Tag: Clinical-Nursing

NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay

Research a health care organization or network that spans several states with in the United States (United Healthcare, Vanguard, Banner Health, etc.). Assess the readiness of the health care organization or network you chose in regard to meeting the health care needs of citizens in the next decade.

Prepare a 1,000-1,250 word NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay paper that presents your assessment and proposes a strategic plan to ensure readiness. Include the following:

Describe the health care organization or network.

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Describe the organization’s overall readiness based on your findings.

Prepare a strategic plan to address issues pertaining to network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction.

Identify any current or potential issues within the organizational culture and discuss how these issues may affect aspects of the strategic plan.

Propose a theory or model that could be used to support implementation of the strategic plan for this organization. Explain why this theory or model is best.

Prepare this NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required

 

NRS-451, Health Care Organizations

Introduction

Organizational leadership and management play a major role in meeting the healthcare needs of American citizens. The demographics within the US are constantly changing, as well as the changing diversity of patients’ needs (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Therefore, strategic planning is necessary for the healthcare organizations within the US, to ensure that the future health needs of populations are met. This NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay paper provides an analysis regarding the ability of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) to meet consumer needs. Additionally, the strategic plan for HCA will be provided.

Description of the Organization

HCA is a for-profit healthcare-management organization within the US, that was established in 1968. The organization was privatized in 1989 and in 1990 it acquired over 130 acute-care and mental hospitals, located within the US (Stinnett & Wrather, 2018). HCA headquarters is at Nashville, Tennessee and currently, it owns and operates approximately 186 hospitals and about 2,000 care sites, which include urgent care centers, clinics, and surgical centers within the 21 American states, and the UK. HCA is among the largest hospital-management organizations within the US in providing healthcare services. It provides healthcare clinics, surgical centers, outpatient care, among other different healthcare facilities. Even though HCA provides traditional care services, it has been a pioneer in the fast-growing hospital-management and for-profit medical-services industry; therefore, HCA has attained a strong international presence. The organization was privatized in 1989 and in 1990 it acquired over 130 acute-care and mental hospitals, located within the US (Stinnett & Wrather, 2018).

The Readiness of HCA to meet Health Care Needs

The American healthcare industry is typified by increasingly high healthcare costs, and also the country’s populations are becoming sicker with chronic diseases, due to the longer life expectancy (Raghupathi & Raghupathi, 2018). To be able to meet healthcare needs, the organization has invested in various healthcare services to support its consumers. For example, the organization has heavily invested in acute care services, nursing homes, as well as in the mental healthcare industry. Additionally, the organization continues to invest heavily in the education of healthcare professionals and leadership programs for its workers and affiliates. HCA employs about 280,000 staff members, who include 98,000 nurses and 47,000 physicians (Paulson, 2020). HCA healthcare professionals are qualified and have the required competencies and skills to provide high-quality and safe care. This makes HCA an organization of choice for Americans when they seek healthcare services.

Strategic Plan

Growth

The growth of any organization is based on its financial strength, the competency of its personnel, reputation, as well as the uniqueness of its product offering. For a long time, HCA has been financially strong and this has put the organization at a competitive organization. The organizational personnel is also a strong component as the organization employs competent healthcare organizations. HCA also offers its workers competitive salaries and has a profit-sharing model, an aspect that has consistently motivated the personnel. The business strategy of being among the leading healthcare services providers within the healthcare industry facilitates the personnel elements since the HCA facilities remain appealing employment preferred locations to healthcare providers
.
The uniqueness of HCA’s product offerings as well as its reputation on quality services have significantly contributed to its continuous growth. The organization has also invested heavily in health education and continues to expand its operations in different locations. Accordingly, HCA should continue to invest heavily in employing the most competent healthcare providers and in technology to provide healthcare to more consumers effectively and efficiently. The organization should also continue expanding its operations in various locations to reach wider populations.

Resource Management

Management of resources at HCA is decentralized and thus each organizational administrator develops and manages its own budget, establishes individual pricing systems, and determines the services to provide. The organization headquarters uses a computerized digital monitoring system to evaluate and measure each hospital’s efficiency regarding the other healthcare organizations in the HCA network. Inefficiencies can then be addressed fast and promptly while allowing specific healthcare organizations to function independently. NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay HCA needs to continue using the decentralized system to manage its resources and operations, and at the same time involve the corporate personnel to manage its resources (Liwanag & Wyss, 2018).

Staffing

HCA employs about 280,000 staff members, who include 98,000 nurses and 47,000 physicians. The organization’s personnel is qualified with the required skills and competency to provide high-quality services
(
Paulson, 2020). However, recently the organization has experienced a shortage of nursing staff. To address the shortage, the organization has invested heavily in healthcare education programs to ensure the supply of healthcare practitioners within the healthcare industry. HCA needs to continue employing qualified personnel, provide educational opportunities to healthcare professionals, and also recruit more nursing staff to address the shortage of nurses in the organization.

Patient Satisfaction

HCA provides high-quality care services and patient-centered care to ensure patient satisfaction. HCA facilities have skilled nurses and specialist doctors who are highly coordinated and provide high-quality care to improve the patient experience. HCA needs to continue investing in strategies aimed to improve patient satisfaction, such as providing personalized care, ensuring cultural competency among healthcare providers, and investing in technologies that enhance the patient experience (Berkowitz, 2016).

Issues in the Organizational Culture

The culture at HCA prioritizes the needs of patients and embraces diversity, teamwork, and collaboration. The organization also priorities the provision of high-quality care. To continue leading the healthcare industry, the organization needs to cultivate a culture of innovation, collaborative practice, and research. The organizational management should continue supporting its employees to ensure a shared vision towards achieving the organizational goals.

Theory to Support the Strategic Plan

Roger’s innovation diffusion theory can be very helpful during the implementation of the strategic plan. According to the theory, the five phases of implementing proposed changes include “knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and finally confirmation.” The theory is thus suitable to implement the strategic plan because the “knowledge” phase has been addressed already (Mohammadi et al., 2018). The next step should be persuading and convincing suitable stakeholders to support strategic plans. After analyzing the benefits and shortcomings of the proposed strategic plan a decision should be arrived at to implement the strategic plan NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay.

NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay Conclusion

HCA was established in 1968 and it operates various facilities within the US and UK. Since, its inception, the organization has invested heavily in acquiring various healthcare organizations. Currently, the organization employs about 280,000 staff members. To maintain the leading position in the healthcare industry, HCA needs to continue expanding its operations, employing competent healthcare practitioners, supporting its personnel, and recruiting more nurses to address the shortage of nursing staff.

