Category: Nursing

  • APRNs Prescriptive Authority in Florida

    In the state of Florida, the NPA now allows APRN’s to practice independently with a few practice authorities in place. Some of the requirements include a completion of three specific graduate level courses within a timeframe, at least 3,000 clinical hours, and a financial responsibility of liability coverage. The APRN may engage in autonomous practice only in primary care practice of family medicine, pediatrics, or internal medicine. They can admit, manage care, and discharge the patients.

    “A collaborative practice agreement is a written statement that defines the joint practice of a physician and an APN in a collaborative and complementary working relationship” (Herman & Ziel, 1999).  In my opinion, APRN’s should have a collaborative agreement with a physician. Whether they are new or have been practicing for a long time, coming across a diagnosis or situation they are unfamiliar with may happen. Having the resource of bouncing ideas off of a physician with more education or experience is beneficial for the nurse and the patient.

    With a collaborative practice agreement, APRN’s work under a physician but can independently prescribe after the appropriate education, courses, and approval by the Florida board of nursing. If the NP is practicing autonomously, they may prescribe any drug and schedule II-V controlled substances. I agree that APRN’s should be able to prescribe to their ability. The prevalence of nurse practitioners seeing patients is increasing daily, therefore, in order to see the abundance of patients, this is beneficial and necessary. The appropriate education and pharmacology courses prepares them for the job. “The authority of prescription has become a reality amongst nurses in a great number of countries in response to growing demands for healthcare, tight budget constraints and the growth of nursing specialties as a result of the expansion and advancement of their scope of practice” (Ling, et al., 2018).

    Treatment of a rash is within the scope of a CNP. The practitioners are trained to perform thorough physical assessments, obtain medical histories, diagnose, and treat accordingly. “A registered nurse who has acquired the expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and clinical competencies for expanded practice, the characteristics of which are shaped by the context and/or country in which s/he is credentialed to practice” (Fagerstrom, 2012). It is partly necessary for the CNP to have experience in the appropriate point in the lifespan, however, in a broad spectrum it can be done. This also goes back to the collaboration between the APRN and the physician. If they are unfamiliar with the certain condition, it is a learning opportunity to refer to the physician, develop the appropriate treatment plan for the age, and prescribe the correct medications.

     

    References

    Fagerstrom, L. (2012). The impact of advanced practice nursing in healthcare: recipe for developing countries. 
    Annals of neurosciences. 
    19(1): 1-2.

    Florida Scope of Practice Policy (2020). Practice Authority. Retrieved from: 
    https://scopeofpracticepolicy.org/states/fl/

    Herman, J., and Ziel, S.(1999). Collaborative practice agreements for advanced practice nurses: what you should know. 
    AACN Clinical Issues. 
    10(3): 337-42.

    Ling, D.L., Lyu, C.M., Liu, H., Xiao, X., and Yu, H.J. (2018). The necessity and possibility of implementation of nurse prescribing in China: An international perspective. 
    International Journal of Nursing Sciences. 
    5(1): 72-80.

     

    Discussion 1

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Remember to respond to at least two of your peers. Please see the Course Syllabus for Discussion Participation Requirements and Grading Criteria.

  • NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Discussion – Week 1

    This week discussion I am focusing on the emerging of Nipah Virus infection.

       This virus is caused by Nipah virus that originates in fruit bats, it spreads between infected animals to human by way of direct contact. This is a new virus that was discovered in Malaysia in 2018, most physicians and health care workers did not know what this virus was and how it can into existence. The citizen of Malaysia to be treated for the virus with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Most people who contracted the virus was unaware they had the virus before spreading it to others. About 50-75% of the population that did show symptoms presented with fever, cough, headache, shortness of breathe with confusion. 40% of the those patients went into a coma 1-2 days after complication of brain and seizure activity. CDC and WHO spent months on trying to figure out what and where the source of this virus dived from and where was the first point of contact. Scientist final discovered that the RNA of the virus was in the genus Henipa virus in fruit bats. This was confirmed by lab blood draw from the infected patients that the hospital samples and test results that where summited.

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    Treatment: of this virus is supportive care, with no known vaccination or cure. We as Health care professional have to educated the public and patients on avoiding exposure with those that have came into direct contact with bats, sick pigs anther animals and drinking raw palm sap. Because, scientist have not figure out how to prevent and treat this new emerging virus, in 2018, more than 700 human cases have been reported and of those reported cases 75% died. This outbreak resulted in 17 death in the Indian State of Kerala as of this day.

    What implications does the disease have for nursing practice? It has to be treated as a highly contagious infection that is contact through direct contact with droplet precaution. Patient has to be place in the same room as a TB patient and remain on quarantine ( defined as being restricted to their room without implementation of any isolation precaution) in a single room or cohorts with another patient diagnosed with Nipah and hand washing is a must and head to toe PPE when coming in contact with patient or given patient care. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    How does the emergence of this disease affect your personal practice? This virus is deadly without a vaccine or direction on how to treat or prevention of a cure. This could impact every health care professional and the community of which the patient has come in contact within, If my staff would come in direct contact with this virus and was unaware of they had this virus, can affect my practice of having to close the facility completely down, requiring everyone to be tested for Nippah virus, require staff to staff to seek immediate emergency care if experiencing any symptoms and notification of CDC and IDPH for guidance and visits to the faculty. The time and cost its going to take to educate the staff as well as the community about the virus and if there is an outbreak, reducing the panic amongst other patients and health care professionals in the facility. Having the answers for families, staff and patients when there is no cure no treatment guidance. This will have a huge impact on my personal practice.

    Why do you think that this disease is emerging/re-emerging? Because, a group of the population has chosen to eat animals that are not meant for human consummation. Some scientist are collecting sample of this animal to try to determine their history and what disease or virus they house and these virus are given to other animals as experimental and then spread to other population of non-human and/or human.

    What is the nurse’s role in preventing and managing the impact of infectious diseases both from the patient and nurse perspective? The role of a nurse is to minimize the impact of any infectious disease, through use of hand washing, PPE, reviewing and interpreting lab results, assessments of patient on admission and throughout stay alerting the primary of any changes of that patient and making sure there are no delay in care. Maintaining the safety of the staff and patient by using safe practices throughout the work day.

    Reference:

    WHO: Emergency and Responce to Nipha (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/csr/disease/nipah/en/

    Tan, C., & Wong, K. (2020). Infections among Contacts of Patients with Nipah Virus, India. 
    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    , 
    26
    (8), 1963. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2608.190722.

     

     

    Discussion – Week 2

    COLLAPSE

    Initial Post: Genomics

    Genomics plays a part in chronic illnesses and other diseases.  Certain genes increase one’s risk of getting illnesses like breast and colon cancers and diabetes (CDC, 2020).  According to the CDC genomics explores how diet, health, and behavior is impacted by genes (2020).  I have firsthand experience on how my genes have impacted my health and my life.  Therefore, this topic has always been fascinating and something that I am always interested in learning more about.

    The article “Genomic Competencies for Nursing Practice” discusses the importance of educating nurses in the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) about the benefits of genetic service for veterans (Boyd et al., 2017). The field of genomics is constantly changing, and nurses need to be competent and aware of such changes to provide the resources appropriate for their patients.  Veterans makeup almost 21 million of the healthcare population and only 57% use the benefits available to them at the VHA (Boyd et al., 2017).  In 2011 VHA created an initiative called the Million Veteran Program or “MVP”.  It worked with the veterans to study how genes, behavior, and environment affect health (Boyd et al., 2017).  The Office of Nursing Services (ONS) developed a strategy to establish competencies in genetics and genomics in 2010. This was a four-year plan to establish competencies, evaluate the competencies and make any further recommendations so it can be incorporated into continued education (Boyd et al., 2017).  As a result of this the course “Genomics in Your Nursing Practice” became available to nurses at the VHA via an online platform in 2014 (Boyd et al., 2017).

    As nurses we are taught to advocate for our patient and provided the best care.  This includes continuing to educate ourselves on advances that impact our patients.  Genomics is a topic that is continuing to evolve and help create patient specific care that is tailored to the individual.  We must also have the resources to provide to our patients so they can make informed decisions and offer them all possible option so they can make the right choice for them.  Nurses must explore the patients’ family history in greater detail, screening, and understand the role genetics plays in chronic illnesses or the risk it may pose to the patient.  Understand available resources and care coordination is essential to providing patient centered care.

    There are considerations when exploring genomics that must be addressed.  Protecting racial/personal discrimination from health insurance or employer is important to providing cost effective care for all.  A person must not be punished for their genetic makeup.  There must be laws and policies that reflect the advancement in medical care specifically related to genomics/genetics.  As nurses we must not make assumptions about our patients health related to their race/ethnic background but must also consider genetics.

    References

    Boyd, A., Alt-White, A., Anderson, G., Schaa, K., & Kasper, C. (2017). Genomic Competencies for Nursing Practice: Implications for Nursing Leadership. 
    JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration
    , 
    47
    (1), 62–67. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000438

    Public Health Genomics. (2020, October 01). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/default.htm

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    Discussion – Week 3

    While working in the long term care unit, there was an incident in which a resident with dementia had been complaining of pain and had become less ambulatory. In a review of the medication administration record, the resident was receiving more pain medication than before. As a nurse manager, the staff was asked questions about the ambulation change, and no reasons for the change were documented. A couple of weeks later, there was a call-out on the 11-7 shift I had to cover as the charge nurse. When speaking with the unit secretary familiar with the resident, we began discussing the decreased mobility and pain concerns. During this conversation, the unit secretary told me,” you did not know?” and I replied, “know what?” A couple of weeks ago, the unit secretary replied that the resident was trying to stand from a sitting position and fell backward. Didn’t the nurse tell you? My response was,” I did not receive any incident report from a witnessed fall.”

    At this time, I began to review documentation from the date the resident fell. There were no neurological checks, no vital signs taken, and no mention of any falls in the documentation that a fall occurred. From here, I was responsible for filling out an incident report, notified the physician, family member, and administration.  The physician was made aware of the X-ray recommendation, with findings, noted a lumbar fracture. This finding was reported to the Department of Health as it is a reportable incident. My initial thoughts were, I cannot believe the nurse would not share this information. The nurse working on duty the day of the incident was placed on administrative leave for three days while the case was being investigated. After interviewing multiple staff on all three shifts, the activities director, the maintenance staff, and the Certified nursing assistants, the investigation’s conclusion led to the termination of the Licensed Practical Nurse. As a nursing obligation, I was responsible for reporting neglect/abuse to the local Ombudsmen, Adult Protective Services, and the Department of Health Professionals. This was an unfortunate situation that affected this patient’s overall health, in which he later was admitted to hospice and expired.

    The first challenge in this situation is that the patient had dementia and could not verbally express what had happened. Another challenge was that the unit secretary assumed management was aware of the fall. Strategies included interviewing the staff who provided care to the resident and interviewing those who may have had some interaction with the resident during the past couple of weeks.  A second strategy, when the patient initially was given pain medications, an X-ray should have been obtained after a few days of given pain medications.

    All employees were required to complete an abuse inservice on the initial hire and yearly. After this incident, we hired a consultant to come into the facility to review abuse training, which was mandatory for all licensed staff members.” Since the knowledge influences awareness of abuse, expertise, and preparedness of caregivers, the care team, and nurses as the first line of treatment is responsible for identifying and reporting mistreatments and supporting vulnerable populations such as the elderly (Saghafi, et al., 2019, para, 7).”

    Abuse is something not to take lightly and is a reportable offense in which you can lose your nursing license. I had two takeaways from this situation. The first is being more intuned to the care given to dementia residents. Secondly, some nurses will surprisingly make a poor unethical decision, affecting others’ health outcomes.

    Reference:

    Saghafi, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Poormollamirza, A., Dadgari, A., & Navab, E. (2019). Examining the ethical challenges in managing elder abuse: a systematic review. 
    Journal of medical ethics and the history of medicine
    , 
    12
    , 7.

     

    Week 1: Emerging and Re-emerging Infections Across the Lifespan

    Introduction

    Infections, if not treated properly, can lead to potentially fatal complications that otherwise could have been prevented. Unfortunately, patients who are sick or recovering from surgery are at greater risk of developing infections. While hospitals and other medical facilities have strict policies about cleanliness and have measures in place to help prevent the spread of infectious organisms, it is not always possible to be 100% effective. There is no firewall protection against viruses and potential infections from occurring in these health care settings. For this reason, it is critical that nurses and other medical workers be aware of potential hazards in order to recognize symptoms of infection.

