only for the physical aspect of patient maladies but to care for the person as a whole. Using Watson’s theory allows nurses to take nursing to another level and truly connecting with the patient instead of seeing the patient as an object. Caring and love have been the foundation of nursing since nursing began and will continue to shape nursing into the future Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    References

    Cara, C. (2003). A pragmatic view of Jean Watson’s caring theory.
    International Journal of Human Caring, 7
    (3), 51-56.

    Fawcett, J. (2002). The nurse theorists: 21st-century updates-Jean Watson.
    Nursing Science Quarterly, 15
    (3), 214-219. doi:10.1177/089431840201500307

    Lukose, A. (2011). Developing a practice model for Watson’s theory of caring.
    Nursing Science Quarterly, 24
    (1), 27-30.

    Nursing Theory. (2013). Jean Watson nusing theory. Retrieved from http://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/watson-philosophy-and-science-of-caring.php

    Nursing Theory. (2013). Jean Watson: Nursing theorist. Retrieved from http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Jean-Watson.php

    Watson Caring Science Institute and International Caritas Consortium. (2014). Caring science theory and research. Retrieved from http://watsoncaringscience.org/about-us/caring-science-definitions-processes-theory/ Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

     

    Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring

    Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring is a middle range theory that focuses on the patient and nurse connection.  It focuses on caring authentically patient as a whole, which means caring about the patient’s mind, spirit and body, so the process of healing can continue at an ideal level.  Described as a model of caring that includes art and science; a framework that intersects and embraces with art, science, spirituality, humanities and a new dimension of body spirit and mind medicine. Watson believes her theory is one that is open to the changing practice of nursing. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples By applying abstract concepts of faith, hope, love, caring, and trust to nursing can help stratify the concept of human caring (Williams 2011).

    Comprised of 4 major conceptual elements; clinical Caritas processes, caring moment/caring occasion and caring consciousness and transpersonal caring relationships.  The clinical Caritas processes emerges from Watson’s own caritas reason that involves trust, love, faith, hope, selflessness, caring, spirituality, energy and understanding.

    Nurses must find it within themselves to say and explore on who they are to offer ideal care.  If the nurse is aware of what it takes to care for their patient, it will take them on an experience that not only benefits the nurse but the patient.  The nurse anticipates the needs of the patient and ensures that those needs are reached. Caring moment/caring occasion focus on the nurse experiencing something greater than themselves.  The feeling could be spiritual and encourage the nurse to make connections with the patient that would have never been there.  It could open areas for the new possibilities for a human connection at a deeper level that of physical interactions (Watson 2009).  The function of caring consciousness means the nurse needs awareness of the dynamics of life and human phenomena.  Watson’s goal is to let the nurse know that every person can connect by the healing process of energy Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    Watson’s praxis leads itself in providing a different dimension of nursing explored rarely as the art of caring. Developing this theory structured the concept.  Caring is a part of nursing and the nurse needs to understand the power of human caring.  When reading this theory, it is clear and states the patient care is an ordeal that leads to a healing process for the patient.  In an acute setting a patient consumed by fear and anxiety, it takes a caring nurse to find those symptoms and help the patient resolve it.

    The relationship that the model describes is between patients and nurse that is intensely deep and intertwined in the eyes of Watson.  Theoretical basis for nursing practice is in the transpersonal relationships that focus on the patient as the cherished other.  Based on the general concept that patients rely on nurses for spiritual care, psychosocial and comfort.  The relationship possesses healing power for the patient. with connection of human beings.  A caring model provides a capacity that nurses are to understand how caring behaviors can aid with development of a relationship with patients that puts them at ease and feeling secure.  This theory is significant in developing caring behaviors (Watson 2009) Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

    The concept of caring is very broad, with the Watson’s theory of Human Caring, it seems to help nurses understand more about the process of human caring.  The theory is easy to follow and introduced a word “caritas” defined in her theory as coming from the Greek word meaning “to cherish and appreciate, giving special attention to, or loving” (Summerell 2015)..

    This theory originated with the importance to understanding that the nursing career is an ever evolving work in progress that adapts to our rapid changing nursing practice in society.It responds well to the human dynamics of phenomena that focus on nurse self-care that one can appreciate.  The focus is that Watson wants the nurse  to understand that one must find their spiritual and inner self that will allow them to go beyond their ego to open up to others with sensitivity and compassion.  It also has a potential to influence nursing actions to propel the discipline further into a more holistic context.  Self-care is important in nursing because it brings nurses closer to their spirits, allowing them to feel connections with the entire world and to experience a cosmic love (Sitzman 2007).  One can apply this knowledge to their nursing practice; it has simple tasks and is easily applied in any setting.  With the busy hospital, the nurse can have daily awareness to their practice, by taking a slow deep breath before entering the room to remind them that the need is present for awareness of the present condition.  This theory has concepts that seem to enhance the discipline of nursing. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples.

     

    Reference:

    Summerell, P. (2015). EB133 Jean Watson’s Caritas Processes: A Model for Transforming the      Nursing Practice Environment.
    Critical Care Nurse
    ,
    35
    (2), e66-e67.

    Sitzman, K. (2007). Teaching-learning professional caring based on Jean Watson’s Theory of         Human Caring.
    International Journal For Human Caring
    ,
    11
    (4), 8-16.

    Watson, J. (2009). CARING SCIENCE AND HUMAN CARING THEORY: TRANSFORMING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES OF NURSING AND HEALTH CARE.
    Journal Of Health & Human Services Administration
    ,
    31
    (4), 466-482.

     

    Williams, I. R., McDowell, J., & Kautz, D. (2011). A caring leadership model for nursing’s           future.
    International Journal For Human Caring
    ,
    15
    (1), 31-35. Jean Watson Human caring nursing theory essay Examples

  • Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    Instructions:

    For this assignment, consider Carper’s Ways of Knowing: empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic. For each way of knowing, describe a clinical situation including a nursing intervention you implemented while caring for a patient, family, group, or community. In your description, explain how the particular way of knowing informed the decision to implement the intervention.

    Use one scholarly reference for each of your four explanations in order to provide support for your reasons that a particular intervention is an example of the selected way of knowing. Use a different reference for each of the four descriptions. Use references other than those provided in assigned course readings. Be sure you know what a “scholarly reference” is; see 18200 Library Guide tab “Journal Types” for more information. APA formatting must be applied and errors in spelling and grammar must be absent; these are standard requirements for presenting scholarly, professional products.

    Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    Carper’s Ways of Knowing

    Introduction

    Barbara Carper introduced four critical ways of knowing that contribute to nursing knowledge’s conceptual and syntactical structure. These ways include; ethical, aesthetic, empirical, and personal knowledge. Personal understanding of practice requires precision, especially for clinicians.  Clinical personnel obtains their knowledge from philosophical assumptions. Nurses need to communicate symbolically with sensible information for them to do nursing activities effectively. Epistemology reveals how nurses know and acquire shared knowledge in nursing by examining how knowledge is produced. Knowing does a manner of perceiving and comprehending the world and oneself, whereas knowledge is a description of the world that is reasonably correct. Sounds, gestures, and actions are used to express the knowledge obtained through practice. Even in practice, much of what is already known may be represented formally. Carper examined early nursing literature in 1978 and identified four persistent and essential patterns of knowledge that have shown to be effective and valuable for nurses in practice.

    These nursing patterns of knowing are linked because nurses learn part of the discipline’s information during their elementary education, and this knowledge develops during practice. Formalized nursing practice is established through the application of inquiry methods based on both formal and practical methodologies. In my pediatric emergency room nursing practice, I have used these means of knowing to guarantee that my practice methods are effective. This study addresses Carper’s four modes of knowledge: ethics, personal, empirics, and aesthetics. It will analyze my exemplar experiences critically, demonstrating these approaches and how they have informed my practice. The main aim of this paper is to describe how each of the patterns of thinking is applied in a clinical situation and the nursing interventions that clinicians can use while caring for the patients, it goes further explaining how the pattern of knowing informed the decision to implement the intervention.

    Application of ways of knowing

    Clinical situation

    In the same hospital that I was serving, the  family members brought a patient suffering from Asthma. It was late at night; the nurses took the patients and started operating on the critical condition. The patient was a regular one, everyone knew his condition thus, and attending to the problem became easy. Since it was late, the family members did not go back home. They rested in one room of the health center worried but praying that their member could make it alive. As nurses, we carried out a diagnosis to know what exactly the patient was suffering. I realized that the patient was already breathing faster with a fast heartbeat. I was not supposed to show that I am worried but the condition of the man was not good at all. I also prayed while attending to the man because his condition had grown worse. Further information from the family indicated that the man fainted after feeling dizzy for some time.

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    I offered him some quick relief inhalers known as bronchodilators to aid in opening swollen airways, which were limiting the breathing, additionally, I offered some medical allergy to the patient but he did not manage to work. When I examined closely, I realized the patient had died. Checking through the window, I saw how the members were heavily praying and crying and this made me worry. The situation had formed itself and the family members needed to know it. I just organized myself and using Carper’s Ways of Knowing, I managed to deliver the bad news effectively. As a nurse, I have learned to avoid euphemisms and medical jargon while being honest and empathetic. Allow for stillness and weeping, and move at the pace of the patient. Allow the patient to explain how he or she comprehended the news; repeat this information at following appointments. Allow time to respond to queries; jot down notes and provide written information.

    This was just among the situations I face in the nursing practice. Breaking bad news is the most challenging part and as a professional nurse, I usually identify effective ways of intervention. It is unethical to break the bad news to individuals anyhow without considering the outcome. At some point, I had to break news about the demise of the patients to their families, bad news concerning infertility, or bad news concerning a test, for instance, HIV & AIDs test (Bumb et al., 2017).

    Ethical knowing

    According to Carper (1978), ethical knowing acknowledges the knowledge of ethical codes and norms by examining the codes, standards, and values that are seen as morally right, resulting in a better understanding of the moral choices that must be made.  As a nurse, the most appropriate action is having ethical knowing.  Ethical knowing helps the nurse to know how to break the bad news to either patients, family, friends, or community without breaking the moral standards. I always observed the moral standards, codes, and values, which both the organization and society considered right. For ethical knowing, I keep in mind the principles needed when breaking bad news. These principles include; the set-up/environment, the perception of the party present, the knowledge of the recipient, and empathy (Corwin et al., 2019) Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Personal knowing

    Personal knowing is concerned with knowing oneself as well as others. As a result, when one knows more about oneself, the other can also be known. Generally, this type of knowledge involves the knowledge that people have of themselves and the things they have seen and experienced. People acquire this knowledge through self-actualization, reflection, and observation. Carper realized that it is through the knowledge of oneself that one can establish therapeutic, authentic with high integrity. When I started studying nursing, I possessed a piece of knowledge on treating patients well. I also gained knowledge on how to break the bad news to patients without creating too much negative impact. As a nurse, I have gained personal knowledge on how various individuals interact, their reactions, and their perceptions. Before breaking any bad news, I first refer to my knowledge of the recipient (Thorne, 2020).

    Aesthetic knowing

    In nursing, aesthetic knowledge is a technique of recognizing realities that are not scientifically observable — the situation’s profound implications. As a nurse, I needed to gain a better understanding of problems so that I can easily develop an effective solution through critical and creative thinking. I gained aesthetic knowledge from subjective data. I therefore, employed aesthetic knowledge in this clinical situation. As a nurse, I had to employ much creativity in breaking the sad news to ensure that the recipient is not subjected to pain. In the face of universal human sensations like grief, joy, worry, fear, and love, aesthetic awareness is extracted. Even though these experiences are ubiquitous, they are expressed in unique ways for each individual. Anxiety, pain, fear, and love all have common expressions that people are familiar with. However, each individual’s journey is unique (Schwind & Manankil-Rankin, 2020).

    Empirical knowing

    Empirical knowing is acquired through research and objective facts. Mostly, the knowledge is organized into general laws and theories and is employed by using evidence-based practice. As a nurse, I have done a lot of research relating to my field and thus gaining empirical knowing. However, in a situation like breaking bad news, one has to apply more empirical knowing to achieve the goal. Study findings have changed my nursing practice and making me gain more knowledge on nursing practice. Despite breaking bad news being a heavy task, readings from various sources and research have aided in the development of this kind of knowledge (Swift & Twycross, 2020).

    Conclusion

    The practice of nursing is a holistic, human discipline. The ways of knowing to allow us to understand ourselves and nursing practice at a much deeper level; to appreciate nursing as both an art and a science. Consider how the ways of knowing can assist you in being a better person, a better student, and a better nurse. Nurses must comprehend what the various forms of knowing to imply to generate both collective and individual responses to the creation of knowledge. Nursing knowledge can help to facilitate coherence by allowing nurses to make conscious choices to avoid ethical issues during practice. As a nurse, it will be critical for me to expand on the knowledge I already have in my practice so that I may continue to grow and develop via new experiences. The ethical exemplar has had an impact on my practice by teaching me how to deal with difficulties regarding children and their guardians. The personal knowing model taught me to appreciate others, particularly children who are unable to protect themselves.

     

    References

    Bumb, M., Keefe, J., Miller, L., & Overcash, J. (2017). Breaking bad news: An evidence-based review of communication models for oncology nurses. 
    Clinical journal of oncology nursing
    , 
    21
    (5), 573-580.