 

 

References

Berkowitz, B. (2016). The patient experience and patient satisfaction: measurement of a complex dynamic.
The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing
,
21
(1).

Liwanag, H. J., & Wyss, K. (2018). What conditions enable decentralization to improve the health system? Qualitative analysis of perspectives on decision space after 25 years of devolution in the Philippines.
PLoS One
,
13
(11), e0206809.

Mohammadi, M. M., Poursaberi, R., & Salahshoor, M. R. (2018). Evaluating the adoption of evidence-based
practice
using Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory: a model testing study.
Health promotion perspectives
,
8
(1), 25–32 NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations Essay.

Paulson D. (2020).
HCA Healthcare celebrates workers with a virtual concert, ‘With Gratitude’
. Nashville Tennessean.

Raghupathi, W., & Raghupathi, V. (2018). An Empirical Study of Chronic Diseases in the United States: A Visual Analytics Approach.
International journal of environmental research and public health
,
15
(3), 431.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030431

Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for Nursing.
Orthopedic nursing
,
36
(1), 12–25.

Stinnett J & Wrather M. (2018). Timeline: How HCA grew from a startup into a behemoth.
Nashville Business Journal
, 1(1). NRS-451 HealthCare Organizations
Essay

For this Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern assignment, the student must first select a healthcare policy concern. The concern must be a community-based, public health policy concern. Student may not use healthcare entities or organizational concerns occurring within a private or public healthcare facility. Scholarly evidence supporting the concern must be presented that provides a comprehensive picture of the selected healthcare concern as well as the student-identified solution. The elected official whom the student will interview is also identified in this paper.

Criteria for Content

Overview of healthcare policy: This section introduces healthcare policy. It should contain the following elements:
Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession
Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy
Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
Identification of selected healthcare policy concern: This section provides foundational information regarding the student-selected healthcare policy concern. It should contain the following elements:
Specifically identify the selected healthcare policy concern
Description of the impacted population group
Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including:
How frequently does it occur? Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern
What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
Description of student-identified solution to the selected healthcare concern: This section presents a comprehensive picture of the student-selected solution to the selected healthcare concern. It should contain the following elements:
Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern
Identify the following areas:

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What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented?
What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation?
What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation?
What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented?
What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
Identification of elected official: This section identifies the elected official that the student will present the selected healthcare concern and its solution to. It should contain the following elements:
The name of the elected official Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern
The position of the elected official
Explanation of why this individual was selected
Conclusion: This section provides a comprehensive and concise review of the key elements of the assignment.
Preparing the Assignment

Criteria for Format and Special Instructions

The paper (excluding the title page and reference page) should be at least 6, but no more than 10 pages. Points will be lost for not meeting these length requirements.
Title page, body of paper, and reference page must follow APA guidelines as found in the current edition of the manual. This includes the use of headings for each section of the paper except for the introduction where no heading is used.
A minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research-based scholarly references must be used of which 2 may be empirical evidence from state and county website data… (Check with your instructor regarding .org or .gov sites). Required textbook for this course, dictionary and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. For additional assistance regarding scholarly nursing references, please see the course Library Guide. Be aware that information from .com websites may be incorrect and should be avoided. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to submission of the assignment.
Ideas and information from scholarly, peer reviewed, nursing sources must be cited must be cited within the text of the paper as well as appearing in the reference list with correct APA format.
Rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation are followed and consistent with formal, scientific writing.
This assignment must be submitted to TurnItInâ„¢ (TII) as required by the TurnItInâ„¢ policy. To allow sufficient time for revision, early submission of the assignment to TurnItInâ„¢ is highly encouraged. The final submission will be graded by faculty. If a TurnItinâ„¢ report indicates that plagiarism has occurred, the Academic Integrity policy will be followed.
Rubric
W2 HealthCare Policy Concern (NOV18)
W2 HealthCare Policy Concern (NOV18)
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOverview of Healthcare Policy
20 pts
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all the following elements: • Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession • Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy • Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
18 pts
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all the following elements: • Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession • Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy • Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
16 pts
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all the following elements: • Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession • Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy • Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
8 pts
Presentation of information in one of the following elements fails to meet expectations: • Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession • Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy • Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
0 pts
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two or more of the following elements: • Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession • Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy • Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdentification of Selected Healthcare Policy Concern
60 pts
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all the following elements: • Specifically identify the selected healthcare concern • Description of the impacted population group • Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including: o How frequently does it occur? o What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
53 pts
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all the following elements: • Specifically identify the selected healthcare concern • Description of the impacted population group • Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including: o How frequently does it occur? o What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
48 pts
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all of the following elements: • Specifically identify the selected healthcare concern • Description of the impacted population group • Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including: o How frequently does it occur? o What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
23 pts
Presentation of information in one of the following elements fails to meet expectations: • Specifically identify the selected healthcare concern • Description of the impacted population group • Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including: o How frequently does it occur? o What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
0 pts
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two or more of the following elements: • Specifically identify the selected healthcare concern • Description of the impacted population group • Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including: o How frequently does it occur? o What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
60 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDescription of Student-identified Solution to the Selected Healthcare Policy Concern
70 pts
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all the following elements: • Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern • Identify the following areas: o What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation? o What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation? o What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
62 pts
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all the following elements: • Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern • Identify the following areas: o What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation? o What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation? o What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
56 pts
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all the following elements: • Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern • Identify the following areas: o What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation? o What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation? o What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
27 pts
Presentation of information in one of the following elements fails to meet expectations: • Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern • Identify the following areas: o What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation? o What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation? o What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
0 pts
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two or more of the following elements: • Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern • Identify the following areas: o What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation? o What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation? o What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented? o What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved
70 pts Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdentification of Elected Official
30 pts
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all the following elements: • The name of the elected official • The position of the elected official • Explanation of why this individual was selected
26 pts
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all the following elements: • The name of the elected official • The position of the elected official • Explanation of why this individual was selected
24 pts
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all the following elements: • The name of the elected official • The position of the elected official • Explanation of why this individual was selected
11 pts
Presentation of information in one of the following elements fails to meet expectations: • The name of the elected official • The position of the elected official • Explanation of why this individual was selected
0 pts
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two or more of the following elements: • The name of the elected official • The position of the elected official • Explanation of why this individual was selected
30 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusion
25 pts
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all the following element: Provides a summary of key elements from the assignment
22 pts
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all the following element: Provides a summary of key elements from the assignment
20 pts
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all the following element: Provides a summary of key elements from the assignment
10 pts
Presentation of information in one of the following elements fails to meet expectations: Provides a summary of key elements from the assignment
0 pts
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory: Provides a summary of key elements from the assignment
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePaper Specifications
15 pts
This section included all of the following: Paper meets length requirements of 6 to 10 pages. Minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research scholarly nursing references A dictionary, required textbook for this course and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information, may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to assignment submission.
13 pts
This section included three of the following: Paper meets length requirements of 6 to 10 pages. Minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research scholarly nursing references A dictionary, required textbook for this course and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information, may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to assignment submission.
12 pts
This section included only two of the following: Paper meets length requirements of 6 to 10 pages. Minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research scholarly nursing references A dictionary, required textbook for this course and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information, may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to assignment submission.
6 pts
This section included only one of the following: Paper meets length requirements of 6 to 10 pages. Minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research scholarly nursing references A dictionary, required textbook for this course and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information, may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to assignment submission.
0 pts
This section included none of the following: Paper meets length requirements of 6 to 10 pages. Minimum of 6 (six) appropriate research scholarly nursing references A dictionary, required textbook for this course and Chamberlain College of Nursing lesson information, may NOT be used as scholarly references for this assignment. References are current – within a 5-year time frame unless a valid rationale is provided and the instructor has approved them prior to assignment submission.
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA Format
10 pts
APA guidelines, as per the 6th edition of the manual, are demonstrated for the • title page, • running head, • body of paper (including citations and headings), and reference page One deduction for each type of APA format error 0 to 1 APA error was present
9 pts