    This week, you will consider the many emerging and re-emerging infections that a patient may contract and examine how the quality of care provided by a nurse might help ameliorate the situation. Nurses have an obligation to learn about potential diseases or infections, their symptoms, and the best course for treatment. You will also review different types of infections and explore how nurses can improve the care provided.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Analyze emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases for nursing practice

    Analyze emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in local communities

    Analyze the role of the nurse in preventing and managing the impact of infectious diseases

    Develop Fact Sheets on an infectious disease to use as a guide to improve public health

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gonsalves, G., Staley, P. (2014). Panic, paranoia, and public health—The AIDS epidemic’s lessons for Ebola.
    New England Journal of Medicine, 371
    (25), 2348– 2349.

    Halm, M. A., & O’Connor, N. (2014). Do system-based interventions affect catheterassociated urinary tract infection?
     American Journal of Critical Care,

    23
    (6), 505-509. doi:10.4037/ajcc2014689

    National Institutes of Health. (2007). Understanding emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20370/

    Petlin, A., Schallom, M., Prentice, D., Sona, C., Mantia, P., McMullen, K., & Landholt, C. (2014). Chlorhexidine gluconate bathing to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus acquisition.
    Critical Care Nurse, 34
    (5), 17–26. doi:10.40377/ccn2014943

    Pokrywka, M., Feigel, J., Douglas, B., Grossberger, S., Hensler, A. & Weber, D. (2014). A  bundle strategy including patient hand hygiene to decrease clostridium difficile infections
    . MedSurg Nursing, 23
    (3), 145-164.

    Smeulers, M., Lucas, C., & Vermeulen, H. (2014). Effectiveness of different nursing handover styles for ensuring continuity of information in hospitalised patients.
    The Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews
    , (6), CD009979

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Ebola (Ebola virus disease). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html?s_cid=cs_4318

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Zika virus. Retrieved August 11, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/

    Required Media

    Laureate Education. (Producer). (2009c).
    Topics in clinical nursing: Emerging and re-emerging infections across the lifespan
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.

     

    Accessible player
     
    –Downloads–
    Download Video w/CC
    Download Audio
    Download Transcript

    Discussion: Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases

    As presented in this week’s readings, many individuals acquire infections in the community as well as during treatment in the hospital. As a nurse, it is important to know what is going on in the world. In addition to reading scholarly literature, reading the paper and watching the news helps to keep a nurse aware of what is going on currently. In addition, many organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) track current health trends and post updates on their websites, along with Fact Sheets to help educate, prevent, and treat new and re-emerging diseases. These Fact Sheets are made to be short and easy to read so that health care professionals and patients are more likely to read and understand the information.

    For this Discussion, you will examine an emerging or re-emerging disease and the nurse’s role in prevention and management of the disease. Locate an article in a newspaper, in a lay magazine, or on an organizational website that discusses an emerging or re-emerging infectious disease that is currently affecting your community. Reflect on the article you selected and think about how the emerging or re-emerging disease might affect nursing practice.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    Briefly summarize the article you selected and provide the reference. Then, address the following:

    What implications does the disease have for nursing practice?

    How does the emergence of this disease affect your personal practice?

    Why do you think that this disease is emerging/re-emerging?

    What is the nurse’s role in preventing and managing the impact of infectious diseases both from the patient and nurse perspective?

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week
    . Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 1 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 1 Discussion

    Assignment: Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet

    Sir Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.” This is most definitely true when it comes to diseases and how to prevent and treat them. As a nurse, you are charged with teaching patients how to prevent infectious diseases and what to do if they become infected. A powerful tool in your arsenal is the Fact Sheet. Usually comprised of one page of easy-to-read content, these leaflets can be distributed easily and can effectively inform your practice.

    To prepare for this Assignment:

    Select one disease that is either emerging or re-emerging in the world today.

    Research the disease using both scholarly and non-scholarly resources.

    Determine your audience (patients, other nurses, schools, etc.) that you would want to share the Fact Sheet with.

    Select pieces of information that are appropriate for your audience.

    By Day 7

    Submit:
     A 1- to 2-page Fact Sheet.

    Indicate the audience on the Fact Sheet.

    Give a brief history of the disease.

    What are the implications of the spread of the disease?

    How does one detect and prevent the spread of this disease?

    How is this disease treated?

    Your Fact Sheet should be visually stimulating, appropriate for your audience, and formatted with bullet points for easy reading.

    Support your “facts” with references.

    Note:
     Your Fact Sheet must be supported with at least three scholarly sources of evidence in the literature.

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (6th ed.). Retrieved May 31, 2019, from  
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_id=45326751

    For this Assignment, review the following:

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    Assignment Rubric

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 1 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 1 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 1 Assignment Rubric

    Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

    To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

    Submit your Week 1 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 1 Assignment

    Week in Review

    This week
    , you analyzed emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in local communities and for nursing practice and ways to prevent and manage the impact of them. You also developed a Fact Sheet on an infectious disease as a guide to improving public health.

    Next week
    , you will explore strategies that provide better patient care for those with chronic health problems and how genetics and genomics influence nursing practice.

    To go to the next week:

    Week 2

    Week 2: Chronic Health Problems and the Link to Genetic Nursing Care

    Introduction

    Disease prevention can easily be considered the best path toward a cure, but there are some diseases to which many people are hereditarily more susceptible. Chronic health problems, many of which have yet to be cured, show up in hospitals and clinics frequently.

    As medical research continues to actively search for cures and better treatment options, how can you as a nurse provide the best care possible for your patients? Do you know the risks related to misdiagnosis for a patient who suffers from a chronic disease? What can a nurse do to help the patient live comfortably with chronic diseases?

    Health care continues to develop through research efforts that find new treatment options. In addition, advances in genetic and genomic connections to health and illness are influencing nursing practice and becoming a routine part of taking a patient’s family history. When a nurse notices a genetic predisposition to an illness, he or she can take the opportunity to begin educating the patient as well as being more aware of possible signs and symptoms of onset.

    This week, you will explore strategies for providing better patient care to patients with chronic health problems and explore how genetics and genomics influence nursing practice.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Analyze genetics and genomics for nursing practice

    Analyze the role of the nurse in addressing genetics and genomics for nursing practice

    Analyze the ethical considerations relating to genetics and genomics for nursing practice

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Coleman, B., Calzone, K.A., Jenkins, J., Paniagua, C., Rivera, R., Hong, O.S….Bonham, V. (2014). Multi-ethnic minority nurses’ knowledge and practice of genetics and genomics.
    Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46
    (4), 235-244. doi:10.1111/jnu.12083

    Gaskin, D. J., Thorpe, R. J., McGinty, E. E., Bower, K., Rohde, C., Young, J. H., … Dubay, L. (2014). Disparities in diabetes: The nexus of race, poverty, and place.
    American Journal of Public Health, 104
    (1), 2147–2155. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301420

    Mehrian-Shai, R., & Reichardt, J. V. (2015). Genomics is changing personal healthcare and medicine: The dawn of IPH (individualized preventive
    healthcare). Human Genomics, 9,
    29
    .
    doi:10.1186/s40246-015-0052-0

    Plavskin, A. (2016). CNE SERIES. Genetics and Genomics of Pathogens: Fighting infections with genome-sequencing. 
    MEDSURG Nursing, 25
    (2), 91-96.

    Shaw, R. J., McDuffie, J. R., Hendrix, C. C., Edie, A., Lindsey-Davis, L., Nagi, A., … Williams, J. W. (2014). Effects of nurse-managed protocols in the outpatient management of adults with chronic conditions.
    Annals of Internal Medicine, 161
    (2), 113–121. doi:10.7326/M13-2567

    International Society of Nurses in Genetics. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.isong.org/

    American Nurses Association. (2016). Personalized medicine. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/genetics

    Required Media

    Altman, R. (2013).
    Let’s test genetics before prescribing drugs
    . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1iKibDqtck

    Doudna, J. (2015). How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_doudna_we_can_now_edit_our_dna_but_let_s_do_it_wisely?language=en#t-190359

    Wax, R. (2012).
    What’s so funny about mental illness?
    Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness

    Discussion: Providing Genetic Nursing Care to Patients With Chronic Illnesses

    There are several chronic health problems with genetic/genomic components that plague the population. These health problems are very difficult and challenging diseases to manage. Evidenced-based nursing practice must include genetic and genomic information when planning patient care. Nurses, through their knowledge and support, play an important role in positive patient outcomes when managing the challenges of these genetically linked diseases.

    For this Discussion, you will consider applications of various topics to genetics and genomics. Review the Resources focusing on the application of genetics and genomics to nursing

    Choose one of the following subtopics:

    Pharmacogenomics and chronic illnesses

    Genomics in patient assessment

    Genetically competent care for those with chronic illnesses

    Note:
     A different subtopic relating to genetics and genomics may be chosen with Instructor approval.

    Locate at least one scholarly journal article that discusses your subtopic.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    Identify your subtopic and provide a brief summary of your journal article on how this topic relates to nursing practice.

    What is the nurse’s role in providing care in relation to your subtopic and the overarching theme of advocacy?

    What ethical implications should be considered with regard to genetics and genomics for nursing practice? Why?

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week
    . Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 2 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 2 Discussion

    Week in Review

    This week
    , you analyzed the role of the nurse, as well as ethical considerations related to genetics and genomics for nursing practice.

    Next week
    , you will explore the leading causes of the psychological implications resulting from illnesses and injuries across the lifespan.

    To go to the next week:

    Week 3

    Week 3: Psychological Implications Resulting From Illnesses and Injuries Across the Lifespan

    Introduction

    Illnesses and injuries can arise from a variety of different situations and can result in psychological disorders. One psychological disorder that is a common complication of chronic illnesses is depression. Depression has many symptoms that can increase the risk of chronic and acute illnesses. Nurses can play a critical role in the prevention and treatment of depression by using strategies that are more holistic in nature.

    Psychological implications can also arise when caring for patients with suspicious injuries or illnesses. Oftentimes, nurses notice signs and symptoms that may indicate physical abuse while conducting a health assessment interview or physical exam. Nurses have a responsibility in situations such as these to be an advocate for patients, ensuring that proper attention is paid not only to the injury or illness, but also to the psychological well-being of the patient.

    This week, you will explore the leading causes of psychological implications resulting from injuries and illnesses across the lifespan. You will also examine how depression is manifested in different chronic illnesses. In addition, you will explore strategies nurses might use when advocating for patients with suspicious injuries.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Analyze patient care challenges in relation to illness or injury resulting from depression

    Analyze patient care challenges in relation to suspicious illness or injury

    Analyze strategies that nurses might use to address patient care challenges

    Analyze nurses’ advocacy for patients in situational contexts

    Analyze legal and ethical implications related to patient care challenges

    Analyze mental health across the illness/injury continuum

    Analyze the role of the nurse in working through mental blocks and depression associated with an illness or injury

    Analyze medical and non-medical approaches for treating mental health

    Synthesize aspects of nursing practice related to mental health

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Buijck, B. I., Zuidema, S. U., Spruit-van Eijk, M., Bor, H., Gerritsen, D. L., & Koopmans, R. T. C. M. (2014). Determinants of geriatric patients’ quality of life after stroke rehabilitation.
    Aging & Mental Health, 18
    (8), 980–985. doi:10.1080/13607863.2014.899969

    Haugan, G., Innstrand, S.T. & Moksnes, U.K. (2013). The effect of nurse-patient interaction on anxiety and depression in cognitively intact nursing home patients.
    Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22
    (15–16), 2192-2205. doi:10.1111/jocn.12072

    Frazao, S. L., Correia, A.M., Norton, P. & Magalhaes, T. (2015). Physical abuse against  elderly persons in institutional settings.
    Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 36
    , 54-60.