    Corwin, E., Redeker, N. S., Richmond, T. S., Docherty, S. L., & Pickler, R. H. (2019). Ways of knowing in precision health. 
    Nursing outlook
    , 
    67
    (4), 293-301.

    Rafii, F., Nasrabadi, A. N., & Tehrani, F. J. (2021). How Nurses Apply Patterns of Knowing in Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory Study. 
    Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences
    , 
    31
    (1).

    Schwind, J. K., & Manankil-Rankin, L. (2020). Using Narrative Reflective Process to augment personal and aesthetic ways of knowing to support holistic person-centred relational practice. 
    Reflective Practice
    , 
    21
    (4), 473-483 Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    Swift, A., & Twycross, A. (2020). Using ways of knowing in nursing to develop educational strategies that support knowledge mobilization. 
    Paediatric and Neonatal Pain
    , 
    2
    (4), 139-147.

    Thorne, S. (2020). Rethinking Carper’s personal knowing for 21st century nursing. 
    Nursing Philosophy
    , 
    21
    (4), e12307.

     

    Carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    This is an individual writing assignment. For this assignment, consider Carper’s Ways of Knowing: empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic. For each way of knowing, describe a clinical situation including a nursing intervention you implemented while caring for a patient, family, group, or community. In your description, explain how the particular way of knowing informed the decision to implement the intervention.

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    Use one scholarly reference for each of your four explanations in order to provide support for your reasons that a particular intervention is an example of the selected way of knowing. Use a different reference for each of the four descriptions. Use references other than those provided in assigned course readings. APA formatting must be applied and errors in spelling and grammar must be absent; these are standard requirements for presenting scholarly, professional products. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    This assignment directly relates to course objective ” Explore the development of nursing knowledge in the context of nursing science.”

     

    Carper’s Ways of Knowing

    For clinicians, personal knowledge about practice needs precision. Through philosophical assumptions, the clinical workers get their knowledge. During nursing practise, nurses need to have knowledge on symbolic communication with justifiable knowledge. The ways that knowing and knowledge are developed concern epistemology revealing how nurses know and acquire shared knowledge in nursing. Knowing is a way of perception and understanding of the world and the self, while knowledge is a reasonably accurate accounts of the world. The knowledge that is found in practice is expressed by use of sounds, movements and actions. Much of what is already known can be expressed formally even in practice.

    In 1978, there was an examination of early nursing literature by Carper who mentioned four enduring and fundamental patterns of knowing that have been useful and valuable for nurses in practice. These patterns of knowing in nursing have an interrelation with nurses learning some of the discipline’s knowledge in the basic education they receive and the acquired knowledge is in turn built upon during practice (Benner, 2001). Nursing practice that is expressed formally is developed through the use of inquiry methods grounded in both formal and practice methods.  In my nursing practice in the paediatric emergency room, I have utilized these ways of knowing to ensure that my ways of practicing are successful. This paper considers an interpretation of the ways of knowing by Carper: ethics, personal, empirics and aesthetics. It will critically examine my exemplar experiences, illustrating these two ways and how they have influenced my practice. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Carper’s Ways of Knowing

    Proposed by Professor Barbara A. Carper,
    Carper’s Ways of Knowing
    is a classification of the diverse sources and patterns in nursing from which knowledge can be acquired. This categorization consists of four patterns; empirics, aesthetics, ethics, and personal knowledge. Carper proposed the four patterns in 1978 to characterize the complex phenomenon of knowledge utilized by nurses when providing care to the patients. The following is an analysis of two of the four patterns; ethical knowing and personal knowing.

    Ethical knowing according to Carper (1978) acknowledges the knowledge of ethical codes and norms by examining the codes, standards and values that are seen as morally right resulting in better awareness of the moral choices that are to be made. Personal knowing is focused on knowing one self and also that of others. Thus, when one knows more about the self, then the other can also be known. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Personal Knowing

    In nursing, personal knowledge is a fundamental pattern but the most problematic in teaching and mastering. On the other hand, it is an essential pattern of understanding the meanings of health terms of the well-being of individuals. As an interpersonal process, nursing consists of transactions, relationships and interactions between the nurse and the patient (Carper, 1978).  Chinn and Kramer (1999) describe the pattern of personal knowing as a creation of experiences through self-encounters by focussing on the self and having a realization of the potentials and realities of life. There is also the involvement of encounters, experiences and focus.  The quality of interpersonal relationships and contact is evidently more influential on the illness of a person occurring, becoming well and coping with the illness (Chinn & Kramer, 1999). The main aspect of personal knowledge is the encountering, knowing and actualizing of the individual self. In this term, a person does not know about the self but keeps string to know.

    In the therapeutic use of self, the nurse does not approach the patient as an object but keeps striving to have actual personal relationships (Chinn & Kramer, 1999). When other people accept to have an authentic personal relation, they then create a sense of freedom in themselves and recognize each person. Therefore, as a nurse, it becomes my responsibility to have social relationships with my patients and view them as individuals during my professional responsibilities (Carper, 1978). With the emergence of personal knowing throughout life there can be full expression of the genuine self with accessibility being possible only through deliberate interactions and actions. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Ethical Knowing

    There has been increased sensitivity by practitioners and nurses on the personal choices that are difficult to make in modern health care. Fundamental and significant questions are raised about the wrong actions and the moral rights related to care and treatment of illness and health promotion. The ethical way of knowing is a fundamental pattern of knowing that focuses on the moral obligations, guiding what needs to be done (Chinn & Kramer, 1999). This component offers guidance for the choices to be made in the event of complex situations. Through this pattern, nurses are directed into doing what’s right and what’s expected under any circumstance. This pattern covers fundamental values and aspects in the nursing code of ethics such as self-respect, value for human dignity, accountability, among others. However, it exceeds the knowledge of the ethical codes of conduct as according to Carper (1978), and is also inclusive of all deliberate voluntary actions that are subject to judgment of what is right or wrong. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    In situations of uncertainty and ambiguity, there are moral dilemmas that arise especially when one cannot predict the consequences of their actions and the traditional principles that they are supposed to follow without contradiction (Chinn & Kramer, 1999). The primary principle of obligation covered in the concept of serving people and respecting human life is what guides the moral code. Nursing holds the conservation of life, promotion of health and alleviation of suffering as valuable and essential in social services (Carper, 1978). Therefore, the use of this way of knowing becomes essential especially when dealing with children. In the assessment of this dimension, Jacobs-Kramer and Chinn focused on justice as it also accommodates the ethics of care.

    It is evident that Chinn and Kramer agree with Carper on what ethical knowing and personal knowing entail as they serve nursing knowledge.  Ethical knowing is focussed on the moral obligations needed during practice, while personal knowing is based on knowing oneself in a better way so that service can be offered to others. The authors give related opinions as those of Carper on their definitions.

    Exemplars in Practice

    My encounter with a traumatized three year old boy, brought to the hospital by his grandmother, has left a mark in my pediatric career. I meet parents who are worried about their children every day; however, this grandmother had been shaken by her grandson’s situation. Upon admission, it was discovered that the child had suffered severe physical injuries, warranting for the immediate involvement of social work. The entrance of the social workers ended up complicating the emergency situation at hand. I was taken aback by the social workers’ handling of the situation. As a nurse, I was concerned with dealing with the emergency case in my hands. However, the social workers were concerned with questioning the patient’s grandmother on the cause of the physical injuries that the patient had suffered. The poor grandmother was at pains to explain the cause of the injuries. In so doing, the social workers were adding to the confusion and tension in the emergency room. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    The entrance of the social workers in the child’s case had created a serious issue that required the use of applied ethics to solve. On one hand, the life of the traumatized boy with physical abuse was at stake. Whereas on the other, there was the need to allow the social workers to discharge their obligation in a case involving physical abuse to a child. Knowledge in applied ethics came in handy. The grandmother of the child remained shocked while the social workers were interrogating her regarding the physical abuse. As such, she was not offering much help to the social workers. Tempers had risen, as the social workers were of the opinion that the grandmother was taking them for a ride. On noticing that the situation in the emergency room was working against the welfare of the patient, I moved with authority and sent the social workers out of the room. This allowed the medical team enough time and opportunity to concentrate on the patient. Within no time, the traumatized child was able to cool down. He was treated for the physical pain that he was suffering as well.

    Working in a pediatric emergency room necessitates personal knowledge. My ability to bond with the child played a critical role in calming down the traumatized child. It was my knowledge and understanding that the child had gone through trauma in the hands of his tormentor that enabled me to explain to the child that he was in safe hands and that nothing bad would happen to him again. This assurance was what the poor child needed in order to smile again. By combining my personal knowledge with applied ethics, I embarked on a mission to finally bring an end to the bad blood between the child’s grandmother and the social workers. The now relaxed grandmother was able to explain how she had risked her own life by forcefully taking the child from his parents. From here, it was established that the child’s parents were deep into drug abuse and the child was seen as an obstacle. The child’s parents were responsible for the physical abuse that he had suffered. It was obvious that the social workers had wasted time on an equally traumatized grandmother, and in so doing, put the child’s life at risk. From this day, the use of personal knowledge and applied ethics form the core of my profession as a pediatric nurse.

    Conclusion

    As both collective and individual responses are developed by nurses on the development of knowledge, there has to be an understanding of what the ways of knowing actually entail. Coherence can be facilitated through nursing knowledge in making deliberate choices to avoid ethical dilemmas during practice. As a nurse, it will be essential for me to build upon the knowledge that I already have in my practice to enable growth and development through more experiences. The ethical exemplar has influenced my practice by giving me knowledge on how to face dilemmas involving children and their guardians. The personal knowing exemplar gave me an understanding of appreciating others especially children that cannot defend themselves. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Reference
    s

    Benner, P. E. (2001).
    From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice
    . Pearson.

    Carper, B. A. (1978). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing.
    Advances in nursing science
    ,
    1
    (1), 13-24.

    Chinn, P. L., & Kramer, M. K. (1999). Theory and nursing integrated knowledge development.

     

    Applying Ways of Knowing to a Clinical Case

    Nursing is seen as an art and a science.  Nurses must be able to portray different roles within the nursing profession.  Being able to meet a patient’s needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually leads to a holistic experience for the patient and the nurse.  Barbara Carper, a nurse, provided the basic framework for holistic nursing focusing on knowing and knowledge in the nursing profession.  “Carper’s way of knowing in nursing, empirics, esthetics, personal knowing, and ethics, provide a guide to holistic practice, education, and research” (Holtslander, 2008).  “Knowing is a cognitive process, and four patterns of knowing—empirical, ethical, personal, and aesthetic—characterize nursing” (Cipriano, 2007).  The four patterns that Carper’s method focus on are not isolated events and when used together the patient receives the best care.  In this paper, I will focus on Carper’s method, provide an example related to her method and identify/reflect on the situation as it relates to her model. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Clinical Situation

    While charging in the emergency room one night, I encountered a family that was not comfortable taking their mother home.  I had not been directly involved in the patient’s care, however, the patient’s primary nurse shared the same concerns as the patient’s family.  I reviewed the patient’s chart and noticed the patient presented to the emergency department with a sudden inset od shortness of breath and minor chest pain that was deemed noncardiac by the physician.  The emergency physician simply dismissed the patient’s symptoms and diagnosed her with an upper respiratory infection, gave her a dose of IV antibiotics, and a prescription for oral antibiotics to take home.  When I assess the patient, she was not in any acute distress, however, I auscultated expiratory and inspiratory wheezes in her right lung and diminished breath sounds in her left lung.  The patient did have a history of CHF and newly diagnosed COPD.  The family reported to me during my assessment that she had been seen earlier in the day as well for similar complaints but that this episode had been much worse than the first.  carper’s ways of knowing essay examples. The patient’s nurse reported to me that the physician had not physically evaluated the patient during this visit but had reviewed her visit from earlier in the day.  I reviewed the patient’s earlier visit and noted that the chest x-ray showed minor infiltrates in the left and right lung that was secondary to her COPD and that her lab work was overall unremarkable accept for a BNP level that was > 100 pg/mL.  I took this information to the physician and reported to him that the patient’s symptoms were worse and that she had diminished breath sounds in the left lung field.  He did not seem to be impressed or moved with my assessment and the family’s discomfort in taking her home.  He told me to discharge the patient because he was the doctor and I was just a nurse. I felt that the patient did not meet criteria for discharge, so I called our department manager and expressed my concerns.  The department manager spoke with the physician and expressed her concerns as well and he reluctantly ran some further testing on the patient.  Upon receiving her results, the patient had worsening infiltrates in the lung, an elevated WBC count, and a BNP level of 1500 pg/mL.  The patient was admitted to the hospital with CHF, exacerbation of COPD, and leukocytosis. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Aesthetics (Esthetics)

    “Aesthetics provides unique means through which clients and nurses can explore personal perceptions of aspects of their world and fosters a creative sense of self-awareness” (Koithan, 1996).  Nurses gain aesthetic knowledge from subjective data.  I believe the underlying situation was that the physician did not perform a complete head to toe assessment and based his assessment and diagnosis off previous information.  The physician did not take into consideration that the patient’s history and the fact that when she presented the second time her symptoms were worse and warranted further testing and physical evaluation.  Nursing staff demonstrated aesthetics by identifying the patient’s basic and social needs, interacting directly with the patient/patient’s family, and by recognizing the validity of the family’s concerns.