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APA guidelines, as per the 6th edition of the manual, are demonstrated for the • title page, • running head, • body of paper (including citations and headings), and reference page One deduction for each type of APA format error 2 – 3 APA errors were present
8 pts
APA guidelines, as per the 6th edition of the manual, are demonstrated for the • title page, • running head, • body of paper (including citations and headings), and reference page One deduction for each type of APA format error 4 – 5 APA were are present
4 pts
APA guidelines, as per the 6th edition of the manual, are demonstrated for the • title page, • running head, • body of paper (including citations and headings), and reference page One deduction for each type of APA format error 6 – 7 APA were are present
0 pts
APA guidelines, as per the 6th edition of the manual, are demonstrated for the • title page, • running head, body of paper (including citations and headings), and reference page One deduction for each type of APA format error 8 or greater APA errors were present
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCitations in Text
10 pts
There were 0-1 errors in the crediting of ideas, and information that contributed to knowledge
9 pts
There were 2-3 errors in the crediting of ideas, and information that contributed to knowledge
8 pts
There were 4-5 errors in the crediting of ideas, and information that contributed to knowledge
4 pts
There were 6-7 errors in the crediting of ideas, and information that contributed to knowledge
0 pts Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern
There were 8 or greater errors in the crediting of ideas, and information that contributed to knowledge
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting Mechanics
10 pts
1–2 errors or exceptions to the rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation and other aspects of formal written work as found in the 6th edition of the APA manual
9 pts
3 – 4 errors or exceptions to the rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation and other aspects of formal written work as found in the 6th edition of the APA manual
8 pts
5 – 6 errors or exceptions to the rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation and other aspects of formal written work as found in the 6th edition of the APA manual
4 pts
7 – 8 errors or exceptions to the rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation and other aspects of formal written work as found in the 6th edition of the APA manual
0 pts
9 or greater errors or exceptions to the rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation and other aspects of formal written work as found in the 6th edition of the APA manual
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLate Deductions
0 pts
0 pts lost – submission met deadline
0 pts
Student does not meet the deadline for submission 10% per day up to 30% total (3-days)
0 pts
Total Points: 250 Identification of Healthcare Policy Concern

NRNP 6540 Week 5 Case Assignment – 
Case Title:

A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Ms. Jones is a 67-year-old female who is brought to your office today by her daughter Susan. Ms. Jones lives with her daughter and is able to perform all activities of daily living (ADLs) independently. Her daughter reports that her mother’s heart rate has been quite elevated, and she has been coughing a lot over the last 2 days. Ms. Jones has a 30-pack per year history of smoking cigarettes but quit smoking 3 years ago. Other known history includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, vitamin D deficiency, and hyperlipidemia Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing. She also reports some complaints of intermittent pain/cramping in her bilateral lower extremities when walking, and has to stop walking at times for the pain to subside. She also reports some pain to the left side of her back, and some pain with aspiration.

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Ms. Jones reports she has been coughing a lot lately, and notices some thick, brown-tinged sputum. She states she has COPD and has been using her albuterol inhaler more than usual. She says it helps her “get the cold up.” Her legs feel tired but denies any worsening shortness of breath. She admits that she has some weakness and fatigue but is still able to carry out her daily routine. Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Vital Signs: 99.2, 126/78, 96, RR 22

Labs: Complete Metabolic Panel and CBC done and were within normal limits

CMP Component

Value

CBC Component

Value

Glucose, Serum

86 mg/dL

White blood cell count

5.0 x 10E3/uL

BUN

17 mg/dL

RBC

4.71 x10E6/uL

Creatinine, Serum

0.63 mg/dL

Hemoglobin

10.9 g/dL

EGFR

120 mL/min

Hematocrit

36.4%

Sodium, Serum

141 mmol/L

Mean Corpuscular Volume

79 fL

Potassium, Serum

4.0 mmol/L

Mean Corpus HgB

28.9 pg

Chloride, Serum

100 mmol/L

Mean Corpus HgB Conc

32.5 g/dL

Carbon Dioxide

26 mmol/L

RBC Distribution Width

12.3%

Calcium

8.7 mg/dL

Platelet Count

178 x 10E3/uL

Protein, Total, Serum

6.0 g/dL

 

 

Albumin

4.8 g/dL

 

 

Globulin

2.4 g/dL

 

 

Bilirubin

1.0 mg/dL

 

 

AST

17 IU/L

 

 

ALT

15 IU/L

 

 

 

Allergies: Penicillin

Current Medications:

Atorvastatin 40mg p.o. daily

Multivitamin 1 tablet daily

Losartan 50mg p.o. daily

ProAir HFA 90mcg 2 puffs q4–6 hrs. prn

Caltrate 600mg+ D3 1 tablet daily

Diagnosis: Pneumonia

Directions:
Answer the following 10 questions directly on this template.

Question 1: What findings would you expect to be reported or seen on her chest x-ray results, given the diagnosis of pneumonia? Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Question 2: Define further what type of pneumonia Ms. Jones has, HAP (hospital-acquired pneumonia) or CAP (community-acquired pneumonia)? What’s the difference/criteria?

Question 3:

3A) What assessment tool should be used to determine the severity of pneumonia and treatment options?

3B) Based on Ms. Jones’ subjective and objective findings, apply that tool and elaborate on each clinical factor for this patient.

Question 4: Ms. Jones was diagnosed with left lower lobe pneumonia. What would your treatment be for her based on her diagnosis, case scenario, and evidence-based guidelines?