    Liu, C. H. & Tronick, E. (2013). Rates and predictors of postpartum depression by race and ethnicity: Results from the 2004 to 2007 New York City PRAMS Survey (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System).
    Maternal Child Health Journal,

    17
    , 1599-1610.  doi:10.1007/s10995-012-1171-z

    Spilman, S. K., Smith, H. L., Schirmer, L. L., & Tonui, P. M. (2015). Evaluation and treatment of depression in adult trauma patients.
    Journal of Trauma Nursing, 22
    (1), 17–22. doi:10.1097/JTN.0000000000000102

    United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2014).
    Hidden in plain sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children
    . New York, NY: Author
    .
    Retrieved from http://files.unicef.org/publications/files/Hidden_in_plain_sight_statistical_analysis_EN_3_Sept_2014.pdf

    Required Media

    Steiner, L. M. (2012).
    Why domestic violence victims don’t leave
    . Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_morgan_steiner_why_domestic_violence_victims_don_t_leave?language=en#t-58672

    Discussion: Psychological Complications Resulting From Illnesses and Injuries

    The nurse’s role goes far beyond that which is expected. Nurses are the main communicators between patients, doctors, and family, and they care for more than just physical ailments. Often, nurses are presented with difficult situations where being an advocate becomes paramount to the healing of the patient. One of the issues that patients with acute and chronic illnesses or extended hospitalization face is a tendency to become depressed. The nurse’s role in this situation requires more than just attention to the physical problem. Another situation where a nurse may need to shift his or her care is when a patient presents with a suspicious injury or illness. In addition to considering the legal and ethical responsibilities of the nurse, he or she must consider the psychological undertones that may be present.

    For this Discussion, you will consider delicate situations that nurses often face and analyze the implications of these situations. Reflect on a patient care situation in which you have encountered one of the following:

    A suspicious illness or injury

    Depression resulting from illness or injury

    Then, locate at least one scholarly journal article related to your patient care situation that offers strategies for managing the circumstances.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    Explain your patient encounter, highlighting the challenges the situation presented, and briefly summarize the contents of your journal article.

    What strategies did you employ to help handle the situation? What other strategies could you have used?

    How did you advocate for the patient in the situation?

    What are some of the legal and ethical implications that need to be considered when providing care for patients with depression resulting from illnesses or injuries or suspicious illnesses or injuries?

    Note:
     Avoid using personal information (e.g., names, facility name, etc.) in your post.

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week.
     Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 3 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 3 Discussion

    Assignment: How Illnesses and Injuries Affect the Mind

    Health complications can be stressful, especially in more vulnerable populations like young children and the elderly. With stress and loss of function often come depression and other psychological manifestations. As a nurse, part of your job is to recognize and educate patients and caregivers on how to deal with the psychological complications of a health crisis.

    In this Assignment, you will educate either a caregiver of an elderly patient or a caregiver of a young child patient on ways to prevent and manage psychological manifestations. Review the Learning Resources dealing with injuries and depression and anxiety.

    The Assignment:

    Develop a teaching plan for treating the potential psychological issues that may result from health crises in either the elderly or young children. You will use PowerPoint to present your teaching plan. Some considerations to make include:

    In what ways does mental health need to be considered across the illness/injury continuum?

    How can nurses help both patients and caregivers work through mental blocks and depression associated with an illness or injury?

    Although treatment will take place in a medical facility, how can non-medical treatments be used as a supplement?

    Support your idea with a minimum of three references from the professional nursing literature in the assigned course readings and other references in the Walden Library. If they are relevant, you may use one or two professional Web sites in addition to the literature references.

    Include the main elements of your presentation to a group of parents or elderly or their caregivers. This PowerPoint presentation should include between 8–10 slides. It will be assessed using the Week 3 Assignment. Prior to submitting your Assignment, make sure to review the rubric, which is located in the 
    Course Information
     area.

    Note:
     Be sure to use the Walden Power Point template included in the 
    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools
    .

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice

    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/webinars/scholarlywriting#s-lg-box-2773859

    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/citations/commonsources

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (6th ed.).

    Retrieved May 31, 2019, from  
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_id=45326751

    For this Assignment, review the following:

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Week 3 Assignment Rubric

    By Day 7

    Submit 
    your Assignment.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK3Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 3 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 3 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK3Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 3 Assignment Rubric

    Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

    To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

    Submit your Week 3 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 3 Assignment

    Week in Review

    This week
    , you analyzed various challenges related to illness or injury resulting from depression, including suspicious illness or injury and several strategies that nurses might use to address those challenges and advocate in situational contexts. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Next week
    , you will explore the importance of nurse empowerment in effecting change and how action plans are created based on the results of the NDNQI as presented on a dashboard.

    To go to the next week:

    Week 4

    Week 4: Nurse/Patient Empowerment in Practice

    Introduction

    As a registered nurse, you have the power to influence change in patient outcomes. An important aspect of influencing change is identifying areas that need improvement. This is done primarily through measurement of data. There are several different measures to gather data within organizations as well as on a national scale. Some of these measurements include core measures, standards, best practices, evidence-based practices, and the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). These support mechanisms have also been discussed as a means for helping nurses to deliver quality care and improve patient safety. Each measurement essentially focuses on providing care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

    Although there are several different measurements, NDNQI data is used in the process of attaining Magnet Recognition. Magnet Recognition is the highest honor a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and high-quality patient care. The nurse-specific measures presented in the NDNQI help inform nursing staffs and their organizations of areas where nursing practices can be improved and where nursing practice efforts are producing positive clinical outcomes. Nurses must be directly involved in developing and implementing action plans based on the data presented by the NDNQI.

    This week, you will explore the importance of nurse empowerment in effecting change and how action plans are created based on the results of the NDNQI as presented on a dashboard. You will also consider how nurses advocate for patients’ rights, even when that means supporting a patient whose personal choices may have negative health outcomes.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Evaluate strategies to empower both the nurse and the patient to improve quality of care

    Analyze the use of National Database of Nursing Quality Indictors for nurse empowerment in practice

    Analyze nurse empowerment in relation to use of quality improvement data for practice

    Analyze practice experiences for patient or nurse empowerment

    Analyze quality improvement dashboards for nursing plans

    Note: 
    The Assignment related to these Learning Objectives is introduced this week and submitted in Week 5. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Brown, D. S., Aydin, C. E., & Donaldson, N. (2008). Quartile dashboards: Translating large data sets into performance improvement priorities.
    Journal of Healthcare Quality,

    30
    (6), 18–30. doi: 10.1111/j.1945-1474.2008.tb01166.x

    Typically, references should be within five to seven years of publication. However, this publication is considered a classical research reference pertaining to quality improvement and the use of data sets.

    Cole, C., Wellard, S., & Mummery, J. (2014). Problematising autonomy and advocacy in nursing.
    Nursing Ethics, 21
    (5), 576–582. doi: 10.1177/0969733013511362

    Garrard, L., Boyle, D. K., Simon, M., Dunton, N., & Gajewski, B. (2016). Reliability and validity of the NDNQI® injury falls measure.
    Western Journal Of Nursing Research,

    38
    (1), 111-128. doi: 10.1177/019394591454281

    Giancarlo, C., Comparcini, D., & Simonetti, V. (2014). Workplace empowerment and nurses’ job satisfaction: A systematic literature review.
    Journal of Nursing Management
    ,
    22
    (7), 855-871. doi: 10.1111/jonm.12028

    Guglielmi, C. L., Stratton, M., Healy, G. B., Shapiro, D., Duffy, W. J., Dean, B. L., & Groah, L. K. (2014). The growing role of patient engagement: Relationship-based care in a changing health care system.
    AORN, 99
    (4), 517–528. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2014.02.007

    Rock, M.J. & Hoebeke, R. (2014). Informed consent: Whose duty to inform?
    MedSurg Nursing
    ,
    23
    (3), 189-194.

    American Hospital Association. (2003).
    The patient care partnership: Understanding expectations, rights and responsibilities
    . Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/content/00-10/pcp_english_030730.pdf NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

     

    Read through this document created by the American Hospital Association. This document was created for inpatient hospital stays. However, it is applicable to other practice settings as well.

    Montalvo, I. (2007). The national database of nursing quality indicators. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing
    ,

    12
    (3). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume122007/No3Sept07/NursingQualityIndicators.html

    Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ihi.org/Pages/default.aspx

     

    The IHI offers numerous resources for improving nursing practice and patient care. Explore a variety of topics and examine some of the resources available.

    National Quality Forum. (2016b). Retrieved from http://www.qualityforum.org/Home.aspx

     

    The National Quality Forum (NQF) strives to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors. Explore the NQF’s endorsed standards and consider how they apply to nursing practice.

    Document:
    Dashboard Directions (Word document)

    Document:
    Sample Dashboard (Excel workbook) NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Required Media

    Laureate Education. (Producer). (2009a).
    Topics in clinical nursing: Accountability and nursing practice
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 15 minutes.

     

    Accessible player
     
    –Downloads–
    Download Video w/CC
    Download Audio
    Download Transcript

    Discussion: Nurse/Patient Empowerment

    As a nurse, you are the individual who has the ability to empower patients in the decision-making process pertaining to their health care. In addition, you are in a unique position to empower your nursing colleagues to improve job satisfaction and use performance indicator data from dashboards to effect social change.

    In this week’s Learning Resources, you examined both the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) and the key role nurses play as advocates for patient rights. To assist nurses in being better prepared for this role, programs such as Patient Care Partnership provide guidance.

    For this Discussion, you will analyze the use of quality improvement data and discuss how this data can help empower both patients and nurses. Review the Patient Care Partnership information presented in this week’s Resources. In addition, reflect on the media presentation and the information shared by Ms. Manna on patients’ rights. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    What are the best strategies the nurse can employ to empower patients and support patients’ rights to improve quality of care? (Some considerations to keep in mind may include: providing information on effectiveness, risks, and benefits of alternative treatments.)

    In what ways can NDNQI data from dashboards or quality improvement data be used to support nurse empowerment in practice?

    How has your institution empowered the nursing staff through the use of quality improvement data?

    Provide an example of how you have personally empowered either a patient or a fellow nurse.

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week.
     Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 4 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 4 Discussion

    Assignment: Dashboard Analysis and Nursing Plan

    As Dr. Rempher and Ms. Manna discussed this week, data from the NDNQI is used to improve nursing practices and support the strategic outcomes of an organization. This data is also used to create the Dashboard. The Dashboard, then, is used to create an action plan. Correctly interpreting information presented on the Dashboard provides nurses with a better understanding of the goals of the action plan.

    To prepare

    For this Assignment, use the Dashboard located in this week’s Resources, to interpret the data and frame a nursing plan based on best practices.

    Review the Week 5 Assignment Rubric, provided in the 
    Course Information
     area.

    Review the Week 4 Resources that pertain to the NDNQI and use of dashboards

    Choose a Nurse-Sensitive Quality Indicator that needs improvement based on the data presented in the Dashboard. Reflect on how you would develop a nursing plan with suggestions on how to improve performance in the chosen area.

    Develop a nursing plan that outlines suggestions on how to improve performance in the chosen area.

    Provide at least three best practices from evidenced-based literature to support your nursing plan.

    Assignment

    Draft a 3- to 4 page paper analyzing areas where there is good performance and areas of opportunity from the sample Dashboard.

    Analyze the data provided in the Dashboard and select an area of performance that needs improvement. Include information on why this area was chosen.

    Develop a nursing plan that includes suggestions on how to improve performance on the selected indicator. Be sure to provide at least three best practices from the evidenced-based literature to support your suggested nursing plan.

    This Assignment is due on 
    Week 5 Day 7. 
    It will be assessed using the Week 5 Assignment Rubric. 
    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (6th ed.). NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Retrieved May 31, 2019, from  
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_id=45326751

    For this Assignment, review the following:

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    Walden paper template (no abstract or running head required)

    Submission and Grading Information

    There is no submission this week.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 5 Assignment Rubric

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5

    Week in Review

    This week
    , you evaluated strategies and analyzed practice experiences. You also evaluated the use of the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators to empower both the nurse and patient to improve quality of care, including quality improvement dashboards for nursing plans.

    Next week
    , you will consider the emerging role of nursing in palliative and end-of-life care, including any ethical issues and considerations. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    To go to the next week:

    Week 5

    Week 5: Holistic and Patient-Centered Care

    Introduction

    An important area in nursing practice is in palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative care provides a more holistic approach to patient care and attempts to slow the progression of a disease. Palliative care can include an array of non-pharmaceutical therapies such as massage therapy or yoga. It can also include shorter or smaller treatments aimed at reducing negative side effects.

    End-of-life care is about the process of dying. Helping patients and their families through this time can be difficult yet rewarding. Patients deserve respect and quality care through this time as well. Like nurses who practice in palliative care organizations, hospice nurses are moving toward alternative therapies to aid in comforting the terminally ill patient. As more care is being delivered in the home, the role of the nurse in providing palliative and end-of-life care will continue to evolve.