    Personal

    “Personal knowledge refers to the way in which nurses view themselves and the client” (McEwen & Mills, 2014, p. 13).  Nurses gain personal knowledge from subjective data.  This data promotes engagement instead of detachment (McEwen & Mills, 2014, p. 14).  In my nursing career, I have learned not to take things at face value.  By doing so, I learned to be more in sync with my patients and their families.  Engaging the patient and the patient’s family allowed me to use past experiences and encounters to provide further evaluation, testing, and inpatient hospital care for the patient. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.

    Ethics

    “Ethics refers to the moral code of nursing and is based on obligation to service and respect for human life” (McEwen & Mills, 2014, p. 14).  A personal belief that impacted my actions was that this patient was in need and that she was not receiving the care that she had a right to receive and which she had access carper’s ways of knowing essay examples.  I acted as an advocate for this patient and her family following my own personal values.  The patient’s condition clearly did not meet discharge criteria and demanded a second look by myself and the physician.  Reporting the assessment information higher than the physician gave the patient access to the care that she needed.  According to White (1995), sociopolitical knowing causes the nurse to question the taken-for-granted assumptions about practice, the profession, and health policies (p. 84).

     

     

    Empirical

    “Empirical knowledge tends to be the most emphasized way of knowing in nursing because there is a need to know how knowledge can be organized into laws and theories for the purpose of describing” (McEwen & Mills, 2014, p. 13).  I applied this knowledge by using nursing interventions to assess the patient and review previous labs and x-rays from her earlier visit.  Evaluating the patient further gave me a reason to believe that the patient did not have a simple upper respiratory infection and since her symptoms were worse upon return that further testing and evaluation was needed.  The infiltrates in both lungs and the elevated BNP was indicative that the patient was in the early stages of heart failure.  “Measurement of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a cardiac hormone, this test may have a role in detecting, monitoring, and perhaps preventing chronic heart failure” (Doust, Lehman, & Glasziou, 2006).

    Conclusion

    The clinical case presented involved an intricacy of complications and issues related to patient care.  By using my assessment skills, reviewing the patient’s chart and implementing nursing interventions I was able to give the patient access to the care that she needed.  Easily observed issues were the patient’s worsening of symptoms, borderline lab values, and chest x-ray.  The reassessment and reflection of this clinical case has influenced my personal morals and experience as a nurse so that I will continue to provide care for patients, advocate for patients, and care for patients based on a holistic approach. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples I identified Carper’s four fundamental patterns of knowing to a clinical case by discussing each pattern that can lead to improvements in my personal nursing practice.  I also learned to appreciate Carper’s four fundamentals and how they apply to situations I am faced with daily.

     

    References

    Cipriano, P.F. (2007). Celebrating the art and science of nursing.
    American Nurse Today, 2
    (5). Retrieved from
    https://www.americannursetoday.com/celebrating-the-art-and-science-of-nurisng/
    .

    Doust, J., Lehman, R., & Glasziou, P. (2006). The role of BNP testing in heart failure.
    American Family Physician, 74
    (11), 1893-1900. Retrieved from
    https://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/1201/p1893.html
    .

    Holtslander, L.F. (2008). Ways of knowing hope: Carper’s fundamental patterns as a guide for hope research with bereaved palliative caregivers.
    Nursing Outlook, (56)
    1, 25-30. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2007.08.001. carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

    Kothian, M.S. (1996). Aesthetics in nursing practice and education.
    Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 17
    (6), 529-539. Retrieved from
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9052092
    .

    McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). 
    Theoretical Basis for Nursing, 4th Edition
    . [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from 
    https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781469899992/
    .

    White, J. (1995). Patterns of knowing: Review, critique, and update. 
    Advances in Nursing Practice, 17
    (4), 73-86. Retrieved form
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7625782
     carper’s ways of knowing essay examples

  • Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice

    Investigated Disease Process

    Obesity is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of greater than 30.  Obesity is not considered a disease but is a risk factor for other diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  One third of American adults are obese with another one third considered overweight (BMI greater than 25 but less than 30).  Parents who are obese often have children who are obese due to genetics and environmental effects:  parents and children usually eat the same foods and have the same exercise habits (McCance & Huether, 2014).

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    Obesity is an epidemic with no simple solution Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.  It is a complex problem that is going to take individuals, healthcare professionals, state and local organizations, policy makers, and community leaders working together to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle and environment.  Resources are available through state and local programs for health recommendations.  Community support for healthy eating and active living in different settings can help reverse obesity.  A lifestyle change is the way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight (“Strategies to Prevent Obesity,” 2015).

    A1.  Pathophysiology

               
    Obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 30 and is also considered a metabolic disorder.  When an individual with susceptible genes to obesity takes in more calories than they burn off then obesity can develop (McCance & Huether, 2014) Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.

    There are interactions of many cytokines, hormones, and neurotransmitters which makes the pathophysiology of obesity very complex.  Adipocytes are the cellular basis of obesity and secrete numerous hormones and cytokines called adipokines.  Adipokines help regulate food consumption, the storage and metabolism of lipids, insulin sensitivity, and many others.  Accumulation of visceral fat causes the adipocytes to not function properly and results in changes in the regulation and interaction of the hormones.  These changes in the adipokines and other hormones and neurotransmitters take part in the causes and complications of obesity (McCance & Huether, 2014).

    A2.  Standard of Practice

               
    Recommended standards for a primary care giver is to calculate a patient’s BMI, using height and weight, on annual visits or more frequently if needed.   This is the first step in identifying those who would need to be counseled on weight lose if the BMI is >25 (overweight) or >30 (obese).  A waist circumference should also be used as a possible indicator for higher risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Waist circumference limit is 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women.  Lifestyle change is the most important start for weight loss.  Guidelines for weight loss are based on the patient assessment and include:  a) diet, b) physical activity, c) behavioral counseling, d) pharmacological treatments, and e) bariatric surgery.  Patient options and any health issues are included in these guidelines (“New Obesity Guidelines:  Authoritative ‘Roadmap’ to Treatment,” 2013). Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.

    A2a.  Pharmacological Treatments

               
    Treatments for obesity are based on developing a weight loss plan to improve the patients’ health and well-being.  After consulting some primary care physician offices, results show that evidence-based pharmacological therapies in my state were comparable to the recommended standard guidelines for weight loss.  Developing a diet plan by reducing calorie intake, increasing physical activity, and adding behavioral counseling are important for a successful weight loss plan.  Individuals with a BMI greater than 30 or greater than 27 with other comorbidities that do not have success in losing weight with diet and exercise may need to add medications to help with the weight loss plan.  The approved medications for long-term treatment for weight loss include, orlistat, lorcaserin, phentermine/topiramate, and naltrexone/bupropion. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay. Physicians should consider bariatric surgery in patients with a BMI greater than 40 (“Update on Office-Based Strategies for the Management of Obesity – American Family Physician,” 2016).

    Alabama is the 3
    rd
    ranked state with an obesity rate of 35.7% in 2016 (“State of Obesity:  Obesity data trends and policy analysis,” 2017).  Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States and obesity is a contributing cause to these diseases.  In Alabama obesity has slowly increased in the past 20 years.  Approximately 45% of Alabama adults do not eat fruit at least once a day.  Almost 26% of Alabama adults eat less than one vegetable a day.  And at least 85% of Alabama adults do not meet the recommendation for physical activity guidelines, 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly and muscle strengthening exercises at least two days a week (“State of Alabama Community Health Assessment,” 2015).

    A2b.  Clinical Guidelines

               
    Clinical guidelines for obesity is the assessment and management of the disease.  Patients understanding of the disease and the risk factors involved with obesity are essential for treatments to be successful.  Management of obesity is a lifestyle change that requires specific knowledge and education from the patient and provider. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.

    The recommended guidelines for the assessment, diagnosis, and patient education of obesity are summarized below.

    Assessment

               
    A complete medical history should be completed on an initial visit and including a BMI and waist circumference.  Eating and physical habits, family history and any other risk factors or conditions are included in the history to determine the cause of obesity (“Diagnosis – NHLBI, NIH,” n,d.).

    A physical exam measuring height and weight to determine the BMI.  The waist circumference is measured to assess the amount of abdominal fat on a patient.  Medical conditions like hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovary syndrome can cause obesity, so laboratory tests to check for these conditions are also part of the examination (“Diagnosis – NILBI, NIH,” n.d.).

    Diagnosis

               
    All adults should be screened for obesity.  BMI and waist circumference should be assessed and recorded at each visit with the health care provider.  Even though the BMI does not measure body fat directly or distinguish muscle from fat, it is the recommended way to diagnose patients who are obese.  The classification ranges for BMI are as follows:  underweight –<1.5, normal – 18.5 to 24.9, overweight –  25.0 to 29.9, obese (stage I) –  30.0 to 34.9, obese (stage II) –  35.0 to 39.9, extreme obesity (stage III) –  40.0 and greater.  Waist circumference greater than 40 in men and greater than 35 in women is defined as abdominal obesity (“Diagnosis and Management of Obesity,” n.d.). Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay. Patient Education             Educating the patient on weight loss and the necessity for lifestyle changes increases the chance for a healthier life.  Whether the weight loss is significant or a simple 5-10% of the total body weight, can have health benefits for the patient.  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) helped develop an approach to educate and help patients who are ready for preventive obesity counseling called the 5 A’s approach.  1) A ssess the stage of obesity and any comorbidities, eating habits, physical activity, medications that affect weight, and readiness for behavioral change.  2) A dvise the patient of the obesity diagnosis, the many different types of diets for weight loss, the need to decrease calories, the pros and cons of over-the-counter weight loss aids, medications, and surgery, and how important it is for the patient to self-monitor.  3) A gree that if the patient is not ready then discuss again at another visit, when the patient is ready a treatment plan will be developed, set a 10% weight-loss goal with diet/exercise/medication, review all surgery options with the patient if he/she is a candidate for weight-loss surgery. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay. 4) A ssist the patient with a diet plan, physical activity guide, and behavioral modification guide, provide the patient with any web resources that are based on the patient needs, help patient determine what method of self-monitoring to use for daily intake of food and physical activity (e.g., mobile app or diary), review food and activity log on follow-up visits and reassess if goal is not met.  5) A rrange follow-up visits, referrals to dietitian/behavioral counselor/weight-management classes, surgeon referral, maintenance counseling to help prevent patient from regaining weight after weight loss (“Diagnosis and Management of Obesity,” n.d.). A2c.  Comparing Standard Practice of Disease Management             Standard practices for obesity management and weight loss treatment are used in primary care clinics in my community.  After questioning several providers in the community, the management of obesity was consistent with the standard guidelines.  A complete medical history and physical assessment is completed on patients.  Obesity is diagnosed according to the BMI and a waist circumference if indicated.  A weight management plan is then developed based on each patient’s specific needs.  Diet, exercise, counseling, pharmacological treatments, and surgery options are all included in this plan. A3.  Managed Disease Process             Characteristics of a patient who has reached their healthy weight loss goal and maintained it include:  a) BMI within normal range, b) at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, c) healthy diet, d) continued behavioral counseling, e) reduction in risk factors for comorbidities (“Update on Office – Based Strategies for the Management of Obesity – American Family Physician,” 2016). A patient who has managed their weight loss would show the appropriate skills for the continued maintenance of the weight management plan.  They would have access and transportation to get to the health providers and activity centers.  The patient would also have the knowledge to choose the appropriate foods for a healthier diet, and the financial resources for pharmacological treatments or bariatric surgery if needed. Studies show that extremely obese (BMI >40) patients have a significant reduction in life expectancy.  Deaths were mostly due to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Life expectance decreased to approximately 6.5 years for a patient with a BMI of 40-44.9 and 13.7 years for a BMI of 55 and greater (“NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years,” n.d.).  The outcome from a patient with managed weight loss would have increased life expectancy. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.

    A3a.  Care Management Disparities

               
    Obesity is a major health issue in the United States and globally.  At least 40 percent of the population between the ages of 45 and 59 in North America, Central America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, are overweight or obese (“Obesity Epidemic:  Challenges, Health Initiatives, and Implications for Gastroenterologists,” n.d.).  Differences in populations contribute to the disparities in management of obesity across the nation.  Race, culture, sex, economic status, and place of residence, all account for the differences.

               
    Obesity exists in all ethnic and racial groups, all ages, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographical location.  African Americans and Latino populations have higher obesity rates than White populations.  Obesity is a worldwide epidemic (“Special Report:  Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity,” n.d.).  Disparities in health care, limited access to health care, and the quality of the care received can have a crucial impact on the management of obesity.

    Racial/ethnic populations have different behaviors that factor in to weight gain.  Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks are less likely to participate in physical activity outside of their occupation.  There is also cultural differences and attitudes concerning body weight, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women are more content with their body size than non-Hispanic white women (“Differences in Prevalence of Obesity Among Black, White, and Hispanic Adults—United States, 2006-2008,” n.d.).

    There are approximately 47.8 percent African Americans that are obese compared to the 32.6 percent of White adults.  Low income or lack of income, accessibility to quality education, access to healthier food, and lack of safer places to participate in physical activities, all contribute to the increased obesity rates in African American communities (“Special Report:  Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity,” n.d.).

    There are 42 percent of Latino adults that are obese compared to the 32.6 percent of White adults.  Inequity to healthcare, quality of care, little opportunity to make healthier choices, and limited access to a safe environment for physical activity contribute to the higher obesity rates in Latino communities (“Special Report:  Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity,” n.d.).