Question 5: Ms. Jones has a known history of COPD. What is the gold standard for measuring airflow limitation?

Question 6: Ms. Jones mentions intermittent pain in her bilateral legs when walking and having to rest to stop the leg pain/cramps. Which choice below would be the best choice for a potential diagnosis for
this
? Explain your reasoning. Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

Intermittent Claudication

Cellulitis

Electrolyte Imbalance

Question 7: Ms. Jones mentions intermittent pain in her bilateral legs when walking and having to rest to stop the leg pain. What test could be ordered to further evaluate this?

Question 8: Name three (3) differentials for Ms. Jones’ initial presentation.

Question 9: What patient education would you give Ms. Jones and her daughter? What would be your follow-up instructions?

Question 10: Would amoxicillin/clavulanate plus a macrolide have been an option to treat Ms. Jones’ Pneumonia? Explain why or why not.

 

 

67-year-old with Tachycardia & Cough

Question 1: Expected Findings on Chest X-Ray Results,

The presence of white infiltrates in the lungs may be seen on an x-ray, which can be utilized to confirm the infection.

Question 2: Type of Pneumonia Ms. Jones has

Mr. Jones is suffering from community-acquired pneumonia. CAP is contracted outside of a clinical environment (Poovieng et al., 2022). As far as we know, Ms. Jones did not contract the illness from the hospital or care facility. As such, her type of pneumonia cannot be hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Question 3A: Assessment Tool Used to Determine the Severity of Pneumonia and Treatment Options

A CURB-65 calculator is an assessment tool that can be used to determine the severity of a person’s community-acquired pneumonia. This tool gives points for confusion and blood urea nitrogen, which is an older patient who is severely sick might be caused by a number of different things.

Question 3B: Application of the Assessment tool Based on Subjective and Objective Findings

CURB-65 stands for confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, BP, age 65 and over (Ilg et al., 2018). It is evident that Ms. Jones understands her symptoms and is not confused; her BUN level is 17 mg/dl; she has an RRR of 22; her systolic pressure is 126; she’s 67 years old. The CURB-65 score for Ms. Jones is 1, which suggests that she should receive outpatient treatment.

Question 4: Treatment Based On Diagnosis, Case Scenario, and Evidence-Based Guidelines

Levofloxacin 750 mg PO daily for five days would be my recommendation for Ms. Jones, given her history of penicillin allergy and the intensity of her condition. For intermittent claudication, I would also prescribe 100 mg of cilostazol PO twice a day. Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Question 5: Gold Standard for Measuring Airflow Limitation

Spirometry is necessary for Ms. Jones due to her history of COPD. Spirometry is the standard method for confirming the presence of COPD and determining the best course of therapy (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, 2020).

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Question 6: Best Choice for a Potential Diagnosis

Intermittent claudication is a possible diagnosis in this case. The most prevalent cause of intermittent claudication is a peripheral atherosclerotic artery, which causes leg pain while exerted and alleviates it when resting. Symptom progress has not been provided in the case study. If the symptoms progress quickly, they are probably not caused by atherosclerosis but rather by a nonatherosclerotic claudication etiology like atherothrombosis and arteritis (Patel, S & Surowiec, 2021).

Question 7: Test to Evaluate Intermittent Pain in Bilateral Legs

The ideal test would be the Ankle-brachial index (ABI). The blood pressure in the arm and ankle are compared during this sort of testing. An arterial blockage or obstruction may be present if there is any discrepancy between the two measurements (Herraiz-Adillo et al., 2020).

Question 8: Three Differentials for Ms. Jones’ Initial Presentation

COPD exacerbation, Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema, and Influenza

Question 9: Patient Education and Follow-Up Instructions

The patient and her daughter should be taught that unvaccinated individuals, particularly those with concomitant conditions like hypertension and COPD, are at an increased risk of developing life-threatening pneumonia (Seo et al., 2020). The patient should be instructed to drink lots of fluids, cough many times a day, and do deep breathing exercises.

There should be a follow-up appointment within the next two to three weeks. If the cough becomes more severe, the patient should contact a healthcare practitioner. Similarly, if the patient’s legs continue to hurt, she should see the doctor.

Question
10
: Would amoxicillin/clavulanate plus a macrolide have been an option to treat Ms. Jones’ Pneumonia?

The patient may be prescribed amoxicillin/clavulanate together with a macrolide regardless of her comorbid conditions. Because of its ability to increase mucociliary clearance and minimize the inflammatory reaction, this combination has been recommended to enhance health outcomes (Ito et al., 2019). Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

 

 

References

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. (2020). GOLD spirometry guide. 

GOLD Spirometry Guide

Herraiz-Adillo, Á., Cavero-Redondo, I., Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pozuelo-Carrascosa, D. P., & Solera-Martínez, M. (2020). The accuracy of toe brachial index and ankle brachial index in the diagnosis of lower limb peripheral arterial disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 
Atherosclerosis
, 
315
, 81-92. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2020.09.026

Ilg, A., Moskowitz, A., Konanki, V., Patel, P., Chase, M., Grossestreuer, A., & Donnino, M. (2018). 1054: Performance of curb-65 in predicting critical care interventions in patients with pneumonia. Critical Care Medicine, 46(1), 511-511. 
https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ccm.0000529060.29903.34

Ito, A., Ishida, T., Tachibana, H., Tokumasu, H., Yamazaki, A., & Washio, Y. (2019). Azithromycin combination therapy for community-acquired pneumonia: propensity score analysis. Scientific Report, 9(18406). 
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54922-4

Patel, S. K., & Surowiec, S. M. (2021). Intermittent claudication. In 
StatPearls [Internet]
. StatPearls Publishing. Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Poovieng, J., Sakboonyarat, B., & Nasomsong, W. (2022). Bacterial etiology and mortality rate in community-acquired pneumonia, healthcare-associated pneumonia and hospital-acquired pneumonia in Thai
university
hospital. 
Scientific Reports
, 
12
(1). 
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12904-z

Seo, W. J., Kang, J., Kang, H. K., Park, S. H., Koo, H., Park, H. K., Lee, S., Song, J. E., Kwak, Y. G., & Kang, J. (2022). Impact of prior vaccination on clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19. 
Emerging Microbes & Infections
, 
11
(1), 1316-1324. 
https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2022.2069516
  Case Title: A 67-year-old With Tachycardia and Coughing

Summative 4: Literature Search-How does spirituality play a vital role in labor and delivery?

 

Summative 4: Literature Search

 

How does spirituality play a vital role in 
labor and delivery
?

 

 

Find
5 studies to support the research question you developed in Week 1. You must include quantitative and qualitative evidence for this assignment.