    This week, you will consider the emerging role of nursing in palliative and end-of-life care. In addition, the ethical issues nurses face with end-of-life care are examined. Finally, you will complete work on your Dashboard nursing plan Assignment.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Identify challenges related to the nurse’s role in providing alternative therapies for patient care

    Analyze the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine approaches in relation to alternative therapies for patient care

    Evaluate Complementary and Alternative Medicine approaches in teaching plans for nurses

    Analyze the role of the nurse and patient in developing care plans

    Analyze quality improvement dashboards for nursing plans

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Aldridge, M. D., Hasselaar, J., Garralda, E., van der Eerden, M., Stevenson, D., McKendrick, K., … Meier, D. E. (2016). Education, implementation, and policy barriers to greater integration of palliative care: A literature review.
    Palliative Medicine, 30
    (3), 224–239. doi: 10.71177/0269216315606645

    Anderson, J.G.& Taylor, A.G. (2012). Use of complementary therapies for cancer symptom management: Results of the 2007 National Health Interview survey.
    The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,
    18(3), 235-241

    Dabney, B.W. & Tzeng, H.M. (2013). Service quality and patient-centered care.
    MedSurg Nursing,

    22
    (6), 359-364.

    De Jonge, K.E., Jamshed, N., Gilden, D., Kubisiak, J., Bruce, S.R. & Taler, G. (2014).  Effects of home-based primary care on Medicare costs in high-risk elders.
    Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62
    (10), 1825-1831. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12974

    Moir, C., Roberts, R., Martz, K., Perry, J., & Tivis, L. J. (2015). Communicating with patients and their families about palliative and end-of-life care: Comfort and educational needs of nurses. 
    International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 21
    (3), 109–112. doi: 10.129768/ijpn.2015.21.3.109

    National Cancer Institute. (2015). Complementary and alternative medicine for health professionals. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp

    American Cancer Society. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/

     

    The American Cancer Society’s website provides information regarding the progress of cancer research, support systems for patients with cancer, and survivor stories. Explore current research on non-invasive and alternative treatment options for cancer patients.

    Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association. (2016). Retrieved from http://hpna.advancingexpertcare.org/

    National Quality Forum. (2016a). Palliative care and end-of-life care. Retrieved from http://www.qualityforum.org/Topics/Palliative_Care_and_End-of-Life_Care.aspx

    EthnoMed. (2016). Clinical topics. Retrieved from http://ethnomed.org/clinical

     

    The EthnoMed site has great resources regarding cultural diversity and beliefs, patient handouts in different languages, research articles, et cetera. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Document:
    Dashboard Directions (Word document)

    Document:
    Sample Dashboard (Excel workbook)

    Required Media

    Laureate Education. (Producer). (2009d).
    Topics in clinical nursing: Future directions of nursing care
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 15 minutes.

     

    Accessible player
     
    –Downloads–
    Download Video w/CC
    Download Audio
    Download Transcript

    Discussion: Holistic Care and Treatments

    The use of complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of cancer patients, terminal patients, and many other types of patients is steadily increasing. The Resources also contain much information about the various alternative therapies currently being used.

    For this Discussion, you will consider alternative therapies and discuss the challenges associated with them.

    To prepare for this Discussion:

    Review the Resources pertaining to alternative therapies.

    Select one of the following areas where alternative therapies are being used:

    Cancer treatment

    Cancer symptom management

    End-of-life care

    Palliative care

    Find at least one scholarly journal article discussing alternative therapies in your chosen subtopic.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    Identify at least one challenge associated with the nurse’s role in providing alternative therapies for patient care.

    Explain how the nurse might integrate the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) approaches in your chosen subtopic and discuss the ethical issues nurses may face.

    What are the main elements you would include in a teaching plan for nurses on the use of CAM in your chosen subtopic?

    What is the shared role of the nurse and patient in developing care plans?

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week
    .
     
    Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    CourseInformation
     and 
    Grading Criteria
    area. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 5 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 5 Discussion

    Assignment: Dashboard Analysis and Nursing Plan DUE

    By Day 7

    This Application Assignment, assigned last week, is due. Prior to submitting your Assignment, make sure to review the Week 5 Assignment Rubric, which is located in the 
    Course Information
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Due to the nature of this assignment, your instructor may require more than 5 days to provide you with quality feedback.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 5 Assignment Rubric

    Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

    To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

    Submit your Week 5 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 5 Assignment

    Week in Review

    This week
    , you identified the challenges for nurses in providing alternative therapies for patient care and analyzed the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine approaches in relation to those therapies. You also analyzed the role of nurse and patient in developing care plans and quality improvement dashboards for nursing plans.

    In the final week
    , you will consider a series of articles that focus on strategies for ensuring safety and quality care for patients. You will also explore how successful and efficient teamwork can help prevent and decrease the likelihood of 
    Never Events
     occurring.

    To go to the next week:

    Week 6

    Week 6: Accountability for Clinical Outcomes and Promoting Safety and Quality

    Introduction

    Throughout your education, patient safety and improving the quality of patient care have been examined. Through numerous readings and media pieces, you have heard about 
    Never Events
    . These are serious and costly medical errors that are preventable, such as wrong-side surgery, medication errors, and hospital-acquired infections. Each of these types of medical errors is preventable. The consequences of such errors are now financial as well as legal and emotional. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse for medical errors classified as 
    Never Events
    .

    As a nurse, how can you help to prevent these types of medical errors? What is your accountability for clinical outcomes? There are standards and core measures in place that guide nursing practice. In addition, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) examines those components of clinical care that are specific to nursing. The NDNQI quantifies, or assesses, these nurse-sensitive components and provides specific feedback on how well nursing practice is being executed in those areas related to patient care. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    This week, you will consider a series of articles that focus on strategies for ensuring safety and quality care for patients. You will also explore how successful, efficient teamwork between nurses, nursing leaders, physicians, and other medical personnel can help prevent many of the 
    Never Events
     from occurring and decrease the likelihood of such events in the future.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Analyze the core measures and standards for nursing practice that promote patient safety and quality of care outcomes

    Analyze the impact of the nurse’s role in clinical outcomes for organizations

    Analyze nurse-specific challenges for influencing change in quality improvement

    Analyze the role of the nurse in supporting the organization’s strategic agenda in improving clinical outcomes

    Learning Resources

    Prior Knowledge

    It is not uncommon for students to be required to complete group projects or to work as part of a team. While obtaining your RN credentials, or at some time in your work career, you have more than likely at some point been part of a unit or a collaborative team. Reflect on that experience of working with others to achieve a common goal. How did the actions of your team members impact your success as a team? Consider how this same philosophy applies within an organization. How might the actions of the individuals influence the success of the organization?

    Required Readings

    Amin, A.N., Hofmann, H., Owen, M.M. Tran, H., Tucker, S & Kaplan, S.H. (2014). Reduce readmissions with service-based care management.
    Professional Case Management,

    19
    (6), 255-262. doi: 10.1097/NCM.0000000000000051

    Forster, A.J., Dervin, G., Martin, C. & Papp, S. (2012). Improving patient safety through the systematic evaluation of patient outcomes.
    Canadian Journal of Surgery
    ,
    55
    (6), 419-425.  doi: 10.1503/cjs.007811

    Johansen, M.L. (2014). Conflicting priorities: Emergency nurses perceived disconnect between patient satisfaction and the delivery of quality patient care.
    Journal of Emergency Nursing
    ,
    40
    (1), 13-19.  doi: 10.1016/j.jen.2012.04.013

    McDowell, D. S. & McComb, S.A. (2014). Safety checklist briefings: A systematic review of the literature
    . AORN, 99
    (1), 125-137. doi: 10.1016/j.orn.2013.11.015

    Payne, D. (2014). Elderly care: Reflecting on the ultimate ‘never event’.
    British Journal of Nursing,

    23
    (13). 702. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2014.23.13.702

    Thornlow, D.K. & Merwin, E. (2009). Managing to improve quality: The relationship between accreditation standards, safety practices, and patient outcomes.
    Health Care Management Review
    ,
    34
    (3), 261-272. doi: 10.1097/HMR.0b013e3181a16bce

    American Hospital Association. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/

     

    Explore the American Hospital Association’s website. Focus on the information on improving patient safety and quality of care.

    American Organization of Nurse Executives. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.aone.org

     

    “Since 1967, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has provided leadership, professional development, advocacy and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence and shape public policy for health care nationwide. AONE is a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association” (AONE, 2016). NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Quality of care center. Retrieved August 11, 2016, from http://www.cms.gov/Center/Special-Topic/Quality-of-Care-Center.html?redirect=/center/quality.asp

     

    Most health care organizations receive some amount of reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Reimbursement continues to be jeopardized and reduced by pay for performance standards. Health care organizations are being held to higher standards by CMS. Explore the standards set to improve patient safety and the quality of care. Consider how they affect acute care providers and nursing practice.

    The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Health and Medicine Division. Retrieved from http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/

     

    The Health and Medicine Division (HMD) promotes policies and best practices in an effort to improve patient safety and delivery of quality care. Review a few of the publications available at this site.

    The Joint Commission. (2016). National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed nursing-sensitive care performance measures. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/national_quality_forum_nqf_endorsed_nursing-sensitive_care_performance_measures/

     

    The Joint Commission (TJC) also accredits health care organizations. Through funding provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Joint Commission developed the
    Implementation Guide for the National Quality Forum (NQF) Endorsed Nursing-Sensitive Care Performance Measures
    . Review this guide as you consider how core measures and national guidelines improve nursing practice.

    Required Media

    Laureate Education. (Producer). (2009b).
    Topics in clinical nursing: Accountability for clinical outcomes and promoting safety and quality
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 15 minutes.

     

    Accessible player
     
    –Downloads–
    Download Video w/CC
    Download Audio
    Download Transcript

    Discussion: Promoting Safety and Quality

    In the article “Managing to Improve Quality: The Relationship Between Accreditation Standards, Safety Practices, and Patient Outcomes,” the authors discuss the growing trend by medical insurance companies to eliminate reimbursement for 
    Never Events
    . As these types of mistakes should be easily preventable, hospitals have developed protocols to lessen or extinguish the occurrence of these events. In addition, The Joint Commission (TJC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have developed core measures to guide health care providers’ efforts in improving patient safety and the quality of care delivered.

    Health care organizations have developed strategic agendas to help meet these standards and reduce the incidence of 
    Never Events
    . Nurses significantly influence the overall quality of health care provided and play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes.

    For this Discussion, you will consider the standards that are in place for nurses and how they can be used to improve quality of care.

    To prepare for this Discussion:

    Review the information at the Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services websites on the core measures and standards presented in this week’s Resources.

    Consider the nurse’s role in supporting the organization’s strategic agenda as it relates to improving clinical outcomes.

    Conduct an Internet search for either a 
    Never Event
     or a core measure, and select one to address in your post.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    How has the emphasis on quality of care, patient safety, and clinical care outcomes been impacted by specific standards emanating from TJC and/or CMS? Cite your selected core measure or 
    Never Event
     in your response.

    What is the impact of the nurse’s role in clinical outcomes for the organization?

    Discuss nurse-specific challenges in influencing change in quality improvement.

    How does this influence the ability of the organization to achieve its strategic agenda?

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week
    . Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
     area.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your rubric:

    Week 6 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 6 Discussion

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    Week in Review

    In this final week
    , you analyzed the core measures and standards for nursing practice that promote patient safety and quality of care outcomes, as well as the impact of the nurse’s role in clinical outcomes. You also analyzed nurse-specific challenges for influencing change in quality improvement and in supporting an organization’s strategic agenda in improving clinical outcomes.

    Congratulations! After you have finished all of the assignments for this week, you have completed the course. Please submit your Course Evaluation by Day 7.