    Nationally African Americans were at a higher risk for obesity and in the United States Latinos are the fastest growing population with the higher rates of obesity.  It is essential for state and national practices to focus on these disparities in health care to improve the health and well-being of individuals (“Special Report:  Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity,” n.d.).

    A4.  Managed Disease Factors

               
    There are several factors that can impact a patient’s ability to manage their obesity and reach their weight loss goal.  These factors include access to care, financial resources, and health insurance.  The following factors assist in the patient’s ability to manage their weight loss and maintain a healthy lifestyle:

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    Access to Care – Patients will need to have access to the physician services for obesity management care.  Periodic health assessments by a weight loss health care professional for proper management of the disease is required.  Also access to fitness centers and health food stores to aid in the continuation of a healthier lifestyle.  Accessibility to the services provided, along with commitment to the recommendations will result in weight loss and the ability to maintain it.

     

    Financial Resources – Patients who have the financial resources to pay for the physician’s care management, healthier foods, gym memberships, counseling, and any prescription medications needed, show better continuity of care in managing obesity and weight loss.  Better continuance of care for obesity will result in a patient with a well-managed weight loss.

    Health Insurance – A patient with health insurance can use the insurance for payment purposes to aid in weight loss management, prescriptions medications, and bariatric surgery for the morbidly obese.  Insured patients result in continuity of care for obesity and results in a well-managed weight loss with the ability to maintain it. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay.

    A4a.  Unmanaged Disease Factors

               
    The same factors can also impact a patient’s inability to manage their obesity.  The following shows how the factors can affect the patient’s inability to manage their weight loss:

     

    Access to Care – Patients will need to have access to the physician services for obesity   management care.  Periodic health assessments by a weight loss health care professional for proper management of the disease is required.  Also access to fitness centers and health food stores to aid in the continuation of a healthier lifestyle.  Patients can have lack of access to these services due to:  a) lack of weight loss providers, b) lack of resources to access the care, c) lack of transportation, d) lack of fitness centers and health food stores in patient area.  Lack of accessibility to the services provided will likely result in a patient that remains obese and is unable to manage any weight loss.

     

    Financial Resources – Patients who do not have the financial resources for physician’s management, healthier foods, gym memberships, counseling, prescription medications, or surgery, are likely to result in poor obesity management.

     

    Health Insurance – A patient who has no insurance is less likely to seek obesity management care.  Health insurance can help pay for physician visits and prescription medications.  Insurance also pays for bariatric surgery in the morbidly obese.  Lack of health insurance will result in little or no management for the obese patient.

    A4ai.  Unmanaged Disease Characteristics

               
    Managing weight loss is a lifestyle change that must continue even after the weight loss goal is accomplished.  Some patients have a difficult time maintaining a healthier lifestyle and regain the weight, or they may never lose the weight.  There are many reasons why a patient may not be able to manage their obesity.  Some of the reasons are:  lack of access to care, lack of financial resources for care, and lack of health insurance.

    An obese patient has increased risks for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, pulmonary abnormalities, gastrointestinal abnormalities, reproductive disease, psychosocial problems, osteoarthritis, and cancer.  Obesity also prevents some access to care.  For example, MRI machines have weight limits of up to 450 pounds.  Surgical mortality is increased with obesity and some surgeons may choose not to operate due to the associated risk of mortality (“Complications of obesity in adults:  A short review of the literature,” n.d.).  These potential comorbidities and increased risks are all associated with a patient that is unable to manage their obesity.

    Patients, Families, and Populations

               
    Patients who have managed their obesity and were able to reach a healthy weight are expected to live a happier life.  With a normal BMI, a patient can participate in more physical activities and continue their career with no health-related risks.  There is also less hassle for the family to have to care for the patient who is obese and unable to care for themselves.

    Patients who are unable to manage their obesity are more likely to develop one or more of the comorbidities (heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension) associated with obesity.  Due to the increased weight and other related diseases the patient is more likely to be out of work frequently or permanently.  When a patient has no income and no insurance then assistance is needed from family members or friends and is going to cause more undue stress.  Financial problems will also arise from the medical bills incurred due to the obesity and related issues.

    Approximately 31% of adults in my community are obese.  The higher prevalence of obesity is among African Americans.  Alabama ranked 5th in the prevalence of obesity in 2012 (“State of Alabama Community Health Assessment 2015,” n.d.).  The local county health department also offers many programs and assistance to those in need.  A supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) is a program that information on nutrition and healthier foods (“WIC Program | Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH),” n.d.).

    B1.  Costs

               
    According to the CDC, obesity and the comorbidities associated with the disease economically affect the health care system. Medical costs are directly affected due to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services that are associated with obesity.  The costs are indirectly affected due to decreased productivity at work and absenteeism.  In 2008 the estimated costs of care for the obese patient was $147 billion.  Nationwide productive costs related to obesity or absenteeism related to obesity was estimated at $3.38 billion to $6.38 billion (“Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences | Overweight & Obesity | CDC,” 2017)

    A study done in 2006 showed that obese people spent an estimated 42 percent more on medical spending than the normal-weight people.  Obesity related medical costs are estimated to be increased by 37 percent.  Increases in annual costs were estimated at 36 percent for Medicare, 47 percent for Medicaid, and 58 percent for private pay patients (“Annual Medical Spending Attributable to Obesity:  Payer and Service-Specific Estimates,” n.d.).

    The cost of diagnosing obesity and managing weight loss can vary depending on the management plan.  If the patient is insured and the management plan is covered by insurance, then the only cost would be co-pays and deductibles that must be met by the patient.  For the morbidly obese patient that bariatric surgery is indicated for treatment, then insurance would cover the surgery and follow up appointments.

    The cost can be significant for the private paying patients.  A diet clinic in the author’s community (no insurance accepted) has a $60 charge for an office visit.  Other local physician offices have a $75 charge for an office visit for weight management treatment.  Prescriptions medications can also vary in price and insurance may or may not cover the cost.  A prescription of phentermine for thirty days is approximately $22 at a local pharmacy.  Naltrexone/bupropion prescriptions can range from $55 to $200 a month.  And the cost for bariatric surgery can range from $10,000 to over $20,000, depending on which surgery the patient and the physician determine is best.

    Best Practices Promotion

               
    Best practice promotion in an Obstetrician and Gynecology (OB/GYN) office setting, the author’s practice setting, is to increase patient awareness on the importance of weight control and physical activity during pregnancy and after delivery.  Also by following the current standards of practice for obesity, updating provider knowledge on the current practice guidelines would promote best practices.

    C1.  Implementation Plan

               
    The current setting this author is mainly involved in is obstetrics patients during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks postpartum.  The three strategies chosen for plan implementation include:

    Development of a healthy diet and physical activity plan for patients during pregnancy and after delivery.  A healthy, well-balanced diet and daily physical activity can help a patient maintain a healthy pregnancy and manage weight loss after delivery.

    Development of a dietician/nutritionist counselor. The counselor will provide patients with education on current guidelines for care related to managing obesity.  The counselor will also provide each patient a specific diet and activity management plan based on the patient’s specific needs and abilities.

    Development of provider and counselor education programs on the most current guidelines for obesity management. The programs will be available online and the providers and counselor will be required to complete the programs annually.Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    C2.  Evaluation Method

               
    Evaluation of success of the three strategies stated above are as follows:

    The success of the healthy diet and physical activity plan with be shown by the patient maintaining a normal weight gain during pregnancy and returning to the pre-pregnancy weight after delivery.

    The success of the counselor will be shown by the patient verbalizing her understanding of obesity guideline education. Also, success will be shown by the patient choosing healthier food options and choosing to participate in daily physical activity. Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    The success of the provider and counselor programs will be shown with completion of the online learning. And with chart documentation that shows the standard guidelines for obesity are being met by the providers and counselor.

    Resources

    Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. (2017, August 29). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html

    Annual Medical Spending Attributable to Obesity: Payer and Service-Specific Estimates. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/28/5/w822.full.pdf+html

    Complications of obesity in adults: A short review of the literature. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062780/ Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    Diagnosis – NHLBI, NIH. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/diagnosis

    Diagnosis and Management of Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://aafp.org

    Differences in Prevalence of Obesity Among Black, White, and Hispanic Adults — United States, 2006–2008. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5827a2.html

    McCance, K., & Huether, S. (2014).
    Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children, 7th Edition
    [Western Governors University]. Retrieved from Retrieved from
    https://wgu.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780323088541/

    New Obesity Guidelines: Authoritative ‘Roadmap’ to Treatment. (2013, November 12). Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com

    NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years. (n.d.). Retrieved from
    https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-extreme-obesity-may-shorten-life-expectancy-14-years

     

    Resources

     

    The Obesity Epidemic: Challenges, Health Initiatives, and Implications for Gastroenterologists. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3033553/ Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

    Special Report: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://stateofobesity.org/disparities/

    State of Alabama Community Health Assessment 2015. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov

    The State of Obesity: Obesity data trends and policy analysis. (2017, August 31). Retrieved from http://stateofobesity.org

    Strategies to Prevent Obesity. (2015). Retrieved from
    https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

    Update on Office-Based Strategies for the Management of Obesity – American Family Physician. (2016, September 1). Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2016/0901/p361.html

    WIC Program | Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/dekalb/wic.html Pathopharmacological foundations for advanced nursing practice c155 obesity Essay

  • Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Heart Disease

    Heart disease affects the lives of millions of people every year so it is important to understand the characteristics and risk factors associated with this condition.  Risk factors for heart disease fall under two categories: modifiable risks and nonmodifiable risks.  Modifiable risks include things that we can control such as obesity, smoking and high fat intake whereas nonmodifiable risks include things that we cannot control such as gender, heredity and age.  But first, we must understand what heart disease is and how it affects our bodies.  Research suggests that heart disease is a result of damage to the lining and inner layers of the heart arteries.  Plaque begins to build up where there are damaged arteries (What Causes Heart Disease, 2014).  Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay. Factors that can contribute to this damage include smoking, blood vessel inflammation, elevated amounts of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes, high blood pressure and high amounts of fats and cholesterol in the blood.

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    A1. Pathophysiology

    Heart disease is a clinical manifestation when the heart can not provide a sufficient amount of blood flow to maintain the metabolic requirements for systemic venous return.  Heart failure is the result of several mechanisms such as pump function disorder, neurohormonal activation disorder and salt-water retention disorder (Palazzuoli, 2010).  It develops when there is an abnormality in cardiac function causing blood to not pump at a healthy rate.  Several factors can contribute to the damage including smoking, high blood pressure, inflammation of the blood vessels, and increased amounts of cholesterol in the blood. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.

    The average human heart beats almost four million times per year, pumping enough blood to fill an oil tanker during a lifetime.  Composed of striated cardiac muscles, the heart is supplied oxygen and nutrients from the coronary arteries.  Over time, some people experience damage to the cardiac muscles which can lead to a weakening of the heart’s ability to pump blood.  If blood is inadequately being pumped, fluid can build up in the lungs, liver and other vital organs.

    There are several conditions that can lead to heart disease including anemia, diabetes, obesity, cardiomyopathy, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiac muscle disease.  Diseases related to the heart valves can also cause heart failure.  Damaged or leaking valves cause the heart to pump harder pump back-flowing blood. Some of the main pathologies of heart disease include over loading of the ventricle with blood during diastole, lowered cardiac output causing an increase in the heart rate, stroke volume decreasing as the ventricle rises at the end of systole, reduced cardiac reserve and hypertrophy (Mandal, 2009) Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.

    A2. Standard of Practice for Heart Disease

    The national standard of practice is driven by the Clinical Practice Guidelines published by the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC).  The NGC provides a guideline of recommendations on current evidence based practice to help healthcare workers provide safe and efficient care to patients with heart disease.  These evidence based guidelines have the potential to maximize the outcome of a patient (Petruccelli, n.d.).  In 1933 Sir Thomas Lewis wrote in his textbook on heart disease that “The very essence of cardiovascular medicine is the recognition of early heart failure” (Lewis, 1937).

    According to the American College of Cardiology a thorough history and physical should be performed in patients that present with heart disease to identify any cardiac or non-cardiac disorders and/or behaviors that may cause the acceleration of the disease.  Volume status and vital signs as well as patient weight, jugular venous pressure and the presence of orthopnea or peripheral edema should be assessed as they may be signs/symptoms of fluid retention.  Risk scores are obtained upon assessment to estimate the risk of mortality in patients with heart disease Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.

    For patients presenting with signs/symptoms of heart failure, initial laboratory evaluations include complete blood count, troponin, serum creatinine, urinalysis, serum electrolytes, bun, glucose, fasting lipid profile, liver function tests and thyroid-stimulating hormone.

    Because heart disease has a high mortality rate, results in decreased quality of life, increased hospitalizations and an extensive therapeutic routine, new research and evidence based data is constantly being done to improve outcomes of the proposed therapies.  Because this is a chronic condition, the effect of therapies may not be noticeable right away.  The prognosis varies from patient to patient when taking into account co-morbidities, life style and genetic factors.  As a result, not all treatments will work for all patients, making it difficult to generalize one specific treatment regimen as the “go-to” for heart disease. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.  The assessment of specific outcomes of therapy are complicated by the potential differential impact of the many co-therapies (Albert, Boehmer, Ezekowitz, Givertz, Klapholz, Linderfeld,…Walsh, 2010).