 

Write
a 700- to 1,050-word literature review that includes the following:

An overview of each study in which you discuss:

Research method, design, concepts or variables, sample, data collection, and data analysis

The major conclusions from each study

A discussion of how the conclusions of each study relates to your proposal topic

A synthesis of the information from the studies

A discussion of how you would use the literature you gathered to support your research question

A summary of any additional information that is needed from the literature

Summative 4: Literature Search-How does spirituality play a vital role in labor and delivery?

 

Format
your assignment according to APA guidelines, including title and reference pages.

 

 

Top of Form

 

Summative 4: Literature Search

 

How does spirituality play a vital role in 
labor and delivery
?

 

 

Find
5 studies to support the research question you developed in Week 1. You must include quantitative and qualitative evidence for this assignment.

 

Write
a 700- to 1,050-word literature review that includes the following:

An overview of each study in which you discuss:

Research method, design, concepts or variables, sample, data collection, and data analysis

The major conclusions from each study

A discussion of how the conclusions of each study relates to your proposal topic

A synthesis of the information from the studies

A discussion of how you would use the literature you gathered to support your research question

A summary of any additional information that is needed from the literature

 

Format
your assignment according to APA guidelines, including title and reference pages. Summative 4: Literature Search-How does spirituality play a vital role in labor and delivery?

Case of the Sweaty Salesman

This week’s topic is: The Case of the Sweaty SalesmanMichael is a thirty-year-old salesman who spends approximately 4 days each week traveling to visit with customers in his region. During his routine physical he casually mentions to his physician that he seems to be sweating more profusely than normal and most rooms that once were comfortable are now too ”hot”. He thought that it was simply due to the change in seasons and companies being slow to turn down the thermostats from the winter temperatures, however, this problem seems to persist even when he is at home. A room that his wife and children find to be comfortable causes him to sweat profusely. Michael also reports that he seems to be losing weight even though his appetite has increased. He also complains that he has a shortened attention span and that he always wants to be moving around. Despite the fact that he feels fatigued, Michael claims to have difficulty sleeping and seems to have more frequent bowel movements, occasionally accompanied by diarrhea. The physician checks Michael’s medical history and finds that indeed he has lost 15 pounds since his last physical. Wanting to rule out the possibility of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the physician asks Michael questions about his sexual history and practices and finds that he is not at risk for HIV infection. Also in checking his chart, the physician finds that Michael has a negative history for chronic illnesses, does not smoke, and has a low risk for cardiovascular disease. He does, however, have a positive family history for autoimmune diseases. His father suffers from idiopathic thrombocytopenia, his mother has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and his oldest sister was recently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Results of Michael’s physical examination were within normal ranges with the exception of the following: he demonstrated tachycardia, loud heart sounds, and apparent cardiac arrhythmia accompanied by slight hypertension. The arrhythmia was confirmed by the electrocardiogram to be supra-ventricular in origin. Michael’s eyeballs appeared large and protruding and his hair was fine and soft. He was also beginning to demonstrate some degree of alopecia. Michael was also observed to have palmar erythema. Palpation of the neck revealed the presence of goiter. Results of blood tests indicated elevated concentrations of thyroid hormones (thyroxin and triiodothyronine),hypercalcemia, and decreased circulating concentrations of lipids. Based on the physical characteristics and the results of the blood tests, Michael’s physician suspected that Michael was suffering from some form of hyperthyroidism and sent him to an endocrinologist to confirm the initial diagnosis Case of the Sweaty Salesman. Following the initial consultation and examination, the endocrinologist ordered tests to determine whether Michael was indeed hyperthyroid. The test results indicated an elevation in the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood and the presence of thyroid-stimulating antibodies. These antibodies specifically stimulate the thyroid gland by binding with the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor located on the plasma membrane of the follicular cells of the thyroid gland. Based on these results, the endocrinologist concluded that Michael had Grave’s disease, a form of hyperthyroidism believed to be autoimmune in nature. Michael was presented with a number of possible treatment options. These included treatment with chemicals (propylthiouracil and methimazole) that decrease the production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland, radio-isotopic destruction of the thyroid gland by the use of 131I, and surgical removal of the thyroid gland. After considering all the options, especially the possible effects of radiation on gamete development, Michael chose surgery.  Following successful surgery, Michael was prescribed synthetic thyroid hormone to ensure that his body was receiving adequate thyroid hormone and told to return within 2 months for a follow-up evaluation of circulating thyroid hormone concentrations. He was also cautioned to carefully monitor his calcium intake. Using the the terms covered this week
answer
the following questions about this case: Why would an imbalance in thyroid hormones have such a widespread effect on the body? Why was goiter observed in Michael’s case? Given that Michael and his wife may want to have more children, why was radio-isotopic, for the destruction of the thyroid gland, ruled out? Case of the Sweaty Salesman

NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

S:
Subjective

Information the patient or patient representative told you

SOAP Note Template

 

ORDER HERE

Initials: Click or tap here to enter text.

Age: Click or tap here to enter text.

Gender: Click or tap here to enter text.

Height

Weight

BP

HR

RR

Temp

SPO2

Pain Rating

Allergies (and reaction)

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Medication: Click or tap here to enter text.

Food: Click or tap here to enter text. NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

Environment: Click or tap here to enter text.

 History of Present Illness (HPI)

Chief Complaint (CC)

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CC is a BRIEF statement identifying why the patient is here – in the patient’s own words – for instance “headache”, NOT “bad headache for 3 days”.  Sometimes a patient has more than one complaint.  For example: If the patient presents with cough and sore throat, identify which is the CC  and which may be an associated symptom NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

O
nset

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L
ocation

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D
uration

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C
haracteristics

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A
ggravating
Factors

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R
elieving Factors

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T
reatment

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Current Medications:
Include dosage, frequency, length of time used and reason for use; also include OTC or homeopathic products.

Medication

(Rx, OTC, or Homeopathic)

Dosage

Frequency

Length of Time Used

Reason for Use

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Past Medical History (PMHx) –
Includes but not limited to immunization status (note date of last tetanus for all adults), past major illnesses, hospitalizations, and surgeries. Depending on the CC, more info may be needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social History (Soc Hx) –
Includes but not limited to occupation and major hobbies, family status, tobacco and alcohol use, and any other pertinent data. Include health promotion such as use seat belts all the time or working smoke detectors in the house NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family History (Fam Hx) –
Includes but not limited to illnesses with possible genetic predisposition, contagious or chronic illnesses. Reason for death of any deceased first degree relatives should be included. Include parents, grandparents, siblings, and children. Include grandchildren if pertinent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review of Systems

(ROS):
Address all body systems that may help rule in or out a differential diagnosis Check the box next to each positive symptom and provide additional details.