    Discussion – Week 3

         When patients are newly diagnosed with chronic illness/conditions, they are more likely to experience depressive symtoms. Studies conducted in China and United States, indicates  the prevalence of depression among patients with chronic diseases; and recommended that primary care and healthcare providers be alert and knowledgeable regarding  the signs/symtoms of depression. Patients with chronic conditions may have to adjust their lifestyle, enployment, aspiration, meanwhile many others will grieve about their predicament before they adjust to it; but others have protracted distress and may develop mental disorders especially deppresion and anxiety (H. Li, 2019)

    Some few years ago I was working with a young adult (age 45) newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer. It was not only a devastating new to the patient but also his care team. The patient did not want his mom to know about his diagnosis because the he was afraid the mom will not received the information well he was a single dad and the sole provider in the family of three. This was a huge challenge to the whole family as the patient would have to adjust his lifestyle, his enployment and aspiration in order to plan for treatments. The patient was in denial about the diagnosis, there was a lot of grieving and fear that he would loose his life. The strategy I used to handle the situation was to allow allow him to air out his emotions (fears and sadness), while I listern, asked him open ended questions so he could talk more. Rather than being judgemental, I tried to understand the root cause of his fears and other emotions associated with the new diagnosis (S. J. Calloway et el, 2019). In addition, I also made some referrals such as counseling, surgical oncology services and other community resources. Another strategy I could have used was to monitor or screen the patient for depression. NURS 4005 NURS 4006: Topics in Clinical Nursing

    Some of the legal and ethical implications that need to be considered when providing care for patients with depression resulting from chronic illnesses include providing consent for treatment, clinical decision making. The patient must collaborate with the physician to make medical care decisions. The information provided by the physician must be sufficient and well understood for the patient to make the best decision possible under the circumstances. But when the patient is suffering from depression because of a chronic illness, consenting or making the right decisions about their care becomes difficult.

    When depression is undetected and untreated especially in patients with chronic illnesses, physical and mental health can deteriorate. Thus, as nurses, we can screen and address depression, provide evidence-based education as well as make referrals to mental health specialists and community resources.

    References

    Hongjin Li, Song G. E., […], & Jacqueline Dumber-Jacob (Jan 10
    th
    , 2019). Depression in the context of chronic diseases in the United States and China. Retrieved from 
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

    Susan J. Calloway, Rosalinda Jimenez, & Dianne Lavin (Aug. 30
    th
    , 2019). Depression and Chronic medical illness in adults. Retrieved from MyAmericanNurse.com

  • APRNs Prescriptive Authority Essay

    Every state in the country has its own set of rules that regulate and govern the practice of nursing. Each individual state also has a board of nursing that is responsible for regulating its own nurse practice act (Huynh & Haddad, 2020). The State of Michigan does not have a stand-alone Nurse Practice Act (2020). Instead, we have a consolidated practice act that is formally titled the Occupational Regulation Sections of the Michigan Public Health Code, PA 368 of 1978; this practice act covers 25 health occupations.

    1. The State of Michigan requires collaboration with a physician. NPs may be delegated tasks and functions by the physician if those tasks fall within their scope of practice. However, APRNs are “allowed to make calls or go on rounds in private homes, public institutions, emergency vehicles, ambulatory care clinics, hospitals, intermediate or extended care facilities, health maintenance organizations, nursing homes, or other healthcare facilities without restrictions on the time or frequency of visits by a physician or the APRN and without physician delegation and supervision” (Scope of Practice). I personally think that our scope of practice should be opened up a little more than it was and I was glad to see that strides have been being made in that direction to give APRNs more autonomy. That being said, I think that collaboration with a physician can also be beneficial because it gives us another person with more education to help work through some patient cases that we might need another opinion and more expertise on. I think there should be a national standard to break down some of the differences between states on this matter.

    2. In 2016, a new bill was passed in Michigan to include APRNs in the role of “prescriber.” That means that APRNs can prescribe nonscheduled medications without delegation or supervision from a physician. However, the law still requires that scheduled medications and classes II-V must be delegated by a physician. Therefore, APRNs have to have a prescribing agreement with a physician to provide prescriptive authority. I believe that APRNs should be allowed to become autonomous in their role of “prescriber.” The doctor, unfortunately, is not always available and sometimes prescriptions need to be written in the here and now. I think that APRNs across the board should have to put in a certain amount of hours and then be able to earn autonomous prescribing ability.

    3. In the State of Michigan, APRNs are allowed to prescribe classes II-V of medications if delegated by a physician. They may prescribe unscheduled drugs without delegation (Michigan Legislature). I think that APRNs should be allowed to prescribe all classes of drugs without delegation or supervision by a physician. We are required to take pharmacology and pathophysiology classes and pass boards that give us credibility. As providers, it would give us more room to work with patient and treat them instead of having to ask a supervising physician who is not as familiar with the patient or their history and case.

    4. Rashes are a common reason for people to visit healthcare providers. Rashes can come in all shapes and sizes with all manner of characteristics. It’s important to undertake a thorough history and physical exam in order to narrow down causes and come up with an accurate diagnosis. Sometimes the treatment plan will be easy to come up with because it’s a common finding such as poison ivy or diaper rash (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2017). In these cases, the NP will be able to work alone. Other times, the rash may point to something more serious or be harder to diagnosis. In these instances, it would be beneficial to call on the expertise of others and place a consultation. The purpose of using a collaborative care model is to provide complete, excellent care for the patient. By including doctors, nurses, and specialties like dieticians or pharmacists, patient outcomes can be improved.

    References:

    Huynh, A. P., & Haddad, L. M. (2020, July 25). 
    Nursing Practice Act
    . StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559012/.

    Scope of Practice
    . MAFP. https://www.mafp.com/scope-of-practice/.

    Michigan Board of Nursing
    . (2020). 
    https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-89334_72600_72603_27529_27542-59003–,00.html
    .

    Michigan Legislature
    . Michigan Legislature. 
    http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(f4bt3t4ju5z44m4zb0b3sjna))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject

    Arcangelo, V. P. & Peterson, A. M. (2017). 
    Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4
    th
     ed.)
    . Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.

     

    Discussion 1

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Remember to respond to at least two of your peers. Please see the Course Syllabus for Discussion Participation Requirements and Grading Criteria.

  • Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    Discussion – Week 1

            Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory virus affecting the nose, throat, and lungs. For most people, the flu will resolve independently, but sometimes the complications can be deadly. The flu is considered most dangerous for children, adults over the age of 65, residents of long-term care facilities, pregnant women, American Indians, Alaskan natives, or people with pre-existing health conditions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020a). Symptoms often include a runny nose, fever/chills, muscle aches, headaches, cough, sore throat, malaise, and sometimes vomiting/diarrhea (CDC, 2020a). This virus travels in air droplets when an infected person sneezes, talks, or coughs. Therefore, the most critical prevention method is covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough, as well as proper handwashing techniques.

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    The flu virus can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma exacerbations, ear infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and heart problems (CDC, 2020a). Pneumonia is one of the most common complications and can potentially be fatal if not treated appropriately. Influenza viruses are continually changing with new strains appearing yearly (CDC, 2020a). Therefore, antibodies you have encountered from having the flu prior may not protect individuals from the newer influenza strains. The best prevention for influenza is by getting a yearly flu vaccine. Although they are not one hundred percent effective, it is still considered your best defense. Usually, only fluids and rest are required to treat the flu, but your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug if symptoms are severe enough. There are four antivirals on the market used to lessen your symptoms by a day or so and decrease the risk of complications. These drugs include Tamiflu (oseltamivir), zanamivir (Relenza), peramivir (Rapivab), and baloxavir (Xofluza)(CDC, 2020a). Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay DiscussionHealthcare workers have an ethical obligation to protect their patients from illnesses, including influenza. As nurses, we are in close contact with our patients, which increases the risk of the spread of infections. Since influenza is highly contagious, healthcare workers should always educate patients and their families on proper prevention techniques.

    The best method for managing influenza is preventing it from occurring by encouraging patients and healthcare works to get the yearly flu vaccine. Nurses are responsible for screening patients for the flu vaccine and administering it to those who do not have contraindications and documenting on those who refuse the vaccine. The CDC (200b) estimated there where 39,000,000-56,000,000 flu cases in the 2019 flu season, with an estimated 24,000-62,000 deaths. Therefore, getting vaccinated could potentially prevent the virus’s spread and reduce the number of deaths from flu-related complications.

    Influenza affects my personal nursing practice of hospice and palliative care to a great extent. Many hospice patients believe the flu vaccine is pointless since they are already critically ill, and worry that the vaccine will potentially cause them to get the flu since their immune systems are already weakened. In reality, hospice patients need the vaccine more than any other population due to their chronic medical conditions and weak immune systems. During the influenza season, our agency has to increase the practices of minimizing exposure by monitoring healthcare personnel closer, increasing workers’ educational training, and monitoring flu activity. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    The influenza virus continues to evolve as new antigenic variants are continually emerging, which leads to yearly pandemics (CDC, 2019). The antigenic drift causes the virus genes to mutate, which changes the surface proteins, also known as antigens (CDC, 2019). These changes cause the infected persons pre-existing antibodies not to recognize the new virus, thus causing infection (CDC, 2019). Since influenza A subtypes exist in birds it is considered a non-eradicable disease with prevention and control as the only option (Sharma et al., 2019). For this reason, influenza is constantly re-emerging

     

    References

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). 
    How the flu virus can change: “Drift” and “Shift”. 
    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020a). 
    Influenza (Flu).
     
    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/symptoms-causes/syc-20351719

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020b
    ). 2019-2020 U.S. flu season: Preliminary burden estimates.
     
    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm

    Morrow, A., (2020). Flu vaccines and hospice patients. 
    Very Well Health.
     https://www.verywellhealth.com/flu-vaccines-and-hospice-patients-1132295

    National Institutes of Health. (2007). 
    Understanding emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
     
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20370/

    Sharma, L., Rebaza, A., & Dela Cruz, C.S. (2019). When “B” becomes “A”: The emerging threat of influenza virus. 
    European Respiratory Journal, (54)2. 
    https://
    10.1183/13993003.01325-2019

     

    Discussion: Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases

    As presented in this week’s readings, many individuals acquire infections in the community as well as during treatment in the hospital. As a nurse, it is important to know what is going on in the world. In addition to reading scholarly literature, reading the paper and watching the news helps to keep a nurse aware of what is going on currently. In addition, many organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) track current health trends and post updates on their websites, along with Fact Sheets to help educate, prevent, and treat new and re-emerging diseases. These Fact Sheets are made to be short and easy to read so that health care professionals and patients are more likely to read and understand the information. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    For this Discussion, you will examine an emerging or re-emerging disease and the nurse’s role in prevention and management of the disease. Locate an article in a newspaper, in a lay magazine, or on an organizational website that discusses an emerging or re-emerging infectious disease that is currently affecting your community. Reflect on the article you selected and think about how the emerging or re-emerging disease might affect nursing practice.

    By Day 3

    Respond 
    to the following:

    Briefly summarize the article you selected and provide the reference. Then, address the following:

    What implications does the disease have for nursing practice?

    How does the emergence of this disease affect your personal practice?

    Why do you think that this disease is emerging/re-emerging?

    What is the nurse’s role in preventing and managing the impact of infectious diseases both from the patient and nurse perspective?

    Support your response
     with references from the professional nursing literature.

    Note Initial Post: 
    A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Avoid quotes; 
    paraphrase
     to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 
    reference list
     is required. Use the most 
    current evidence
     (usually ≤ 5 years old).

    By Day 7

    Read two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).

    Respond 
    with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more 
    of your colleagues’ postings.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    three different days of the week
    . Refer to the Discussion Rubric found in the 
    Course Information
     and 
    Grading Criteria
    area. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    Discussion – Week 1

    COLLAPSE

    For this week’s discussion, and like many others I’m sure, I chose to focus on the obvious and new emerging illness that is COVID-19. The American Nurses Association recently published an article titled “Nu
    rses, Ethics, and the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic” that I am basing my discussion on. This is 
    obviously a challenging time for our country and our citizens but is putting nurses and health care workers in difficult situations personally and professionally. “Professional nurses historically bring compassionate competent care to disaster response but are challenged to provide care when the nature of their work puts them at increased risk.” (ANA, 2
    020). 
    In times of devastation, the world 
    can
     see how crucial the nursing profession is to society. 
     

    During pandemic situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses must consider how they will deliver quality care to patients, in addition to keeping themselves and their loved ones at 
    the lowest risk possible. This is not something that is easily done. 
    As frontline health care professionals, nurses are the
     true heroes in health care as we are willing to do whatever we need to, to aid in the care of patients. 
     
    “
    They are an important part of health systems, as they handle this crisis and develop strategic planning processes for the future. These processes set objectives, allocate resources, and establish policies that are the framework of the organization and will determine the degree of financial success and quality of care
    ”
     
    (
    Mose et al., 2019
    ).
     