    The complexity and high prevalence of heart disease in today’s society, has resulted in numerous treatment options and practice guidelines.  Different practice guidelines have been created by various organizations.  The American Heart Association [AHA] along with The American College of Cardiology Foundation [ACCF] have developed one set of practice guidelines and have been producing practice guidelines jointly in the area of cardiovascular disease since 1980.  These guidelines are not only comprehensive but they also address all aspects of prevention, evaluation, therapy (both pharmacological and device) as well as disease management for patient’s diagnosed with heart disease.  These guidelines play a major role in clinical management of the disease process. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.

    A2a. Pharmacological Treatments

    Cardiac Glycosides

    Can be used for any severity of heart disease

    Slows the ventricular rate

    Aldosterone receptor antagonists

    Recommended for advanced heart disease

    Improves survival and morbidity

    Recommended in addition to Ace-inhibitors and beta-blockers

    Diuretics (loop diuretics, thiazides and metolazone)

     

    Decreases fluid overload

    Results in rapid improvement of dyspnea and increased exercise tolerance

    Should be taken with ACE-inhibitors and beta-blockers

    Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (Beta-blockers)

    Used as treatment for a severities of heart disease

    Reduces hospitalizations, improves function and can slow down progression of the disease

    Slow the heart rate, allowing the left ventricle to fill more completely

    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-inhibitors)

    Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    1
    st
    Line of defense

    Helps improve control of heart disease

    Reduces need for hospitalization, improving patient quality of life

    Assists with electrolyte and water balance by increasing the release of water and salt to urine, lowering blood pressure

    Vasodilation improves hemodynamics in heart disease and reduces blood pressure

    Angiotensin II receptor blockers

    Assists blood vessels to relax and dilate

    Helps release water and salt to the urine, lowering blood pressure

    Decreases pressure on the left ventricle of the hear must pump against

    Anti-thrombotic agents

     

    Heart disease is often accompanied by a hypercoagulable state

    Reduces the incidence of coronary ischemic events

    Inhibits vasodilation

    **Drugs to use with caution for patients with heart failure:  lithium, tricyclic anti-depressants, corticosteroids, calcium antagonists, NSAIDs and Class I anti-arrhythmic agents

    (Cleland, 2005)

     

    The pharmacological treatment for heart disease will vary based on the severity of the disease, the patient’s co-morbidities and the patient’s classification.  The AHA and ACCF classify patients into four classes ranging from A to D, with the stages of heart disease distinguishing risk factors and abnormalities of the cardiac structure as being associated with heart disease.  The pharmacological interventions take into account both. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay.

    As mentioned previously, the practice guidelines for heart disease as set forth by the AHA and ACCF work hand in hand with the standardized pharmacological treatment throughout the United States.  Virginia, and more specifically my community, utilize these practice guidelines in the treatment of heart disease.  Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors should be used in the treatment of heart failure related to systolic dysfunction.  ACE inhibitors cause relaxation of the blood vessels and decrease blood volume.  This leads to lower blood pressure and decreased oxygen demand on the heart.  Some examples of ACE inhibitors include Lisinopril, Captopril, Trandolapril and Enalapril which have all been proven in clinical trials to be effective in reducing morbidity and overall mortality rates in patient with heart disease (Flather & Kober, 2000).  Unless otherwise contraindicated, ACE inhibitors should be considered a priority intervention.

    Also for patients with heart disease related to systolic dysfunction, beta blockers are recommended, unless a patient is dyspneic at rest with hemodynamic instability, signs or symptoms of congestion or those with a previous intolerance to beta blockers (Bleske, Chavey,…Van Harrison, 2008).  Beta blockers block the action of adrenaline and noradrenaline.  Coreg, Metoprolol, Propranolol and Atenolol have been proven in clinical trials to decrease overall mortality.  When a patient takes beta blockers, the heart beats more slowly and with less force.  This reduces blood pressure and helps blood vessels to expand, improving blood flow. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Aldosterone antagonists are receptor antagonists located at the mineralocorticoid receptor.  They are recommended for patients with heart disease.  Aldosterone receptor antagonists block the effects of hormones produced naturally in the adrenal glands that can cause heart disease to worsen.  They affect the balance of water and salts going into the urine.  They also help lower blood pressure and protect the heart by reducing congestion.  Spironolactone is a nonselective aldosterone antagonist and eplerenone is selective to the aldosterone receptor.  These are the only two aldosterone antagonists commercially available in the United States.  Aldosterone antagonism is recommended for patients with heart disease who also have dyspnea rest as well as for patients post myocardial infarction who have developed systolic dysfunction.

    Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) block the actions of angiotensin II, which is produced in the kidneys.  It prevents angiotensin II from binding with angiotensin II receptors in the blood vessels, causing them to dilate and reduce blood pressure.  ARBs are often used to treat patients with heart disease that cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors, but they can also be added in addition to ACE inhibitors.  Losartan and Valsartan are commonly used ARBs, typically found in the hospital setting.

    Diuretics assist the body to get rid of excess fluid by encouraging the kidneys to make more urine.  They are commonly used for patients with heart disease to manage fluid volume overload, which can be acute or chronic.  Diuretics cause the kidneys to put more sodium in the urine.  As the sodium is excreted from the blood, it takes water with it to the kidneys.  They cause wasting of potassium and magnesium.  Getting rid of the excess fluid lessens the load on the heart because there is less fluid to pump around the body, easing congestion on the lungs.

    In my community, use of these drugs are standard practice.  There are best practice guidelines which outline the use of each drug, potential side effects and things that patients should look out for to tell their physician.  A nationally tracked indicator of heart disease management includes asking relevant questions to patients upon discharge related to their heart disease medications, specifically about the use of a beta blocker, ACE inhibitor or ARBs.  Pharmacists within the hospital setting are trained to reconcile medication upon admission and discharge to ensure patients are prescribed the correct medication to optimize their treatment regimen.  Patients are given access to My Chart, which allows them to access their medications post hospitalization at any time in case their community pharmacist has any questions.

    Providers within the community have access to electronic health records which allow them to see previously prescribed medications, discontinued medications and the physicians reasoning for adding/deleting a particular medication as well as any adverse reactions noted.

    Within the hospital, case managers work directly with patients to provide community resources so they are able to get their medications more easily and affordably once discharged.  Physicians will typically write a 30-day prescription for most medications to give a patient ample time to see their primary care physician or community resource. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Extensive efforts to ensure patients have the education and resources needed to remain compliant once discharged to the community, have decreased overall re-hospitalization rates.  It is also important to focus on prevention and education.  My hospital hosts health fairs, blood pressure screenings and community education classes to make people aware of the modifiable risk factors associated with heart disease to try to decrease the risk of heart disease before it gets to the point of having someone hospitalized for heart disease.

    A2b. Clinical Guidelines

    Quality measures include:

    Patients must be given ACE inhibitor angiotensin II receptor blocker. If not, there must be clear documentation of intolerance to both.

    Patients must be given adult smoking cessation advice or counseling

    Patients given discharge instructions must include:

    Activity

    Weight Monitoring

    Diet

    List of discharge medications and dosages

    Follow up care

    What to do if symptoms worsen

     

    Diagnosis

    A diagnosis of heart disease takes into account the whole picture of physical findings, symptoms and tests.  Based on these results, the physician will order a chest x-ray, echocardiogram and electrocardiography to analyze heart shape/size and function as well as evaluating the lungs for fluid build-up.  Certain specifics a physician will test for: Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

    Blood Tests- kidney and thyroid function, cholesterol levels and the presence of anemia

    BNP-level of BNP increases as heart disease worsens

    Chest x-ray-shows size of the heart and whether there is fluid build-up

    Echocardiogram-provides pictures of the heart’s valves and chambers so the physician can study the action of the heart