Constitutional

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

Skin

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

HEENT

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

☐Fatigue Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Weakness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Fever/Chills Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Weight Gain Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Weight Loss Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Trouble Sleeping Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Night Sweats Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other:

Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Itching Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Rashes Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Nail Changes Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Skin Color Changes Click or tap here to enter text.

NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

☐Other:

Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Diplopia Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Eye Pain Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Eye redness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Vision changes Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Photophobia Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Eye discharge Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Earache Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Tinnitus Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Epistaxis Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Vertigo Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Hearing Changes Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Hoarseness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Oral Ulcers Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Sore Throat Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Congestion Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Rhinorrhea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other:

Click or tap here to enter text.

 

Respiratory

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

Neuro

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

☐Cough Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Hemoptysis Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Dyspnea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Wheezing Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Pain on Inspiration Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Sputum Production

Choose an item.

Choose an item.

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☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

☐Syncope or Lightheadedness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Headache Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Numbness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Tingling Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Sensation Changes

Choose an item.

☐Speech Deficits Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Chest pain Click or tap here to enter text.

☐SOB Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Exercise Intolerance Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Orthopnea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Edema Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Murmurs Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Palpitations Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Faintness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Claudications Click or tap here to enter text.

☐PND Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

 

MSK

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

 

GI

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

GU

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

PSYCH

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

☐Pain Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Stiffness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Crepitus Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Swelling Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Limited ROM Choose an item.

☐Redness Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Misalignment Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Nausea/Vomiting Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Dysphasia Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Diarrhea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Appetite Change Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Heartburn Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Blood in Stool Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Abdominal Pain Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Excessive Flatus Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Food Intolerance Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Rectal Bleeding Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other:

 

 

 

☐Urgency Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Dysuria Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Burning Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Hematuria Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Polyuria Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Nocturia Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Incontinence Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

 

☐Stress Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Anxiety Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Depression Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Suicidal/Homicidal Ideation Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Memory Deficits Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Mood Changes Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Trouble Concentrating Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Other: Click or tap here to enter text.

GYN

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

Hematology/Lymphatics

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

Endocrine

If patient denies all symptoms for this system, check here:  ☐

☐Rash Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Discharge Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Itching Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Irregular Menses Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Dysmenorrhea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Foul Odor Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Amenorrhea Click or tap here to enter text.

☐LMP: Click or tap here to enter text.

☐Contraception Click or tap here to enter text.

 

☐Other:Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

 

☐Anemia Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Easy bruising/bleeding Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Past Transfusions Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Enlarged/Tender lymph node(s) Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Blood or lymph disorder Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Other Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

 

 

☐ Abnormal growth Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Increased appetite Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Increased thirst Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Thyroid disorder Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Heat/cold intolerance Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Excessive sweating Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Diabetes Click or tap here to enter text.

☐ Other Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O:
Objective

Information gathered during the physical examination by inspection, palpation, auscultation, and percussion. If unable to assess a body system, write “Unable to assess”. NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template Document pertinent positive and negative assessment findings. Pertinent positive are the “abnormal” findings and pertinent “negative” are the expected normal findings. Separate the assessment findings accordingly and be detailed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body System

Positive Findings

 

 

Negative Findings

General 

  Choose an item.

 

 

Click or tap here to enter text.

 

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Skin

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Click or tap here to enter text.

 

Click or tap here to enter text NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template.

HEENT

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Respiratory

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Neuro

 

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Cardiovascular

 

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Musculoskeletal

 

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Gastrointestinal

 

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Genitourinary

 

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Psychiatric

 

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Gynecological

 

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Problem List

1.     Click or tap here to enter text.

6.  Click or tap here to enter text.

11. Click or tap here to enter text.

2. Click or tap here to enter text.

7. Click or tap here to enter text.

12. Click or tap here to enter text.

3. Click or tap here to enter text.

8.  Click or tap here to enter text.

13. Click or tap here to enter text.

4. Click or tap here to enter text.

9. Click or tap here to enter text.

14. Click or tap here to enter text.

5. Click or tap here to enter text.

10. Click or tap here to enter text.

15. Click or tap here to enter text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Assessment

Medical Diagnoses. Provide 3 differential diagnoses (DDx) which may provide an etiology for the CC. The first diagnosis (presumptive diagnosis) is the diagnosis with the highest priority. Provide the ICD-10 code and pertinent findings to support each diagnosis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagnosis

ICD-10 Code

Pertinent Findings

 

 

 

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NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

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P:

Plan

Address all 5 parts of the comprehensive treatment plan. If you do not wish to order an intervention for any part of the treatment plan, write “None at this time” but do not leave any heading blank. No intervention is self-evident. Provide a rationale and evidence-based in-text citation for each intervention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagnostics:
List tests you will order this visit

 

Test

Rationale/Citation

 

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Medications:
List medications/treatments including OTC drugs you will order and “continue meds” if pertinent.

Drug

Dosage

Length of Treatment

Rationale/Citation

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NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

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Referral/Consults: 

Click or tap here to enter text.

Rationale/Citation

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Education:

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to enter text.

Rationale/Citation

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Follow Up:
Indicate when patient should return to clinic and provide detailed symptomatology indicating if the patient should return sooner than scheduled or seek attention elsewhere. 

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Rationale/Citation

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References

Include at least one evidence-based peer-reviewed journal article which relates to this case. Use the correct current APA edition formatting.

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NR511_ihuman SOAP_Note_Template

iHuman Patients Guide

i-Human Patients Case Player Student Manual

Table of Contents

1. Student introduction to the i-Human Patients Case Player 3–6

a. History-taking and physical examination

b. Problem list

c. Problem statement

d. Creating a differential diagnosis

e. Plan

f. Summary

g. References

h. Customized case flow and instructions

ORDER HERE

2. Getting started 7–9

a. Login instructions

b. Watching videos

c. How to find an assigned case

i-Human Patients® – Student Manual

i-Human Patients, Inc. Page 3

1. Student Introduction to the i-Human Patients Case Player

The i-Human Patients (IHP) Case Player is an Internet (cloud) application which enables students to

interact with virtual patients for the purpose of learning patient-assessment and diagnostic-reasoning

skills. With IHP, you will be able to independently interview, examine, diagnose, and treat virtual

patients and receive expert feedback on your performance iHuman Patients Guide.

The program is designed to help you achieve the following goals:

 Learn how to assess a patient, to ask the right questions and perform the right physical exams

for the patient’s problem, and to identify and organize pertinent findings.

 Learn a structured diagnostic-reasoning process, write a concise problem statement, select

and rank hypotheses (differential diagnoses), and order and interpret tests.

 Develop a treatment/management plan.

 Learn basic-science concepts that underlie the clinical aspects of the case.

Within each major section of the case you will be able to compare your work with the expert’s version.