    The emergence of COVID-19 affects my personal practice in the aspect that I want to care for others when they are sick, but also want to protect my loved ones at home. I expose myself, like all nurses, daily and it is stres
    sful going home knowing that my chosen line of work could negatively affect my family. I have a daughter who is 2 years old, has asthma, and as a mother, it terrifies me that she could contract COVID-19
     on the premise that I gave it to her. That’s a hard pill to swallow as a mother. In addition, I’m unable to care and sit with patients as I’m accustomed to. Currently, I work in the clinic setting, and while I am ve
    ry thankful that I’m not as exposed as I would be in an acute setting, I hate that my patients can’t see me smile at them, or vice versa. I hate that I a
    m unable to sit and catch up with my patient’s that I haven’t seen in a while because I want to limit my exposure and time in patient rooms, in addition to lessening the exposure I could take to the next patient room that could be someone who is receiving cancer treatment. Overall, the pandemic has dras
    tically affected the amount of quality of care I am able to provide. 
     

    While COVID-19 was first initially seen in China, we are seeing an emergence of this disease as it appears to be a mutation of other diseases we have seen recently and know exist. 
    According to the Center for Disease Control “
    Coronaviruses, named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. There are many 
    types of human coronaviruses
    , including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.” (CDC, 2020).
    Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

    References

    American Hospital Association. (2020, May). 
    Hospital and health systems face unprecedented financial pressures due to COVID-19
    . 
    https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/2020-05-05-hospitals-and-health-systems-face-unprecedented-financial-pressures-due

    American Nurse Association. (2020, April 24). 
    Survey: Nurses fear going to work due to lack of protection from virus more than 32k nurses share experience from the front lines
    . 
    https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2020/survey-nurses-fear-going-to-work-due-to-lack-of-protection-from-virus-more-than-32k-nurses-share-experience-from-the-front-lines/   

    Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Discussion

  • Texas State APRNs Prescriptive Authority

    APRNs in Texas do not have full practice authority under current state law. While doctors no longer have to be on-site to supervise, APRNs must have a collaborative agreement with a physician. This collaborative agreement requires that the supervising physician conduct chart reviews and hold monthly meetings with the APRN to discuss care plans and any issues with patient care.  According to the Texas nursing practice act, APRNs must have written prescriptive delegation from a supervising physician. This allows the APRN to prescribe medications, including controlled substances. However, the supervising physician’s name, address, and telephone number must be included on the prescription drug order. If the prescribed medication is a controlled substance, the supervising physician’s DEA number must also be included. In addition, APRNs may only prescribe controlled substances in Schedule II in a hospital based facility and as part of care relating to a patient  who has been admitted to the hospital for a length of stay of 24 hours or grater, or is receiving services or is receiving services in the emergency department or as part of the plan of care for the treatment of a person who has a terminal illness and is receiving hospice care. Other schedule related restrictions for APRNs include limiting prescriptions of controlled substances in III-V to a 90 day supply and requiring consultation with delegating physicians for patients under 2 years old ((Frequently Asked Questions – Advanced Practice Registered Nurse 2013).

    In the state of Texas, the collaborative and prescribing agreement are considered the same so for the purposes of this discussion, my answer is the same for both questions. I think that some APRNs in Texas should be able to practice independently. Texas is a very large state (geographically) with large rural areas. These areas are traditionally underserved and APRNs, particularly Family Nurse Practitioners could help increase access to medical care in these areas. However, I do think that there should be some limitations, depending on scope of practice. The current practice act gives APRNs quite a bit of leeway in determining appropriate scope. Requiring a collaborative physician is an attempt to limit instances where APRNs might try to provide care out of their scope. I also think that nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives should have collaborative agreements with physicians of some sort. While current laws may be overly restrictive, these are practice areas in which I think it might be beneficial to have a collaborative team. In the case of prescriptive authority for Schedule II-V drugs, I think that current regulations are reasonable because the state does allow APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications. I do think that NPAs should allow APRNs to prescribe all classes of drugs. However, there should be some limitations based on the APRNs education and practice setting.

    Dermatologic conditions such as rashes can be difficult to treat because there are many potential causes. Rashes can be caused by viruses, fungi, physical irritation, parasites, plants, insects, bacteria, and even some autoimmune disorders (Rashes, 2020). and treatment will depend on the cause. While most APRNs can easily manage common rashes, determination of the cause of rare or unusual rashes may present a challenge for even the most experienced clinicians. As such, it is important to ensure that proper assessment is taking place. Collaboration could look like having multiple providers examine the rash and determining which, if any, laboratory tests should be ordered.

     

    References

    Frequently Asked Questions – Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. (2013). Retrieved

    December 23, 2020, from https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_practice_aprn.asp

    Rashes. (2019, June 20). Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://ufhealth.org/rashes

    Discussion 1

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Remember to respond to at least two of your peers. Please see the Course Syllabus for Discussion Participation Requirements and Grading Criteria.

  • Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    Assignment: Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet

    Sir Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.” This is most definitely true when it comes to diseases and how to prevent and treat them. As a nurse, you are charged with teaching patients how to prevent infectious diseases and what to do if they become infected. A powerful tool in your arsenal is the Fact Sheet. Usually comprised of one page of easy-to-read content, these leaflets can be distributed easily and can effectively inform your practice.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    To prepare for this Assignment:

    Select one disease that is either emerging or re-emerging in the world today.

    Research the disease using both scholarly and non-scholarly resources.

    Determine your audience (patients, other nurses, schools, etc.) that you would want to share the Fact Sheet with.

    Select pieces of information that are appropriate for your audience.

    By Day 7

    Submit:
     A 1- to 2-page Fact Sheet.

    Indicate the audience on the Fact Sheet.

    Give a brief history of the disease.

    What are the implications of the spread of the disease?

    How does one detect and prevent the spread of this disease?

    How is this disease treated?

    Your Fact Sheet should be visually stimulating, appropriate for your audience, and formatted with bullet points for easy reading. Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    Support your “facts” with references.

    Note:
     Your Fact Sheet must be supported with at least three scholarly sources of evidence in the literature.

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (6th ed.). Retrieved May 31, 2019, from  
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_id=45326751

    For this Assignment, review the following:

    AWE Checklist (Level 4000)

    Assignment Rubric

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 1 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 1 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
    button to complete your submission. Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

     NURS_4005_Week1_Assignment_Rubric

    Description: NURS 4006 Assignment Week 1 Rubric

    Grid View

    List View

    Excellent

    Proficient

    Basic

    Needs Improvement

    Provided a brief history an emerging/reemerging disease.

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Provided a fully developed history of an emerging/reemerging disease with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Provided a developed history of an emerging/reemerging disease with reasonable analysis of concepts and related issues.

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Provided a minimally-developed history of an emerging/reemerging disease with limited analysis of concepts and related issues.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Provided a under-developed history of an emerging/reemerging diseasewith little or no analysis of concepts and related issues.

    Described the implications of the spread of the disease and included statistical data.

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Provided a fully developed description of the implications of the spread of the disease and included statistical data with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Provided a developed description of the implications of the spread of the disease and included statistical data with reasonable analysis of concepts and related issues.

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Provided a minimally-developed description of the implications of the spread of the disease and included statistical data with limited analysis of concepts and related issues.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Provided a under-developed description of the implications of the spread of the disease and included statistical data with little or no analysis of concepts and related issues.

    Described how to detect the disease and how to prevent the spread of the disease.

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Provided a fully developed description of how to detect the disease and how to prevent the spread of the disease with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Provided a developed description of how to detect the disease and how to prevent the spread of the disease with reasonable analysis of concepts and related issues.

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Provided a minimally-developed description of how to detect the disease and how to prevent the spread of the disease with limited analysis of concepts and related issues.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Provided a under-developed description of how to detect the disease and how to prevent the spread of the disease with little or no analysis of concepts and related issues.

    Described how the disease is treated.

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Provided a fully developed description of how the disease is treated with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Provided a developed description of how the disease is treated with reasonable analysis of concepts and related issues.

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Provided a minimally-developed description of how the disease is treated with limited analysis of concepts and related issues.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Provided a under-developed description of how the disease is treated with little or no analysis of concepts and related issues.

    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE 3) 4000 Level “Displays sentence and paragraph level skills: Constructs simple, complex and compound sentences; Writes without spelling, grammatical or syntax errors; Writes without sentence fragments or run on sentence; Uses punctuation appropriately; Writes appropriate introductions and conclusions. Demonstrates essay level skills: Cohesion and flow by using transition sentences; precision, clarity and academic tone; Awareness of discipline specific audience. Displays academic expression: Scholarly voice, evidence of the student’s own ideas with a well-organized presentation of evidence; Synthesizes resources by using own words; Limits use of quotes appropriately; Uses evidence from course learning resources, scholarly resources and seeks additional resources to support content as required in the assignment; A minimum of three references are required. “

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Demonstrates fully developed sentence, paragraph, and essay level skills. Displays academic expression through fully developed use of evidence from multiple sources to support content. Meets the 4000 AWE level with no writing issues and exceeds the minimum reference requirement.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Demonstrates developed sentence, paragraph, and essay level skills. Displays academic expression through developed use of evidence from most sources to support content. Meets the 4000 AWE level with minimal writing issues and exceeds the minimum reference requirement.

    Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Demonstrates minimally developed sentence, paragraph, and essay level skills. Beginning to display academic expression through minimally developed use of evidence from some sources to support content. Minimally meets the 4000 AWE level with several writing issues and meets the minimum reference requirement.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Demonstrates limited sentence, paragraph, and essay level skills. Does not display academic expression, has limited use of evidence with few or no sources to support the content. Does not meet the 4000 AWE level of writing and does not meet the mimium reference requirement.

    APA “APA Formatting: cover page, title of paper on second page, level headings, Times New Roman 12 font, 1″” margins, and page numbers. APA References: Uses in-text citations appropriately and format correctly. Paraphrases to avoid plagiarizing the source. Reference list is in alphabetical order, hanging indent, double spaced in format. Each specific entry contains all information required by APA format including author, year of publication, title of publication, pages, DOI, website, as appropriate.”

    23 
    (15.33%)
     – 25 
    (16.67%)

    Demonstrates fully developed APA formatting and referencing requirements with no formatting errors.

    20 
    (13.33%)
     – 22 
    (14.67%)

    Demonstrates developed APA formatting and referencing requirements with minimal formatting errors.

    Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    18 
    (12%)
     – 19 
    (12.67%)

    Demonstrates minimally developed APA formatting and referencing requirements with several formatting errors.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 17 
    (11.33%)

    Demonstrates limited APA formatting and referencing requirements with multiple formatting errors.

    Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

    Total Points: 150

    Name: NURS_4005_Week1_Assignment_Rubric

    Description: NURS 4006 Assignment Week 1 Rubric

    Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Fact Sheet Assignment

  • APRNs Prescriptive Authority in Virginia State

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    1.     Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician?

    In the State of Virginia, the nurse practice act requires the APRN to have a written or electronic practice collaborative agreement with at least one patient care team provider and it’s regulated by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing equally (Virginia Law Library, 2020).

    In my opinion, I believe it is good for APRN to have a collaboration agreement for a specific period or hours. I believe this to be true with most professions, I find it is beneficial for both patient and practitioners to have someone to discuss difficult cases or issues with or treatment plans. As a new nurse, I remember thinking it was great having a preceptor for two weeks, but I also saw the charge nurse as that person I could collaborate with. I feel like after some time or even a certain number of hours that a APRN should be able to have autonomy and no longer be required to have a collaboration agreement or must work under a physician. In fact, in Virginia after five years of full-time experience or 9,000 hours over the five years the APRN can apply for autonomous practice (Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020). I believe this allows the APRN who want the autonomy to apply for it and those who want to continue to collaborate that option as well.

    2.     Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement and explain why/why not.

    Virginia’s Nurse Practice Act requires the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician for Schedule II through VI. The NP must disclose to patients that they are a licensed nurse practitioner, and the patient care team physician can not have more than six nurse practitioners at one time (Virginia Law Library, 2020).

    Prescribing medications can be a tricky process as I often find patients try to obtain a prescription during an appointment. For example, when I worked for a pediatrics office it seemed the parents were always looking for antibiotics when they were bringing their children in for a sick visit even if it was viral and we explained the antibiotics would not help. I believe if the APRN provides education, gathers a through history and physical exam, is familiar with the medication, side effects, contraindications, etc.… they should be allowed to prescribe without a prescribing agreement. As Arcangelo, Peterson, and Wilbur state in their book Pharmacotherapies for Advanced Practice (2017,p.7), “it is essential for the practitioner to understand the responsibility involved in prescribing that drug or drugs and to consider seriously which class of medication is most appropriate for the patient.” If they have passed the boards and are held to the same standards and regulations as any other provider, I do not see why they can not prescribe without a prescribing agreement with a physician. I also, believe allowing the APRN to prescribe continues continuity of care as they are the most familiar with the patient and their history. I believe if we were to rely on another provider just to prescribe without knowing the patient that would be a huge mistake and a potential for errors.