    Doppler Ultrasound-evaluates blood flow across the heart valves

    Ejection Fracture-<55% Stress test- the heart is stressed by walking on a treadmill. This will help identify clogged arteries   Patient Education Understanding Heart Disease Causes of Heart Disease Common Questions Nutritional Planning Adapting Your Lifestyle Plan periods of rest Be sure to get plenty of rest, ensuring that you keep your feet up to minimize swelling in the legs Conserve your energy Cutting down on some of your daily activities or using less energy during tasks will help you have more energy to do more tasks throughout your day Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay Manage a healthy weight Monitor fluctuations in your weight…fast weight gain can mean fluid retention Reading food labels Avoid to much fluid intake Limiting sodium intake Increasing intake of high potassium foods Dried fruits Fresh vegetables Fresh fruits Fish Fresh meat Stop smoking Smoking causes your heart to work harder to supply the body with enough oxygen Be aware of triggers to smoking Being around smokers Alcohol Emotional stress Maintain up-to-date immunizations Respiratory problems can worsen heart disease, vaccinations can provide immunity against flu and pneumonia Monitor your blood pressure and heart rate Gives you confidence in the treatment you are doing Helps give information to the physician about trends Manage your medicines Take your medication as prescribed to get the best possible outcome Take your medications with you when you go to the doctor A2c. Standard Practice of Disease Management Initiatives in Virginia to prevent and combat heart disease include promoting the use of guidelines for primary and secondary prevention as well as increasing quality care in federally funded healthcare centers.  On the national level, in 1999 the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, a patient centered organization, was founded creating a wide support network, educational seminars and advocating for legislation.  In 2002, The Heart Truth campaign was created to raise awareness about heart disease, risk factors and preventative action. The standard of practice of care for the management of heart disease is consistent in Virginia as it is across the nation.  Patients with heart disease may experience signs and symptoms of a heart attack such as angina, vomiting, and extreme fatigue, difficulties breathing and swelling in the feet, ankles, legs and abdomen.  Treatment is based on exhibited symptoms and can be pharmacological and nonpharmacological including lifestyle modifications. No single test can diagnose heart disease.  If heart disease is suspected, the national standard is for a physician to order an electrocardiogram to detect and record the hearts electrical activity.  The test will show how fast the heart is beating and if the beat is regular or irregular.  Another standard of care is performing a stress test to make the heart work harder and beat faster through exercise while testing is completed on the heart.  A stress test can show possible signs and symptoms of heart disease such as abnormal changes in the heart rate, blood pressure, shortness of breath and abnormalities in the hearts rhythm. A chest x-ray is typically ordered to give the physician a picture of the organs and structures within the chest and can reveal signs of heart disease.  Blood tests check the levels of cholesterol, sugars, fats and proteins in the blood.  Abnormal levels can indicate heart disease. If other tests suggest heart failure, the physician would order a coronary angiography using a special dye and x-ray to look inside of the arteries (What Causes Heart Disease, 2014). The State of Virginia can help educate the public about the importance of disease prevention through regular check ups.  They can also assist by providing healthcare workers updates on guidelines and best practices for treating patients at risk and affected by heart disease.  Virginia has also established policies for raising awareness for recognizes the signs and symptoms of heart disease and heart attack and helping hospitals implement system changes to adhere to national guidelines and recommendations for victims of heart disease (Moon, 2008). A3. Characteristics of Heart Disease Heart disease affects approximately 5.1 million people (Heart, 2015).   Common symptoms of heart disease include shortness of breath, weight gain, swelling in the feet, ankles, stomach or legs, fatigue and weakness.  Early diagnosis and treatment can greatly increase the quality and length of life for people affected by heart disease.  Treatment typically includes medications, diet modifications, increased physical activity and smoking cessation. There are four stages of heart disease to describe the evolution of the disease. Stage A refers to people who are at high risk for developing heart failure based on one or more risk factors Stage B refers to patients that show no symptoms of heart failure Stage C refers to patients who have in the past, or currently, show symptoms of heart failure with underlying structural heart disease Stage D refers to patients with end-stage heart disease requiring specialized treatments (Diseases, 1964) When thinking about the characteristics of heart disease, genetics should always be a factor.  Individuals that have a parent that suffered a heart attack are at an increased risk for heart disease.  Although we cannot control our gender, heredity or age, there are several risk factors that can be reduced and/or eliminated to lessen the risk of heart disease. Modifiable risk factors include smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy diet and proper weight control.  As little as 20% of a person’s body weight increases the cholesterol levels in the body (Mandal, 2009). Access to Care-Approximately 7.3 million Americans with heart disease are currently uninsured (Federal Access to Care Issues, 2013).  This makes them less likely to receive appropriate care which results in worsening medical outcomes, including increased mortality rates.  Current advocacy priorities initiated federally include implementing health reform, opposing policies that cut benefits or increase costs under Medicare and Medicaid, supporting funding for community access, expanding access to AEDs and CPR training for high school students, lay rescuers and professional responders, increased public knowledge of lifesaving approaches and increased funding for the National Emergency Medical Services Information System and other EMS programs (Ayanian, 2001). Treatment Options- The goal of treatment is typically the same for men and women with a goal of relieving symptoms, reducing risk factors to slow or stop the buildup of plaque, lowering the potential for blood clot formation, widening plaque clogged arteries and preventing complications related to heart disease.  Treatments include: Lifestyle Changes such as smoking cessation, diet modification, increased physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress and depression.  Medications can help reduce the hearts workload and relieve symptoms, lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure and prevent blood clots and prevent the possibility of a heart or sudden death.  A patient may need surgery to treat heart disease such as angioplasty, CABG, percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting.  Cardiac rehab is also part of the national standard of care.  It includes exercise training to teach safe exercising, muscle strengthening and improve stamina as well as education, counseling and training to help the patient understand their condition and identify ways to lower risk for future medical issues related to the heart. Life Expectancy and Outcomes-Since 2004, the death rate related to heart disease has fallen.  In 2013 there were 211 deaths per 100,000 people in Virginia and 223 in the nation.  This gave Virginia the 25 th lowest rate in the country (Measuring Cardiovascular Disease, 2015).  Across the state (Virginia) deaths related to heart disease have continued to fall.  According to US government statistics, there are almost 300,000 deaths each year (Moon, 2008).  Of the total heart disease related deaths each year, 8.6 million are women and is the largest single cause of deaths in women worldwide (Fact Sheets, n.d.).  Heart disease is listed as the underlying cause of death for 31% of all deaths in the United States-that’s almost 2200 deaths per day. A3a. Disparities Health disparities continue to exist for low income populations and minorities.  There is evidence that these groups have earlier onset of heart disease and earlier death associated with the advanced disease related to biological, psychosocial, environmental and behavioral issues.  Programs have been implemented by public health groups nationwide to modify known risk factors, focusing on tobacco cessation, increased physical activity, healthier diets and preventative screening.  There has been minimal progress noted in the heart disease health disparities among low income and minority populations.  People living in low income communities have less access to affordable and nutritious food, parks for physical activity and limited access to health screenings.  Fresh and organic produce tend to more expensive than canned or frozen food.  Disparities are seen with patients that carry Medicare as well as non-Medicare patients. Disparities are also noted on an international level based on a patients’ insurance or noninsured status.  Patients that do not carry insurance and are unable to pay privately, are typically discharged home with minimal prescriptions and no access to home health leaving family members to take care of them. According to the World Health Organization, about 16 million people across the world die of heart disease each year (The World Health Report, 2003).  Due to a lack of resources and education, developing countries are twice as likely to see patient deaths related to heart disease.  Heart disease has no socioeconomic, gender or geographic boundaries. According to The World Health Report, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the European Union, accounts for over 245, 000 deaths in the UK and an estimated 8 million people in Canada have some form of heart disease.  In these countries, the prevalence of hypertension is very high with citizens not being treated.  In low-income countries, there is usually one person that is the primary money maker for the family.  Due to limited financial resources, many are not able to seek the treatment that they need or take the time away from work to seek treatment.  Low-income communities have unequal distribution of goods and little to no access to healthcare services, healthy foods or safe, green outdoor areas for activity.  There is easy access to alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods such as fast food. Among African Americans 10.3% suffer from heart disease, 4.9% of Hispanics suffer from heart disease, 3.3% of Asians suffer from heart disease and 5.6% of Caucasians suffer from heart disease (Thom, 2006).  It is estimated that by 2030, over 44% of the United States population will have some form of heart disease.  The American Heart Association’s 2020 Impact Goals include improving the cardiovascular health of Americans by as much as 20% while reducing the mortality rate related to heart disease by 20%. Analysis of data sets reported by the Center for Disease Control showed that adults older than 18 years old, disparities were noted for all risk factors examined.  Mexican American men had the highest prevalence of obesity while African American women without a high school education had a high prevalence of obesity.  Regardless of age or sex, African Americans had the highest prevalence of hypertension while Caucasian and Mexican American men had the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolemia along with Caucasian women (Thom, 2006).  Smokers with family incomes lower than the poverty level is twice as likely than adults in the highest family income group. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay A4a. Factors Contributing to Managing Heart Disease Medication compliance is a huge factor in management of heart disease.  Cost is one of the most common reasons people have for not taking their medications.  For patients having financial issues, the physician may be able to prescribe another medication that is more cost effective.  There are also public and private programs that offer discounted or free medications such as manufacturers’ aid or patient assistance programs.  Income and age will often determine eligibility.  It is estimated that three out of four Americans so not take their medications as directed (Medication Adherence, n.d.).  Poor medication adherence takes the lives of 125,000 Americans annually. Some medication assistance programs that can assist a patient better manage heart disease are: RX Outreach- a charitable nonprofit patient assistance program that provides access to affordable generic and brand name medications FamilyWiz Community Service Partnership-distributes free prescription savings cards and a price look up tool NeedyMeds-a national non-profit resource that helps people locate assistance programs to help them afford medications and healthcare costs Due to the high cost of medications, some patients do not purchase them.  A patient with heart disease can experience many complications if they do not follow their medication regimen as prescribed.  Research has proven that a variety of medications are needed for the best outcomes in the treatment of heart disease.  Each medication treats a different symptom or contributing factor to promote the overall treatment.  Each individual medication cannot do their job correctly if not taken correctly.  In a nutshell, proper use of prescribed medications for the treatment of heart disease has been proven to save lives, prolong life and improve overall heart function. Medication noncompliance can lead to an unmanaged disease process as evidence by the mechanism of action of the medications.  For example, diuretics are prescribed to heart disease patients to help the body to rid itself of excess fluids and sodium via urination.  If a patient is not taking their medications as prescribed, there can be an increased workload of the heart as well as increased buildup of fluid in the lungs, ankles and legs making the condition much worse. Lack of insurance coverage can also affect a patient’s ability to manage their heart disease.  Plans such as Medicare Part B covers for preventative screening every 5 years.  There are no costs for the tests and everyone who has Medicare Part B is covered.  Medicare also covers one visit per year as a preventative service.  For patients that are experiencing heart failure, Medicare offers comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation that includes exercise, education and counseling (Your Medicare Coverage, n.d.).  This program is provided in a hospital outpatient setting or in a doctor’s office. A patient that has private insurance typically will have a rehabilitation plan included as part of their coverage.  For instance, with Anthem, a patient can receive up to sixty visits in a calendar year for rehabilitation services without a prior authorization being needed.  The severity of the illness must meet a predetermined standard for a patient to be approved for inpatient rehab which provides for four to six hours daily of therapy as compared to a skilled facility placement that only would provide one to two hours daily.  The decision of coverage is ultimately determined by the medical director working within the insurance company who receives the case information, reviews it based on the documentation provided and approves coverage limits, amount of days and times based on this information.  Unfortunately, this is not often in line with the physician discharge instructions or the patient/family request.  Often times, these predetermined limits will not provide enough coverage for the patient to get back to a normal state. Some patients do not have traditional insurance or Medicaid.  These patients are also often limited in access to care because they have options in care that are either high in cost or limited.  For example, with hospital based programs, a patient can only see certain physicians and are bundled into managed products.  With managed products, a patient is assigned to a specific physician or medical group and is unable to see an outside physician without a referral.  Appointments are limited and often times done during clinic times so seeing the same physician consistently is rare.  These limited appointments often result in patients having to seek care in the Emergency Room which does not provide ongoing care.  This can result in a breakdown in communication between physicians and a lack of consistency of treatment plans. Without the needed ongoing care, patients can fall between the cracks, with constantly changing treatment and medication regimens and inconsistency of the plan of care.  The frustration of long waits during clinics, different physicians every visit and having to wait get on a waiting list to even get into a clinic can lead to an unmanaged disease process due to a lack of frequent, consistent visits and updated plans of care and treatment regimens based on changes in the disease process. Not having access to proper nutrition can affect a patient’s ability to manage heart failure.  One of the standard modifications recommended is diet modification.  The role of a proper diet is key to lowering cardiovascular risk.  Patients that do not have access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, low sodium items, fish, nuts and soy have a higher risk of death related to heart disease.  Food assistance programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), Nutritional Programs for Seniors and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) provide assistance for those in need so they can purchase healthier foods. Proper nutrition is very important when trying to manage heart disease.  Continuing to eat an unhealthy diet can lead to co morbidities that can increase that rate of mortality related to an unmanaged disease process.  For example, high blood pressure is a major risk factor with heart disease so a diet high in sodium will increase a patients’ risk for hypertension.  A high fat intake will increase the likelihood of becoming obese (which puts addition strain on the heart) and developing high cholesterol.  Sugary foods can increase the chance of a patient becoming a diabetic.  Abnormal blood lipids are related to what we eat and have a strong correlation to heart disease, heart attack and ultimately coronary death. 4Ai. Characteristics of a Patient with Unmanaged Heart Disease Patients with uncontrolled heart disease may experience several symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, lethargy, light headedness, swelling in the extremities and chest pain.  They may even experience pain in the jaw, neck or back.  Sometimes a patient with uncontrolled heart disease may experience nausea and vomiting as well as unexplained fatigue. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay For patients with unmanaged heart disease the prognosis depends on the cause and severity of the disease. Complications can include: Kidney Failure Heart disease can reduce the blood flow to the kidneys and cause a patient to need dialysis Heart valve Problems Valves may not function correctly if the pressure in the heart is high due to heart disease Heart Rhythm Complications Arrhythmias can be a complication of heart disease Liver Damage Heart disease can lead to fluid buildup that puts excessive pressure on the liver   How Does Heart Disease Affect Patients, Families and Communities? Heart Disease can be a devastating illness that affects not only patients but their families and community as well. For the patient it can affect their ability to live independently and care for themselves. The patient may not be able to continue working as the physical and emotional stress takes its toll.  This can result in a loss of income, further increasing a patient’s stress level and depression especially if they are not able to care for themselves or their family.  There is also the added anxiety over familial and caretaking concerns such as, “Who will take care of my house and my spouse” and “How will he/she manage without me?” Family members may have to face the possibility of caring for a sick loved one. This can put an emotional and financial strain on the dynamics of the household.  The family will also have to be prepared to deal with the possibility of the sick family member to experience depression and other changes in their emotional state.  Their tolerance for noise and disturbances may be decreased and this may be hard for young children to understand.  They may feel that they have lost a parent or that their parent is behaving differently around them but not understand why. For the community, a patient who has decreased or lost their income, may rely on community and government assistance for medications and healthcare related costs. These costs may be absorbed by the local hospitals or state funded programs such as Medicare. If a patient is not able to provide for their family, they may need to turn to other government based assistance programs such as food assistance programs and housing assistance programs. B1. Financial Costs Patient – In 2010, the cost of heart disease in the United States alone exceeded $444 billion (Feature, n.d.).  Pulling from this total 64% were direct costs, 45% were hospital costs, drugs were 19.5% and physician visits were 14.8%.  The cost of treating heart disease exceeds diabetes treatment. DIRECT MEDICAL COSTS INDIRECT MEDICAL COSTS LONG TERM MAINTENANCE Ambulance Lost Productivity and Income Drugs Diagnostic Testing Continued Testing Hospital Charges Cardiologist Appointments Surgery (if needed) Appointments for Co-Morbidities or Illnesses as a Result of Heart Disease For the patient, heart disease results in many increased costs outside of medications and hospital visits.  For instance, fresh, healthy or organic foods cost more than fast food, frozen or canned foods.  That is why it is hard for many people to adopt a healthier nutritional lifestyle.  A meta-analysis of pricing of healthy versus unhealthy diet patterns found that the healthiest diet patterns cost, on average, ≈$1.50 more per person per day (Thom, 2006).  As a result of the illness and its effects on the body, a patient may have to miss work or work less frequently causing their income to decrease. A patient can help offset some of the costs by researching cheaper medications or generic substitutions, ensure they have adequate health insurance and consider disability insurance to replace some of the lost income. Family – For families of heart disease patients, the financial toll can also be high.  Family members may have to become the sole person responsible for finances within the household.  Family members may also experience some form of loss in income if they are forced to miss work to take their loved ones to physician appointments, hospital visits and for treatments.  For families with children, there is also the additional expense of childcare while the healthy parent is taking the ill parent to appointments. Populations – In the United States, heart disease more Medicare allocation dollars than any other illness.  In 2009 over seven million Medicare beneficiaries experienced over 12.4 million inpatient hospital visits (Treating Congestive Heart Failure, 2014). Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay Promoting Best Practices & Evaluation Method The first strategy I would implement to promote best practices would be to implement for a nutritionist to meet regularly with all patients admitted with new or current heart disease.  Part of minimizing recurrent visits to the hospital and implementing a healthier lifestyle is education about proper nutrition.  It is important that patients are given the knowledge about implementing heart healthy eating patterns, proper intake of fruits, vegetables, gains, fish, legumes and sources of proteins low in saturated fat.  The nutritionist would also be responsible for educating the patient of weight management and reduction (if needed) through a balance of physical therapy, monitoring caloric intake and programs to maintain/achieve a healthy BMI. Evaluation-The nutritionist would also be responsible for a one month, three months and six months follow up where the patient can have their BMI checked, weight checked, basic labs taken etc. to gauge their progress and give the patient an opportunity to ask questions and get guidance on any concerns they may have regarding their diet and weight management. The second strategy I would implement for best practice would be psychological assessment and support for patients suffering from heart disease and undergoing cardiac treatment.  Stress, anxiety and other psychological factors can greatly affect a patients’ wellness and cardiac rehabilitation.  I would ensure that a psychologist or psychiatrist met with the patient throughout their hospital stay.  They would not only complete assessments to ensure the patient is psychologically handling their diagnosis but also be available for a patient to discuss any concerns, negative emotions, concerns about post discharge factors such as work and family life as well as discuss any depression they may be experiencing.  The psychologist/psychiatrist would also provide education about stress management, recognizing signs and symptoms of depression as well as helping the patient find mental support resources within the community post discharge. Evaluation-The psychologist/psychiatrist will continue to monitor the patients’ mental health throughout their visit, identifying any variances from upon admission.  They will also meet with the patient upon discharge to complete another assessment to ensure the patient is mentally stable to be discharged.  They will also monitor the patient based on their initial baseline for any negative effects related to new or modified medications The third strategy I would implement is a post heart disease diagnosis care team.  Once a patient is discharged from the hospital, they would be seen by the care team the following day.  The care team would include the physician, nutritionist, social worker, physical therapist, psychologist/psychiatrist and cardiac nurse educator.  The team would follow the patient for one-year post admission to provide support for the patient.  Their initial evaluations would be completed while the patient is in-patient.  Upon discharge, the care team would also provide educational opportunities and support groups for patients to participate in.  The team will also assist the patient with smoking cessation programs and medication management.  Following the patient will allow the care team to monitor and changes in condition while helping the patient get oriented to their new diagnosis and symptom management. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay Evaluation-The care team will review and track their patients for compliance with medications, dietary modifications, smoking cessation and overall quality of life.  As symptoms arise, the team will also help the patient with symptom management and teach them the skills needed to live with heart disease on their own.  Evaluation of outcomes would be analyzed overtime to identify areas of opportunity and the potential for team expansion.   References Albert, N., Boehmer, J., Ezekowitz, J., Givertz, M., Klapholz, M., Lindenfeld, J.,…Walsh, M. (2010). Executive Summary: HFSA 2010 Comprehensive Heart Failure Practice Guideline. Journal of Cardiac Failure (16) 475-539. Retrieved from http://www.heartfailureguideline.org/_assets/document/Guidelines.pdf.   Ayanian, J. Z., & Qiunn, T. J. (2001, May). Health Affairs. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/20/3/55.full   Bleske, B., Chavey, W., Hogikyan, R., Kesteron, S., Nicklas, J., Van Harrison, R. (2008). Pharmacological Management of Heart Failure Caused by Diastolic Dysfunction. American Family Physician. (7)957-964. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2008/0401/p957/html.   Burke, N., Desmeules, M., Georee, R., Lim, M., Luo, W., O’Reilley, D., …Tarride, J. (2009). A review of the cost of cardiovascular disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology , 25 (6). doi:10.1016/s0828-282x(09)70098-4 Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay     Cleland, J., Dargie, H., Drexler, H., Follath, F., Komadja, M., Swedberg, K., (2005, May 18). Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure: Executive summary. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/11/1115.full   Diseases of the heart and blood vessels: Nomenclature and criteria for diagnosis (6th ed.). (1964). Boston: Little, Brown. Retrieved March 25, 2016.   Doering, L. V., McKinley, S., Riegel, B., Moser, D. K., Meischke, H., Pelter, M. M., & Dracup, K. (2011). Gender-Specific Characteristics of Individuals with Depressive Symptoms and Coronary Heart Disease. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Critical Care, 40 (3), e4–e14. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2010.04.002   Fact Sheets. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://www.world-heart-federation.org/heart-facts/fact-sheets/   Feature, R. M. (n.d.). Heart Disease: The Cost of Medical Bills and Disability. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/heart-disease-medical-costs Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay   Federal Access to Care Issues. (2013, July 8). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Advocate/IssuesandCampaigns/AccesstoCare/Access-to-Care-Policy-Issues_UCM_443156_Article.jsp#.Vwx7mP72bow   Heart Failure Fact Sheet. (2015, November 30). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_heart_failure.html   Lewis, T. (1937). Diseases of the heart, described for practitioners and students. London: Macmillan and, Limited.   Mandal, MD, A. (2009, April 5). Heart Failure Causes. Retrieved March 24, 2016 from http://www.news-medical.net/health/Heart-Failure-Causes.aspx   Measuring Cardiovascular Disease in Virginia – Virginia Performs. (2015, March 16). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://vaperforms.virginia.gov/indicators/healthFamily/cardiovascularDisease.php   Medication Adherence – Taking Your Meds as Directed. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/ConsumerHealthCare/Medication-Adherence—Taking-Your-Meds-as-Directed_UCM_453329_Article.jsp#.VwYmXP72ZoA   Moon, M.A. (2008). Heart Failure Patients Greatly Overestimate Life Expectancy. Family Practice News, 38 (13). Doi:10.1016/s0300-7073(08)70804-1   Palazuoli, A., & Nuti, R. (2010, April 20). Heart Failure: Pathophysiology and clinical picture. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20427988   Petruccelli, D. F. (n.d.). JCAHO Core Measures. Retrieved April 8, 2016, from https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/aahfn.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/Docs/nursingpractice/JCAHO_Core_Measures.pdf.   Thom, T. (2006). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics–2006 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation, 113 (6). doi:10.1161/circulationaha.105.171600   Treating Congestive Heart Failure and the Role of Payment Reform. (2014). Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2014/05/21-congestive-heart-failure-hospital-aco-case-study#recent_rr/   Yancy, C. W., Jessup, M., Bozkurt, B., Butler, J., Casey, D. E., Drazner, M. H., . . . Wilkoff, B. L. (2013). 2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. JACC-Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 128(16). doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e31829e8776   Yoon, J., Fonarow, G. C., Groeneveld, P. W., Teerlink, J. R., Whooley, M. A., Sahay, A., & Heidenreich, P. A. (2016). Patient and Facility Variation in Costs of VA Heart Failure Patients. JACC: Heart Failure.   What Causes Heart Disease? (2014, April 21). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hdw/causes   What Is Being Done at The National Level to Prevent Heart Disease In Women? (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.athensheartcenter.com/what-is-being-done-at-the-national-level   Your Medicare Coverage. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/cardiac-rehab-programs.html Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice: Heart Disease Essay

  • Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Investigated Disease Process

    A major depressive disorder, also referred to as depression, is a condition affecting 16.1 million adults in the United States each year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2016). As a leading cause of disability in the world, depression is considered a common anxiety disorder that affects 1 in 13 adults globally (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). The 2016 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) state and county data report, which is used to estimate the prevalence of personal health behaviors that contribute to morbidity and mortality among adults in Florida, concluded that approximately 9.2% of adults in Miami Dade County suffer from depression, compared to a 11.3 % in the state of Florida. (Philip, 2016)  The condition affects men and women alike; yet is most prevalent among women.

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    Major depression limits an individual’s ability to perform daily activities. Based on the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (4
    th
    ed.), major depressive episodes occur for a period of two weeks or longer, reflects a change in a person’s daily functioning, and changes a person’s mood or loss of interest (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017).m Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    This paper will: (1) identify depression (the pathophysiology, standard of practice, and factors that contribute to a patient’s ability to manage depression); (2) analyze depression and how it affects patients, families, and populations (financial costs associated with depression for patients families, and the populations from diagnosis to treatment); and (3) promote best practices for managing depression in my current healthcare organization (including three strategies used to implement best practices for managing depression and the appropriate method of evaluating the implementation of each of the strategies).

    A1. Pathophysiology of Depression

    Unfortunately, the pathophysiology of depression has not been clearly defined. There appears to be a correlation between neurotransmitter availability, receptor regulation, and affective symptom sensitivity (Verdujin et al., 2015). Meta-analyses support the major depressive disorders are affected by specific pathophysiological mechanisms, such as inflammation, vitamin D, neurotrophic growth, and hypothalamic-pituitary-axis (Verdujin et al., 2015).  Results suggests that an “upregulation of inflammation” in the brain may be associated with the development of depression (Moylan, Mae, Wray, & Beck, 2013). With a decrease in monoamines and an increase in tryptophan catabolites, the brain has difficulty withstanding the toxins presented. It was also suggested that hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis may be another factor contributing to depressive disorders. When the neurogenesis is impaired and hippocampus volumes are reduced, there appears to be a malfunctioning of the glucocorticoid receptor (Verdijin et al., 2015). Based on the increases and decreases within the brain, it is presumed that recurring episodes can be determined via the cortisol levels.

    Patients with depressive disorders may present with normal appearance or display physical symptoms which may vary including weight loss or gain and poor hygiene. Other symptoms of depression may be present, such as: psychomotor retardation, flattening or loss of reacting, and/or psychomotor restlessness or agitation (Olfson, Blanco, & Marcus, 2016).

    A2. Standard of Practice

    A variety of screening instruments, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and stimulation techniques are used for treating patients with depressive disorders (Olfson, Blanco, & Marcus, 2016). According to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (2015), questionnaires and rating scales are used as diagnostic assessment evaluation for clinical determination. Although many patients who suffer from depression will end up using a combination of therapies, it is not unusual to begin treatment exclusively with psychotherapy, as it is the least invasive. Ultimately treatments are chosen based on provider recommendation, patient preference, and symptom observations.

    No laboratory studies are available at this time to diagnose depression; however, laboratory results are often used to exclude potential medical conditions that may present similar symptoms. All changes made to medication regimen are based on information provided in rating scales and questionnaires. These standards of practice are generic for Broward County and the state of Florida.

    National standard of practice is very similar as it involves comprehensive assessment based on detailed history, physical examination and mental state examinations for proper establishment of diagnosis. Formulation of treatment plan involves deciding about treatment setting, medications and psychological treatments to be used. Treatment options for management of depression can be broadly be divided into antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychosocial interventions. (Gautam, 2017)

    A2a. Pharmacological Treatments

    Evidenced-based pharmacologic therapies utilized in my community are similar to those used nationwide. If nonpharmacological treatments are available, PCPs should ask patients who are initiating depression treatment about preferences for medications or psychotherapy because the ability to address a patient’s treatment preference has been shown to be related to the likelihood of entering depression treatment and better treatment outcomes (Unutzer, 2012) Some forms of treatment drugs that have proven effectiveness include: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs); serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); atypical antidepressants; tricyclic antidepressants; monoamine oxidase inhibitors; and St. John’s wort (Olfson, Blanco, & Marcus, 2016). All of these medications work by balancing neurotransmitters in the brain that affect both mood and emotions.

    Inquiry of evidence was conducted at a local Mental Health / Rehab facility with the authorization from management. Physicians provided a prescribing report which displayed that the majority patients with the diagnosis of depression were prescribed  SSRIs. Many reports and studies emphasize the fact that SSRIs are recommended as first line medication of choice because of the decreased side effect and their higher safety profiles. With use of medications it is important to provide patients with education about the side effects they may encounter such as gastrointestinal disturbances, increased appetite and 
    weight
     gain, loss of sexual desire and other sexual problems such as 
    erectile dysfunction
     and decreased orgasm, agitation, irritability and suicidal ideation. Special emphasis should be made to the adverse effects of stopping medications without the supervision of the prescribing physician.

    Pharmacological treatments are not typically provided independently. Often times, patients are provided with consistent and faster results when medication is combined with psychotherapy. Patients with major depressive disorders who do not respond to drug therapies, have a high risk of suicide and medical morbidity or mortality, and need rapid antidepressant response, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is recommended. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation for treating major depression. For patients who have attempted and failed four medications or ECT treatments, the FDA has also approved the use of vagus nerve stimulation.

     

    A2b. Clinical Guidelines

    Assessment
    .

    Management of depression involves comprehensive assessment based on detailed history, physical and mental state examinations. Obtaining history from all sources including family and or caregivers can be extremely helpful. These patients may present with a combination of symptoms of which include but are not limited to: loss of interest or pleasure, decreased energy, fatigue, reduced concentration and or attention, reduced self-esteem and or self-confidence, ideas of guilt and unworthiness, pessimistic views of the future, ideas or acts of self-harm or suicide, disturbed sleep and diminished appetite(Blobel, 2015). Assessment should also focus on evaluation for physical illnesses known to play a role in the development of depression for example diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease or known malignancies. Previous surgical history and use of prescription medications and history of substance abuse should also be taken into consideration.

    Diagnosis.

    Patients are screened utilizing one or more of the following patient-reported instruments: Patient Health Questionnaire-9; Beck Depression Inventory or Beck Depression Inventory-II, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, or the center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (Agency for Health Administration in Florida, 2015; Olfson, Blanco, & Marcus, 2016). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale can also be performed by a professional to indicate depression severity. As previously stated no laboratory studies are available to diagnose depression. Laboratory results are often used to rule out medical diagnoses as a contributor to symptoms of depression.

     

    Patient Education.

    Education should be made readily available for the patient and all involved in their care by the prescribing provider. Providers should also refer patient’s information on agencies and organizations that also have resources available such as: The National Institute of Mental Health: Depression; Medline Plus, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), and Families for Depression Awareness.

    Education should include information on the different types of depression and risk factors for each. The signs and symptoms of depression and different ways to treat but most importantly information on crisis intervention. Education provided to patients should be provided in a format which is suitable for patient age, education level and specific depression diagnosis if applicable.

    A2c. Standard Practice of Disease Management

    In 2015 the Florida Medicaid drug therapy management program for behavioral health published the Florida best practice psychotherapeutic medication guidelines for adults. This guideline states a specific goal of beginning the process of symptomatic, syndromal, and functional recovery. The guideline addresses assessment and four different levels of treatment. Treatment options should be discussed with patient and initiation of monotherapy with SSRI’s. (Agency for Healthcare Administration State of Florida, 2015)

    In Miami-Dade County, Florida practitioners in the community together with the CDC have been following documented approaches thru a series of promising practices. These are documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life. In the collaborative care for the management of depressive disorders a model is laid out where the responsibilities for providers is listed. Highlights include the routine screening for depression, the initiation of treatment and coordination of treatment amongst different providers. (The Community Guide)

    The American Psychiatric Association (APA) supports the combination of psychotherapy and medications to treat patients with moderate to severe depression (2016).  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2017), 44% of individuals with depression receive treatments with medication and a health professional’s services; however, 37% of individuals are left untreated in the United States.