History-taking and physical examination

Most clinical interactions begin with taking the patient’s history, a process that should be systematic

and complete. IHP will help you to develop question efficiency: that is, to limit your questions to those

that are appropriate for the patient’s chief complaint, associated symptoms, and pertinent past

medical history. The patient’s history is the subjective portion of the assessment. It reflects the

patient’s self-assessment and memory of events.

The physical examination is the next component of the patient evaluation. You will select and perform

various exams, as driven by the history of the present illness and any supportive information.

Again, while it is important to be comprehensive, your goal is to perform a targeted and efficient

physical examination by selecting only those exam components relevant to, and otherwise suggested

by, the patient’s presentation iHuman Patients Guide. The physical examination is the objective portion of the assessment:

Your findings should be measurable, accurate, and reproducible.

Throughout the process of conducting the history and physical exam, you should add any/all pertinent

findings to the problem list located along the left-hand side of the screen. The problem list can be

updated at any time as you proceed through these sections.

You can achieve greater efficiency in conducting the history and physical examination by developing

the differential diagnosis as you go. The questions you pose to the patient and the exam components

that you select will, in turn, help to further characterize and refine the differential diagnosis.

Problem list

The problem list is located vertically along the left-hand side of the screen. You will add key findings to

the list as you progress through the history and physical sections of the case.

Each entry should have no more than five words. You should attempt to translate the findings into

more precise medical terminology. Here are some examples:

i-Human Patients® – Student Manual

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Patient says                                    Translation

Came on suddenly last night………………  Acute onset

It comes and goes………………… Episodic; recurrent

The pain is 9/10……………… Severe pain

Red blood in my stool……………… Hematochezia

Shortness of breath while lying flat……………… Orthopnea

Physical examination                 Translation

Swollen legs…………… Edema

Red…………………………………… Erythematous

Sleepy and slow to respond……………… Lethargic

Slurring words……………… Dysarthric

Seeing things……………… Visual hallucinations

The problem list should include all key findings (abnormalities) throughout the entire history-gathering

process:

 Chief complaint

 History of current illness, including all associated symptoms

 Review of systems

 Past medical history

 Family history

 Social history

The iHuman Patients Guide problem list should also be inclusive of all key findings (abnormalities) throughout all aspects of

the physical examination:

 Vital signs

 Mental status

 General exam

Pertinent negatives, while clinically important, should not be listed on the problem list. They may be

entered in the Notes Section for your own review and planning purposes.

Each entry on the problem list is then ranked relative to the specific patient’s presentation:

 Most significant active problem (MSAP)

 Related

 Unrelated

 Unknown

 PMH/Resolved

Problem statement

The problem statement is a succinct paragraph that synthesizes the following:

 Patient identifiers; i.e., age, gender, race/ethnicity (if pertinent), critical PMH

Example: The patient, a 74-year-old black male with known coronary artery disease, presents

with . . .

 Presenting complaint/s

 Key findings translated into medical terminology

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The problem statement should be concise and complete, but not a simple restatement of the problem

list. Rather, key findings should be consolidated if they relate to the same problem or potential

diagnosis. For example, chest pain, shortness of breath, and smoking history might all be addressed

in the same sentence.

The number of words allowed in the problem statement will be limited. Do not construct the differential

diagnosis here, as it will be addressed in the sections that follow.

Selecting hypotheses: Creating the differential diagnosis

The next sections of the i-Human case involve the creation of a rank-ordered and prioritized

differential diagnosis. There are several steps in this process: iHuman Patients Guide

Categorization:

You will choose the organ systems relevant to the differential diagnosis for this specific case.

Hypotheses:

You will next select specific hypotheses (disease states or diagnoses) which would explain, or

account for, the patient’s presentation.

Hypothesis ranking:

After selecting your hypotheses, you will next rank them:

 Leading; i.e., the one (or two, maximum) hypotheses highest on the differential diagnosis

 Alternative; i.e., possible, but less likely hypotheses

 Additionally, each hypothesis may be marked as must-not-miss; i.e., a disease/condition,

which, if missed, could result in severe consequences, including the patient’s death.

Tests:

Next you will choose appropriate diagnostic studies to test your hypotheses. You are not expected to

be an expert in diagnostic testing; in fact, you may have had little or no formal training in this regard.

However, much of this will call upon common sense. For example, if you are concerned that the

patient may have pneumonia or lung cancer, then ordering a chest x-ray may give you vast amounts

of information. Also, it can be academically rewarding to “virtually jump in” and diagnose patients in a

structured learning environment.

Associate tests with hypotheses:

After selecting diagnostic tests, you will be asked to associate each selected test with one or more of

your hypotheses. A test may not be ordered unless it is testing a hypothesis; that is, each test that you

order must have
a purpose.

You will see how data derived from diagnostic testing can support or detract from a given hypothesis

and/or differentiate between various diagnoses.

Diagnosis:

The final step in the hypothesis selection and testing section is to designate the final diagnosis, as

based upon clinical data generated throughout the case development.

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It is the synthetic interpretation of all case data (history, physical, and test results) that allows you to

diagnose your patient!

In the world of i-Human Patients, it is the clinical reasoning leading up to the point of diagnosis that is

more important than obtaining the correct diagnosis. Uncertainty is a natural part of the practice of

medicine.

Treatment / management plan

You will next write a treatment plan and, if appropriate, a long-term management plan.

Summary

The summary section contains the learning objectives for the specific case, important “take-away”

considerations and pearls — both clinical and basic-science — and a brief case summary and patient

disposition.

References

The references section cites resources used by the case author, as well as useful media resources for

the student.

Customized case flow and student instructions

Student instructions are set at the time the case is assigned, not when the case is authored.

A given case can be used to satisfy many different learning objectives. For example, one instructor

might choose to emphasize the quality of a student’s patient-assessment skills; he/she might choose

to grade the student’s ability to select only history questions and physical-exam components

appropriate for the given patient’s chief complaint.

Another instructor might choose to emphasize the quality of the student’s problem statement; while

yet instructor might emphasize the student’s performance on embedded questions and exercises.

Cases need not utilize all of the features of the i-Human program. For example, a case can consist of

just a history, physical exam and problem statement. Similarly, a case can provide a preconstructed

history and physical exam and have the student focus solely on hypothesis selection and ranking.

A case can be assigned in learning mode or test mode. In learning mode, students will receive step by-step feedback. Such feedback compares the student’s work product with that of the expert. As

well, the student’s selections are updated and brought into line with those of the expert so as to avoid

deviation too far from the design of the case. In test mode, no feedback is provided and the student’s

choices are not corrected.