    3.     Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    The APRN can schedule II to VI in Virginia. Our APRN’s in Virginia are not allowed to prescribe a Class I drug. Class I drugs are the most dangerous drugs and potential for addiction and abuse is high. These are not approved for medical usage in the United States. So, I believe that the classes our APRN are approved to prescribe are appropriate.

    4.     Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Anytime a patient presents with a rash the main thing that needs to be done is a detailed skin history, and health assessment. Finding out the cause of the rash is the main way to heal or get rid of the rash. I know that trying to get into a dermatologist is extremely hard as they seem to be overwhelmed with patients. I believe if we educate a APRN on what to look for and on the different types of rashes and causes they should be allowed to treat rashes. If the APRN is not sure of what is causing the rash or how to treat they should reach out and collaborate with their care team physician as they would with any other issue or concern or refer the patient out to another provider. If the APRN has the proper training, performs a full physical and history is able to diagnose and knows the treatment for the rash they shouldn’t need to collaborate or send to a consultant (Arcangelo, Peterson, & Wilbur, 2017).

    References

    Arcangelo, V. P. & Peterson, A. M. (2017). 
    Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4
    th
     ed.)
    . Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.

    Commonwealth of Virginia regulations governing the licensure of nurse practitioner.  Retrieved from http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/nursing/leg/Nursepractitioners.pdf

    Virginia Law Library. (2020). The code of Virginia. Retrieved from https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/54.1-2957.01/

  • N521 – State’s nurse practice act (NPA) advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs prescription regulation discussion essays

    Discussion 1

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Remember to respond to at least two of your peers. Please see the Course Syllabus for Discussion Participation Requirements and Grading Criteria.

    Discussion 1

    1.     Virginia Law requires licensed nurse practitioners to have collaborative agreement with a physician. After a nurse practitioner has practiced for the equivalent of five years full time, they may be issued a license that states they may practice without a physician agreement (Medical Practice Act of the Code of Virginia, 2020). I do not disagree with this, in fact, I think that it would be beneficial for nurse practitioners to have residencies, like that of care providers.

    2.     Virginia Law requires licensed nurse practitioners to have a prescribing agreement with a practice and supervising physician for their first two years of practicing as a nurse practitioner. This was put into law through Executive Order 57, that was signed by the Virginia Governor in April of this year. Previously a nurse practitioner had to have practiced for five years before the requirement to have an electronic agreement with a physician would no longer be necessary (Code of Virginia, 1999). Requiring nurse practitioners to have a prescribing agreement during the first two years of practice is sensible. Medication safety should be major focus of all practitioners. From 2009 to 2012 more than half of Americans were on at least one prescription medication (Arcangelo et al., 2017).

    3.     VA laws support the prescribing of schedule II through schedule VI, depending on the electronic practice agreement that the nurse practitioner is in. Per Virginia code, schedule VI “Any compound, mixture, or preparation containing any stimulant or depressant drug exempted from Schedules III, IV or V and designated by the Board as subject to this section” but also includes devices which require a physician order to purchase (Medical Practice Act of the Code of Virginia, 2020). With the rise of medical marijuana legalization, there should be an individual licensure available to providers to be able to prescribe this in areas where the practice is accepted.

    4.     Skin is the largest organ and one of our first defenses against bacteria, viruses, and injury. Across the life span there are multiple rashes that our patients may experience. Treating rashes in the primary care setting, can be difficult as one disease can present in multiple ways, similar rashes can have differential diagnosis. Collaborating with specialist and more experienced practitioners can prevent the use of unnecessary prescriptions and decrease unnecessary costs.

    References

    Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (2017). 
    Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice
    . (Fourth Edition). Wolters Kluwer.

    Medical Practice Act of the Code of Virginia, Va. Stat. §§ 54.1-2957 (2020). http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/nursing/leg/MedPractAct_Nursing.pdf

    Code of Virginia, Va. Stat. § 54.1-3455. (1999). https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter34/section54.1-3455/

     

    Discussion 2

    In the state of Connecticut, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) such as certified nurse practitioners (CNPs) have full practice authority (FPA).  This means that APRNs are allowed to practice autonomously to the fullest extent of their education, training, knowledge, and skills (AANP, 2020). However, immediately after initial licensure, the Connecticut State Nurse Practice Act (NPA) requires that the APRN enters into an agreement with a licensed practicing physician in the state for a period of three years (Connecticut State Department of Public Health, 2020). This must be in a written agreement as stipulated in the Connecticut general statutes §20-87a(2). I believe there should not be any restrictions on the scope of practice for APRNs whatsoever. Restrictions and requirements for supervision by a physician (even if it is just for the first three years of practice as in the case of Connecticut) hinders the APRN from exercising their knowledge and skills freely (Ortiz et al., 2018; Peterson, 2017; Duncan & Sheppard, 2015). In my opinion, the benefit of the initial 3 years of the agreement allows the APRN to gain valuable experience with a more experienced physician. After those years, the APRN can now practice independently and autonomously in Connecticut.

                In the initial three years after graduating and getting licensure. In the agreement (Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-87a(3)), the physician will supervise the APRN prescribing and decide the level of Schedule II and III controlled substances the APRN can prescribe (Connecticut State Department of Public Health, 2020). Again, not allowing APRNs to prescribe all classes of scheduled medications is hindering their practice and the provision of primary health care (PHC). A collaborative approach to treating rashes across the lifespan involves the CNP treating the patient at first contact (PHC). However, if the condition does not resolve, the CNP should refer the patient to a Dermatologist.

    References

    American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP] (October 20, 2020). 
    State practice environment
    . 
    https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment

    Connecticut State Department of Public Health (2020). 
    Connecticut general statutes chapter 378 – Nursing
    . 
    https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Hearing-Office/Board-of-Examiners-for-Nursing/Board-of-Examiners-for-Nursing

    Duncan, C.G. & Sheppard, K.G. (2015). Barriers to nurse practitioner full practice authority (FPA): State of the science. 
    International Journal of Nursing Student Scholarship, 2
    . 
    https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/ijnss/article/view/56778

    Ortiz, J., Hofler, R., Bushy, A., Lin, Y-L., Khanijahani, A., & Bitney, A. (2018). 
    Impact of nurse practitioner practice regulations on rural population health outcomes. 
    Healthcare (Basel), 6
    (2), 65-72. 
    https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020065

    Peterson, M.E. (2017). Barriers to practice and the impact on health care: A nurse practitioner focus. 
    Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology, 8
    (1), 74-81. 
    https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2017.8.1.6

     

     

    Discussion 3

    Locate your state’s nurse practice act (NPA) and associated regulations governing prescribing by advanced practice nurses (CNPs, CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs). Answer and discuss the following in this forum:

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a collaborative agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not need the APRN to have a collaborative agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement with a physician? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not require the APRN to have a prescribing agreement, and explain why/why not.

    Does your NPA permit APRNs to prescribe all classes (schedules) of medications? Discuss whether you think the NPA should or should not permit APRNs to prescribe all classes of medications, and explain why/why not.

    In my state, Idaho, nurse practitioners (NPs) have full practice authority (FPA) within their scope of practice. The scope of practice for NPs relates to the population focus of study and the specific specialization the advanced nurse practitioner obtained. In Idaho, advanced practice focus recognized are family/individual across the lifespan, adult-gerontology, women’s health/gender-related, neonatal, pediatrics, and psychiatric-mental health. A physician collaborative agreement and a prescribing agreement is not required. This means that Idaho state law allows NPs independent responsibility to assess, diagnose, treat, and monitor medical conditions. NPs are permitted to order and interpret tests, order or prescribe nonpharmaceutical therapies, and pharmaceuticals including schedule II through V controlled substances. If NPs received their education after December 31, 2015, they are automatically granted prescriptive authority when they receive their NP Idaho license. Following this, thirty hours of continuing education in advanced nursing pharmacotherapeutics is required upon renewal of license every two years (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2020; Idaho Board of Nursing, 2020).

    According to studies comparing states that have given NPs FPA with those states with restrictions, states with NP FPA have shown improvement in access of care for populations in rural, underrepresented locations, improved efficiency in care allowing for prompt care rather than delayed care, the cost burden is decreased and promotes patient-centered care allowing patients to choose their primary caregivers (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2019). Further studies examine the educational preparation of NPs. Rather than strictly time-based clinicals, NPs educational programs are competency-based, meaning advanced skills must be demonstrated to advance in their program. Along with competency-based knowledge and skillsets, NPs services have been studied and evaluated for years showing that NPs persistently provided superior quality and safe care demonstrated by positive clinical outcomes (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2017). I have been studying and reading about NPs’ positive clinical outcomes for years, and it is my humble opinion that NPs should be fully independent. The claim that NPs expanded role in primary care was harmful to patients is not substantiated with studies that show increased patient satisfaction and improved patient care outcomes. Physicians and NPs can and do work together and provide collaborative care that shows ongoing promise for enhancing patient health and health care outcomes. The medical home model demonstrates this collaborative care process that fits the functions of primary care in providing comprehensive and coordinated patient care, patient-centered care, and improved timely access to medical services patients need (Institute of Medicine, 2011; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).

    Describe collaborative approaches to treating rashes across the lifespan. Should the CNP treat without a collaborator or consultant? Support your statements based upon evidence.

    Some unambiguous rashes that respond well to standard treatment may not need other multidisciplinary specialty input; however, it is essential for the nurse practitioner to recognize if and when skin conditions need further interprofessional collaboration and specialty referrals. Studies show improved patient outcomes when multidisciplinary approaches are used to treat various skin conditions. For instance, patients who do not respond to common acne treatment may need a dermatologist referral for further evaluation and workup for advanced treatment recommendations. Patients with eczema related to allergies would need multidisciplinary care involving an allergist, nutritionist, and dermatologist. Patients with skin cancer would require collaboration and specialty care of a dermatologist, dermatology oncology, radiation, and surgical oncology, etc. (Hilton, 2018; Arcangelo, Peterson, Reinhold, & Wilbur, 2017; LeBovidge, et al., 2016).

    References:

    American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2019, December). 
    Issues at a glance: Full practice authority
    . https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/policy-briefs/issues-full-practice-brief

    American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2017). 
    Clinical outcomes: The yardstick of educational effectiveness
    . https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/clinical-outcomes-the-yardstick-of-educational-effectiveness

    American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2020, October 20). 
    State practice environment
    . https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment

    Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A., Reinhold, J., & Wilbur, V. (2017). 
    Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach.
     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

    Hilton, L. (2018, February 17). 
    Multidisciplinary care improves patient outcomes
    . https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/multidisciplinary-care-improves-patient-outcomes

    Idaho Board of Nursing. (2020, July 1). 
    Rules of the Idaho Board of Nursing
    . https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/24/243401.pdf

    Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2011). 
    The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health.
     Washington, D.C: National Academies Press. https://www.nap.edu/read/12956/chapter/1#iv

    LeBovidge, J. S., Elverson, W., Timmons, K., Hawryluk, E., Rea, C., Lee, M., & Schneider, L. (2016, August 1). Multidisciplinary interventions in the management of atopic dermatitis. 
    The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
    , 325-334. https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(16)30145-2/fulltext

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). 
    Defining the PCMH
    . https://pcmh.ahrq.gov/page/defining-pcmh

     

     

     

    Discussion 4

    The state of Kentucky requires advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to have a collaborative agreement with a physician.  A collaborative practice requires an agreement with the nurse practitioner and the physician that uses a referral-consultant relationship (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 8).  Advanced practice nurses in Kentucky must use a collaborative agreement with a physician to prescribe class II-V drugs until they have been practicing for a minimum of four years.  After four years the advanced practice nurse may practice without a 
    collaborative agreement for the advanced practice registered nurse’s prescriptive authority for nonscheduled legend drugs or 
    the nurse can choose to continue with the agreement (H.R. Resolution KRS 314.011, 2014, p. 5).  According to the federal trade commission (FTC), collaborative agreements lead to an increase in health care costs, reduced quality of patient care, and limiting patients access to healthcare (Hoebelheinrich & Ramirez, 2020, p. 11).   Collaborative approaches to treating a rash include not only the nurse practitioner but also an educator, dermatologist, and physician recommendations.  It would be beneficial to the nurse practitioner if he/she used the guidance from a dermatologist if traditional treatments failed.