    International rates are more alarming. There has been more than an 18% increase (approximately 300 million) in people worldwide who are diagnosed with depression (WHO, 2017a). Without the proper care, many of these individuals globally are not treated for depression and result in illness and disabilities. Evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments, such as: interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy; problem-solving therapy; and/or behavioral activation are the first line of treatment used when possible.

    A3. Managed Disease Process

    The goal in the treatment of depression is for the patient to achieve remission and/or to have complete relief of symptoms. Patients should be able to verbalize adequate coping skills for managing their depression as well as resources available to them in moments of crisis. The most important aspect would be for the patients reintegration to the community by returning to work, school and resuming previous functional and social abilities.

    The characteristics of a patient with a managed depression disease process would include presenting with less labile moods, increased interest or pleasure with their activities, higher energy levels, improved concentration and attention span, an increase in self-esteem as well as self-confidence. These patients will not present with ideas of un-worthiness nor will they engage in acts of self-harm, suicide or harm to others. More regular sleep patterns and an increase in appetite are also good signs of a managed depression disease process.

    There is a need to educate patients with depression on successful treatments of the condition. As patients become aware of their condition and understand the signs and symptoms to look out for, he/she may seek treatment earlier in the care of a relapse. Educating patients on the different treatments they are receiving, medication effects, side effects, and anticipated results is very important as it may play a vital role in a patient course of action.

    Involving the patient, family and care providers in this critical process is imperative as it is not uncommon for symptoms to get worse before improvement is noted. Knowing what to expect and what needs to be reported increases the likely hood for treatment compliance and adherence. Access and transportation to all healthcare providers and services for regular follow up visits, medication and crisis management if need be.

    A3a. Disparities

    Many different types of disparities exist in healthcare on a national/local level and across all specialties. Racial disparities among community-dwelling elderly also exist in the United States (Akincigil. Olfson, Siegel, Zurlo, Wakup & Crystal, 2012).  African Americans were less likely to receive a diagnosis and treatment for depression from a health care provider than Hispanic Whites (Akincigil, et al., 2012). A study conducted by Ankur Patel, M.D., with Penn State College of Medicine, concluded that there are significant racial/ethnic and economic disparities regarding mental health services. This conclusion was made after analyzing the race, age, payer, length of stay, average hospital cost, region and income of more than 450,000 hospitalizations during the 5-year period with a primary diagnosis of depression. “Depression is also known to be associated with difficulties in role transitions (e.g. low education, high teen child-bearing, marital disruption, unstable employment) and poor role functioning (e.g., low marital quality, low work performance, low earnings). (Gautam, 2017)

    Most of these are also associated with poor access to stable insurance or funds to cover treatment and medication or alternative therapies for the disease process. WHO states that prevalence of depression varies by WHO region, from a low of 2.6% among males in the western pacific region to 5.9% among females in the African region. The differences in rates for depression across countries have been linked to cultural differences and/or the social effects that expression of the disorder may bring. In China for example the diagnosis of depression is made less frequently than in other Countries. One attribute has been, according to Xu Jun-Mian, M.D., the widespread access Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Jun-Mian, 1987)

    A4. Managed Disease Factors

    There are a variety of social, psychological, and biological factors that contribute to depression (WHO, 2017b). Managing of this disease is ongoing as patients can suffer from relapse in recovery. Life altering events, an increase in stress or even changes to daily routines are factors that contribute to the impaired management of the disease.

    Financial resources are one of the factors that aid in managing this disease. Many times, treatment options require multi-disciplinary continuation of care, combination therapies along with polypharmacy. Some of these therapies may not be covered by healthcare insurance and having access to financial resources creates limitless opportunities for the treatment options.

    A person who is depressed can suffer from a variety of other conditions which lead to or are the cause of the depression. Maintaining control of those diseases will contribute towards the successful management of depression. Patients need to be available to have access to their providers regularly for follow up and medication management. Having means of transportation and or plans in place to be compliant with appointments aids in management of depression.

    Lastly patients need to be able to understand their condition and the treatment plans in order to manage it effectively. Treatment plans change with progression or regression of the disease therefore patient involvement of care plan contributes to disease management in a positive way.

    A4a. Unmanaged Disease Factors

    Depending on the stage of the illness, the frequency and severity of the symptoms will vary. It is important to assess reasons why access to care is compromised so that the underlying reason can be taken care of. Lack of financial resources can lead patients to problems with medication and therapy compliance. This can be a problem for patients who lack insurance. Those who are insured may also struggle with affording the co-payments or services that have been denied or are simply not covered by the insurance. Social service consults may prove to be useful as there are many communities that have resources in place for individuals without access to care or programs patients may qualify for that can ease the financial burden of care maintenance. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    It is important for providers to factor in circumstances that may prove challenging such as those who live in rural areas, have problems with mobility or co morbidities that require them to stay at home. Providers in conjunction with patient and or family should come up with a plan to facilitate access to adequate follow up care.

    Teaching provided and communications have to be reinforced in a language and educational level that can be understood. Not having access to disease resources and crisis prevention contacts can be detrimental for patient and dangerous to those who surround them as well. Teaching and resources should also be provided to caregivers of patients with emphasis on crisis intervention.

    A4ai. Unmanaged Disease Characteristics

    A patient who has unmanaged depression, may experience one or more of the following: persistent sadness or anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, loss of interest and energy, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, and/or thoughts of suicide (National Institute of Mental Health, 2018).

    Patients, Families, and Populations

    Depression affects patients, families and their communities on a daily basis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics (2016), 7.6% of individuals 12 and over were identified with depression in 2012.  Based on physician visits, 10.3% of patients indicated a prevalence of depression on their medical record. Unfortunately, there were a total of 42,773 suicide deaths in 2014 from individual’s who suffered from depression (CDC, 2016).  These numbers affect families and communities across the country and the world. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Patients

               
    These individuals present with symptoms that affect everyone who comes in contact with them on a daily basis.  The patient’s interpersonal and personal relationships also suffer due to the loss of interest and energy.

    Families

               
    For one they can be at risk for harming themselves or others around them. Because patients may lose interest in regular activities, they may no longer want to participate of play an active role as a part of the family. Special attention should be given to new mothers presenting with depression as they are at a much higher risk of harming themselves and or their newborns.

     

    Populations

    The difficulty concentrating or sleeping can become a challenge for them and affect performance in the workplace which in turn affects the community. Individuals with depression especially when unmanaged have an impact not only on their family but communities as a whole.

    B1. Costs

    Patient

               
    For patients, the cost of depression can vary depending on the different types of treatments received. If a patient has medical insurance they may pay a reduced amount or simply co pays for therapy, medications and medical visits. Some insurances may not cover all medications or alternative therapies which increases the out of pocket expense.

    Families

               
    Families may feel the burden of the cost of depression in different ways. Because family structures and routines vary so much so can the actual costs. Things that may affect these costs are the age of patient with depression, the severity of the condition, need for medications and therapies, and insurance availability to name a few. For one monies will be used to pay for the patient treatments. Another way that families are impacted by the cost is directly related to the patient as many times they can become less productive at work or require caregivers to stay with the patient as well. One of the biggest factors would be the availability of medical insurance to help with offsetting some of the cost. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Populations

    Depression can lead to a variety of financial burdens for individuals and their families. Kessler (2012) identifies how depression can affect employment status, childbearing, marital timing and stability, education or lack thereof, parental and marital functioning, financial success, absences from work, comorbid disabilities, and suicidal instances. There are approximately 7% of employees in the United States that have been diagnosed with major depression (Kuhl, 2018). Among those who suffer from depression, it has been estimated that total economic burden has been $210.5 billion annually. Whether the financial cost has been directly or indirectly related to depression, an enormous amount of money is spent on providing care, treatment and interventions, and daily living of individuals suffered from depression.

    Best Practices Promoting

    Mount Sinai Medical Center (MSMC) was established in 1949. Today, Mount Sinai is a 672-bed hospital with a number of satellite centers throughout Miami-Dade County. MSMC is the largest private independent not-for-profit teaching hospital in South Florida. The Primary Care Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Medicine physicians provide primary care and comprehensive medical evaluations to adults and focus on disease prevention and health promotion. My plan is to promote best practice within the organization for the diagnosing and

    treatment of depression. To begin with I feel it is important to empower providers with knowledge and equip them with the educational resources, evidence based information and skills needed to diagnose, treat, and provide care for patients suffering from depression. One way to do so will be via professional development seminars. These seminars will focus on the importance of routine outpatient screening for depression using a scale. Another practice to be implemented is to require primary care providers and clinics to document the initial and subsequent diagnosing scales. Lastly the importance of following up with patients and their caregivers, ensuring that they have the educational resources and are compliant with their plan of care. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    C1. Implementation Plan

    Professional developments on depression can be provided as a health care organization. Providers to attend these sessions include but are not limited to doctors, therapists, nurses, and case managers. In order to ensure all health care professionals within the organization have the knowledge about the identification and treatment practice, education will be provided detailing diagnosing tools and standards of care. The objective will be for attendees to verbalize the signs and symptoms of the disease, measurement tools used for diagnosing, treatment options, and managing effective care.

    The health care organization will incorporate a mandatory audit for the screening of depression. Scales such as the PHQ2/PHQ9, will become routine during examinations once information is input in Electronic Health Records (EHR) it will be easy to ensure screenings are being performed. Running reports to monitor the patients trends in the depression scoring and identifying patients who did not have the screening performed will allow providers to identify individuals who are at risk and assess the need for intervention. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Once diagnosed it is important to keep track of these patients to ensure that their plan of care is being followed and that the implementation is being executed. It is important to incorporate a systematic approach for identifying, diagnosing, educating patients, providing evidence-based treatments, and providing a close follow-up are used (Unutzer & Park, 2012). Patients who require adjustment of treatment plans, referrals to specialist, or adjunct therapy can be provided education and or resources needed that will maximize their rehabilitation potential. With a system in place to track progression and enforce follow up

     
     

    C2. Evaluation Method

    The effectiveness of the three strategies provided can be evaluated individually based on the following:

    A professional development workshops effectiveness can be evaluated by providing attendees with a pre-workshop questionnaire to assess their knowledge on symptoms and treatment of depression. A post-intervention workshop questionnaire will assess if the objectives of the workshop were met. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

    Mandatory screening for depression can be evaluated by having a checklist for health care providers to indicate that the patient has completed a screening annually. Another way providers can track mandatory screening of depression is by running reports thru EHR system that will alert which patients are missing the screen.

    To ensure effectiveness of tool to track progression and enforce follow up of disease, patient rating scales should be compared each visit to ensure the patient is responding appropriately to the treatments they are receiving. Auditing the charts of these patients to ensure that they are all receiving care and services that are required as well as reinforcing teaching and providing resources if applicable.

    Conclusion

    With over 300 million individually worldwide suffering from depression, it is important to diagnose, treat, and provide care for these individuals. Mental health disease, can often be overlooked and left untreated; however, research supports that severe cases of depression can lead to suicide. Therefore, it is important for healthcare organizations to understand the importance of providing evidence-based treatments and promoting best practices to ensure patients are receiving the necessary and appropriate care. Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

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    Olfson, M., Blanco, C., & Marcus, S.C. (2016). Treatment of adult depression in the united

    states. Journal of American Medical Association, 176(1), 1482-1491.

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     Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice – Depression Essay

  • Comparing Statistical Studies Essay

    Comparing Statistical Studies Essay

    Statistics are all around us, whether or not we notice them being used. From public policy, health, economics, science, culture to which foods a fast-food restaurant is going to serve next can all be influenced by how the results of statistical studies are operationalized and interpreted.

    Each chapter of your course text concludes with two ”Focus on” sections that go into depth on important issues of our time. The topics of these sections were chosen to demonstrate the great variety of fields in which statistics plays a role. For this Discussion, you are going to review and compare two statistical studies.

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    To prepare for this Discussion:

    • Think about your degree major and your areas of interests, and then concentrate on two of the following ”Focus on” disciplines: Agriculture, Criminology, Economics, Education, Environment, Health & Education, History, Law, Literature, Politics, Psychology, Public Health, Social Science, Sociology, or The Stock Market Comparing Statistical Studies Essay

    • Review the readings from this week’s Learning Resources, as well as the complete list of the ”Focus on” topics to choose from

    • Choose two of the studies to compare for this Discussion

    • For each study, consider the sample population used, errors that could occur in the research process, and how meaningful and important the results of the study are

    Post a 2- to 3-paragraph response that includes the following information:

    • Identify two ”Focus on…” sections you have chosen to review and provide a brief summary of the content.

    • For each topic, discuss whether you think the sample is representative of the population being studied. What criteria did you use to decide this? Comparing Statistical Studies Essay

    • Was the sample chosen in a way that is likely to introduce bias? What kinds of errors are likely to be associated with each study? Explain.

    • Based on what you read, do you believe that the results of each study are meaningful and important? Explain.

    • Based on the responses above, which do you think is the stronger study? Why?

    Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week’s Learning Resources or to something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced. Comparing Statistical Studies Essay