     

    References

    Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (2017). 
    Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice: a practical approach
     (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

    H.R. Res. KRS 314.011, 8 Cong. Rec. 1 (2014) (enacted). 
    https://kbn.ky.gov/practice/Documents/ARNPPresAuthSched.pdf

    Hoebelheinrich, K., & Ramirez, J. P. (2020). Do Collaborative Practice Agreements Make APRNs Safe Practitioners?. 
    Nebraska Nursing News
    , 
    37
    (1), 1–14. Retrieved December 23, 2020, from 
    https://doi.org/https://center4nursing.nebraska.gov/sites/center4nursing.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Do%20Collaborative%20Practice%20Agreements%20Make%20APRNs%20Safe%20Practitioners%20-%20Hoebelheinrich%20%26%20Ramirez%20%E2%80%93%20Nursing%20News%20Winter%202020.pdf

  • N521-Advanced Pharmacology Assignment 1

    Assignment 1

    Using peer-reviewed journal articles or evidence-based practice websites locate policy or regulatory position statements or campaigns that support changes in APRN prescribing practices at the state or national level.

    In a paper not to exceed six double-spaced pages, excluding title and reference pages, analyze these statements by assessing their alignment with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)’s Nurse Practitioner Prescriptive Privilege statement (see 
    AANP Position Statement & Papers
    ). Use the Assignment 1 Rubric below to guide you in completing this assignment.

    Assignment 1 Rubric

    Competency

    30 points

    27 points

    25 points

    0 points

    Points Earned

    Policies, regulator position statements, campaigns

    Locates multiple policies or regulator position statements or campaigns that support changes in APRN prescribing practices at state and at national level

    Locates several state or national level policy or regulator position statement, but not both

    Locates only one policy or position statement

    Does not locate policies or position statements

    /30

    peer reviewed journals and evidence-based practice

    Applies multiple peer reviewed journals and evidence-based practice websites to the assignment

    Applies several peer reviewed journals or evidence-based practice websites to the assignment, but not both

    Applies one peer reviewed journals or evidence-based practice websites to the assignment

    Does not use  peer reviewed journals or evidence-based practice websites in the assignment

    /30

    Analyzes regulatory position statements by assessing their alignment with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)’s Nurse Practitioner Prescriptive Privilege statement. Discusses teamwork and collaboration as it relates to regulatory requirements

    Evidence of analysis of regulatory statements and alignment of AANP statements. Discusses teamwork and collaboration as it relates to regulatory requirements

    Evidence of analysis of regulatory statements and alignment of AANP statements. Discusses teamwork and collaboration as it relates to regulatory requirements

    Minimal evidence of analysis of regulatory statements and alignment of AANP statements. Discusses teamwork and collaboration as it relates to regulatory requirements

    No evidence of analysis of regulatory statements and alignment of AANP statements. No discussion of teamwork and collaboration as it relates to regulatory requirements

    /30

    Competency

    5 points

    4 points

    3 points

    0 points

    Points Earned

    Grammar, spelling, and punctuation

    There are no errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation

    There are a few minor errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that do not detract from the meaning

    There are major errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that do not reflect scholarly writing

    NA

    /5

    APA Compliance

    The paper meets APA format guidelines

    There are minor APA format errors

    There are significant errors in format

    NA

    /5

    Total Points

    /100

  • AANP’s Positions and Papers

    AANP’s Positions and Papers

    See Where Your Nurse Practitioner (NP) Community Stands

    You instinctively advocate for your patients, but legislative and political advocacy is no less important to advancing your role as an NP and ensuring excellence in patient care. Position statements and papers are designed to guide and amplify the views of NPs while educating consumers and decision-makers. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners
    ®
     (AANP) has outlined a number of positions on issues of importance for NPs nationwide.

    For further information, AANP discussion papers offer pros and cons to enhance understanding and encourage continued discussion. AANP also offers a number of members-only clinical practice briefs, which are designed to offer evidence-based guidelines and to support NPs in clinical practice.

    Position Statements

    APRN Compact Licensure

    The APRN Compact for multistate licensure was adopted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in August 2020. Review AANP’s position on the the revised compact.

    View APRN Compact Licensure Position

    Mandated Residency and Fellowship Training

    All NPs must complete a master’s or doctoral degree program and have advanced clinical training beyond their initial professional registered nurse (RN) preparation. They undergo rigorous national certification, periodic peer review, clinical outcome evaluations and adhere to a code for ethical practices. View AANP’s position on mandated residencies and fellowships for NPs.

    View Mandated Residency and Fellowship Training Position

    NP Education

    The cornerstone of NP practice is robust academic and clinical preparation. To that end, AANP believes and affirms that quality of NP preparation is comprised and grounded by these requirements.

    View NP Education Position

    Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

    Adequate access to proper PPE is essential to protecting patients and all health care providers. Learn more about why AANP supports equipping health care providers with proper PPE.

    View PPE Position

    Prescriptive Authority

    Prescribing medications, devices, treatments and modalities is a central component of NP practice. Discover why AANP advocates that NPs have unlimited prescriptive authority in their scope of practice.

    View Prescriptive Authority Position

    Team-based Care

    Team-based care is a systems approach to health care delivery. See AANP’s position on the implementation of integrated, multidisciplinary team-based approaches to health care.

    View Team-based Care Position

    Telehealth

    Technology has advanced substantially in recent decades, leading to an increase in health tech services such a telehealth. Take a look at AANP’s position on the use of the term telehealth and NPs’ use of this important technology.

    View Telehealth Position

    Therapeutic Use of Marijuana

    NPs are the health care provider of choice for millions of patients, many of whom are interested in the therapeutic use of marijuana and related compounds. Learn AANP’s stance on marijuana in health care.

    View Therapeutic Use of Marijuana Position

    Position Papers

    Clinical Outcomes: The Yardstick of Educational Effectiveness

    Educational preparation for NPs differs from that of other health care professionals. Discover why outcomes are the best way to evaluate clinician education and measure clinical success and patient safety.

    View Educational Effectiveness Position

    Commitment to Addressing Health Care Disparities During COVID-19

    As a professional home for NPs, AANP is committed to empowering all NPs to advance high-quality, equitable care while addressing health care disparities through practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership (PEARL).

    View Health Care Disparities Paper

    Nurse Practitioner Cost Effectiveness

    A solid body of evidence demonstrates that NPs have consistently proven to be cost-effective providers of high-quality care for almost 50 years. Explore the many different examples of NP cost effectiveness in this position statement.

    View Cost Effectiveness Position

    Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care

    NPs are committed to providing primary care. Gain insight into how NPs are vital to primary care delivery and the role they play in making high-quality, patient-centered health care available to the broadest possible range of consumers.

    View NPs in Primary Care Position

    Standards for Nurse Practitioner Practice in Retail-based Clinics

    Health care is moving to make care more convenient and local to where patients live and work, and retail-based clinics are playing a larger role. See a discussion of the standards AANP recommends for retail-based clinics.

    View Retail-based Clinics Standards Position

    Use of Terms Such as Mid-level Provider and Physician Extender

    Getting terminology right is key to getting health care right. Some terms, such as mid-level provider or physician extender, are inaccurate and misleading to the public when referring to NPs. Gain an understanding of why AANP endorses clear title use for NPs.

    View Use of Terms Position

     

    Discussion Papers

    Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

    The evolution of existing master’s programs to doctoral programs can strengthen programs and NP practice. Read AANP’s position on the shift in the academic preparation of nurses in advanced practice.

    View DNP Paper

    Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

    NPs must complete an accredited graduate program and achieve advanced clinical training beyond their initial professional registered nurse preparation. Read AANP’s affirmation of core elements in NP curriculum.

    View NP Curriculum Paper

    Quality of Nurse Practitioner Practice

    The body of literature supports the position that NPs provide safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, equitable and evidenced-based care. Review the summary of research supporting the value NPs bring to their patients.

    View NP Quality Paper

    Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners

    As licensed, independent clinicians, NPs practice autonomously and in coordination with health care professionals and other individuals. Learn more with this overview of the role, education, accountability, and responsibility of NPs.

    View Scope of Practice Position

    Standards of Practice for Nurse Practitioners

    Whether you are just starting your path to becoming an NP, have been practicing for decades or are simply interested in NP practice, gain valuable information about NPs with this overview of AANP-developed Standards of Practice.

    View Standards of Practice Paper

    Clinical Practice Briefs

    2013 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guideline on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk

    The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) recently released several guidelines to prevent cardiovascular diseases and improve the management of these diseases.

    View the Practice Brief

    American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Rhythm Society Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

    These 2014 recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) explore atrial fibrillation (AF), a supraventricular tachycardia characterized by uncoordinated atrial activation and ineffective contraction.

    View the Practice Brief

    Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Summary

    Among the multiple published professional breast cancer screening guidelines, three commonly used guidelines are summarized here: the American Cancer Society (ACS), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines.

    View the Practice Brief

    Clinical Practice Guideline: Allergic Rhinitis

    The purpose of the guideline, developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, is to discuss quality improvement for all clinicians and to promote accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

    View the Practice Brief

    Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Summary

    Among the multiple published professional colorectal cancer screening guidelines, two widely used guidelines are summarized here: the American Cancer Society (ACS) and United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines.

    View the Practice Brief

    Genetic Counseling and Testing by Advanced Practice Providers

    In an online search through the National Guideline Clearinghouse, only two general non-disease-specific guidelines out of more than 100 different clinical guidelines address genetic counseling and testing.

    View the Practice Brief

    Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2020

    The original Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease* (GOLD) was released in 2001 and was revised in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020, based on scientific literature. The 2020 report follows the same model as previous reports.

    View the Practice Brief

    Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults

    This long-awaited updated guideline on the management of hypertension in adults differs from its predecessor (Seventh Joint National Committee [JNC 7]) in a number of ways.

    View the Practice Brief

    Measles: Recommendations for Assessment, Treatment and Prevention

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance for health care providers on the assessment, treatment and prevention of measles in Measles for Healthcare Professionals.

    View the Practice Brief

    Menopausal Symptoms: Comparative Effectiveness of Therapies

    The Agency for Quality Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a report from 2015 comparing effectiveness of therapies for menopausal symptoms.

    View the Practice Brief

    Opioids for Chronic, Non-cancer Pain: A Position Paper of the American Academy of Neurology

    AAN has reviewed the literature and issued a position paper regarding long-term use of opioids in the treatment of non-cancer pain. This review summarizes the position paper as it has direct application for advanced nursing practice.

    View the Practice Brief

    Pharmacological Management of Obesity: Obesity Management Association (OMA) 2020 Obesity Algorithm

    The OMA 2020 Obesity Algorithm discusses the management of obesity and includes pharmacologic guidance as an adjunct in the foundational treatment of obesity: diet, activity and behavioral interventions.

    View the Practice Brief

    Practice Guideline Update: Acute Treatment of Migraine in Children and Adolescents

    The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) provides multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines based on evidence-based practice, including these on counseling, diagnosis, evaluation, management and treatment for acute migraine in children and adolescents.

    View the Practice Brief

    Practice Guideline Update: Preventive Treatment of Migraine in Children and Adolescents

    AAN provides multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines based on evidence-based practice, including these best practices on counseling, diagnosis, evaluation, management and treatment for preventive migraine in children and adolescents.

    View the Practice Brief

    Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

    A recently updated practice parameter from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) offers revised guidelines for assessing and treating children and adolescents (at or younger than 17 years of age) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

    View the Practice Brief

    Primary Care Diagnosis and Management of Adults With Depression

    The 2014 updated guideline was compiled by the Michigan Quality improvement Consortium. The recommendations were drawn from a synthesis of published studies, existing protocols and national guidelines.

    View the Practice Brief

    Primary Care Management of Headaches in Adults

    Toward Optimized Practice (TOP) of Alberta, Canada, provides multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines that are based on evidence-based practice.

    View the Practice Brief

    Sleep Disorder Management Diagnostic Treatment Guidelines Summary

    AIM Specialty Health
    ®
     (AIM) issued updated guidelines on polysomnography and home sleep testing in 2019. AIM promotes safe, cost-effective and appropriate specialty services. Guidelines are devised based on grading of evidence.

    View the Practice Brief

    Strategies to Prevent Clostridium Difficile Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update

    The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) along with the American Hospital Association and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) have collaborated in updating these guidelines.

    View the Practice Brief

    Definitions