Lastly, instructors can indicate whether embedded quizzes and exercises must be completed before

proceeding to the next section; and, within a given exercise group, whether the questions must be

completed in a set sequence, or completed by the student in any order.

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Getting Started

Login instructions

1. A link will be sent to your email address. Click on the link and select a unique password.

2. Go to www.i-human.com and click on the LOGIN button.

3. Enter your email address and password. If you forgot your password, click on the Forgot your

password? link and follow the instructions.

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Watch the training videos

Watch the five screencast video tutorials to learn how to play an i-Human Patients case. Familiarizing

yourself with the complete student experience first will help you become a better case navigator!

Find and select your case assignments

To find your case assignment, click on the Assignments tab.

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To select your case assignment, click on the green arrow.

To
launch
your case assignment, click on Start Case. iHuman Patients Guide

iHuman Documentation Guide

Use this guide to help you complete documentation within the iHuman Virtual Patient Encounter. All documentation for the patient visit must be entered into the iHuman platform.

 

EMR Documentation

 

Use the Patient Record to document pertinent information related to your history and physical exam. You are able to access and update the patient record any time while you are playing your assignment by clicking on the Show Patient Record button. Click the iHuman Documentation Guide Hide Patient Record button to return to your patient.

Include pertinent information for the focused assessment using the tabs within the EMR:

EMR tips

Chief complaint (CC) is a BRIEF statement identifying why the patient is here – in the patient’s own words – for instance “headache”, NOT “bad headache for 3 days”. Sometimes a patient has more than one complaint.  For example, if the patient presents with cough and sore throat, identify which is the CC and which may be an associated symptom

Use OLD CARTS to document history of present illness (HPI)

Be sure to include all past medical history, medications, and allergies.

Include reaction/response to each allergen.

Include dosage, frequency, length of time used and reason for use for each medication; also include OTC or homeopathic products.

Limit preventive health, family, and social history to findings pertinent to the HPI.

Social history may include but not limited to occupation and major hobbies, family status, tobacco and alcohol use, and any other pertinent data. Include health promotion such as seat belt use all the time or functional smoke detectors in the house, etc.

Family history may include but not limited to illnesses with possible genetic predisposition, contagious or chronic illnesses. Reason for death of any deceased first-degree relatives should be included, for example, parents, grandparents, siblings, and children. Include grandchildren if pertinent.

In your review of systems (ROS), address all body systems that may help rule in or out a differential diagnosis. Limit ROS documentation to positive and negative findings pertinent to focused health history. Describe findings; do not use WNL.

Information gathered during the physical examination by inspection, palpation, auscultation, and percussion should be documented under physical exam. Limit physical exam documentation to findings pertinent to your focused assessment based on the chief complaint. If unable to assess a pertinent body system, write “Unable to assess”. Document pertinent positive and negative assessment findings iHuman Documentation Guide. Pertinent positive are the “abnormal” findings and pertinent “negative” are the expected normal findings. Separate the assessment findings accordingly and be detailed. Describe findings; do not use WNL.

 

 ORDER IHUMAN, EXAM OR WRITTEN PAPER HERE

 

Key Findings

Add key findings at any time during your history or physical exam by clicking the + sign. Key findings may be organized using the up and down arrows. You will organize the key findings further in the Assessment step.

 

Problem Statement

 

Problem Statement: Document a problem statement using professional language. You will include pertinent demographic data, a brief description of the HPI and other pertinent subjective findings, and a brief description of pertinent objective findings. Use the data that you collected and documented in your EMR and summarize the data in the problem statement. Note that the problem statement has a 155-word limit. iHuman Documentation Guide A sample problem statement is shown below.

 

 

 

Management Plan

 

Using
the expert diagnosis provided, create a comprehensive treatment plan using professional language. Use headings to address all 5 parts of the comprehensive treatment plan. If you do not wish to order an intervention for any part of the treatment plan, write “None at this time” but be sure to address each area. No intervention is self-evident. Provide a rationale and evidence-based in-text citation for each intervention. Include at least one appropriate, evidence-based, scholarly source to support your decisions. A sample management plan is shown below.

 

Management Plan Tips:

Diagnostic tests: Appropriate tests have been provided within the iHuman case. Include the tests ordered in your management plan. Do not include results. You need not provide rationale or citation for diagnostic tests.

Medications/treatments: List medications/treatments including OTC drugs you will order and “continue meds” if pertinent. Include appropriate, evidence-based treatment recommendations. Explain the rationale for your decisions and provide support from scholarly literature with an in-text citation.

Consults/referrals: Provide a list of appropriate referrals. Include a rationale for each and provide support from scholarly literature with an in-text citation.

Client education: Provide documentation of appropriate client education. Include a rationale and provide support from scholarly literature with an in-text citation.

Follow-up: Indicate when patient should return and provide detailed symptomatology indicating if the patient should return sooner than scheduled or seek attention elsewhere.

Be sure to include the full reference for all in-text citations used. You will not be able to use italics for the title of your journal article within iHuman documentation.

You
need
only 1-2 EBP references for the SOAP note. Each reference must support your selection of interventions and guide clinical decision making. The best references are national guidelines or treatment protocols.

You may choose to complete the SOAP note within a Word document and copy/paste to the iHuman Plan tab when complete iHuman Documentation Guide.

As a nurse taking care of several parents, ethical issues in nursing are inevitable. Nursing ethics are growing more complicated in today’s healthcare system. These ethical issues come in different ways and can manifest in the patients themselves, the treatment, or when it comes to making grave decisions. When seeking to provide the best medical health care, nurses must also tick to the issued formal code of ethics for nurses.

What are ethical issues in nursing

High ethical issues are essential for nursing. These ethical issues fall under a broader medical and health ethics category related to the moral obligation to all medical and healthcare services.

A typical approach to health ethics builds upon fundamental principles when assessing the nature and challenges of a medical health care procedure.

Autonomy: To preserve the patient’s independence and ascertain their wants.

Justice: Use the proper procedures to set healthcare spending caps and treat all patients fairly.

Beneficence: Pursue the patient’s best interests and determine what constitutes the goals to be achieved.

Non-maleficence: Identify the problems that should be avoided.

These guidelines can assist healthcare providers in identifying ethical issues and resolving them by speaking with patients regarding their wants and needs.

A quick overview of ethical issues in nursing

Ethics are crucial to the nursing profession’s honorableness since it helps provide the best healthcare to the patients. A
nursing career
is as lucrative as it is challenging, and nurses worldwide face similar challenges. Most of these challenges emanate from decision-making, moral obligations, and proper staffing, among other issues.

With more and more people joining the nursing profession daily, most are unaware of the ethical issue of nursing. Much experienced nurse supervisors and CNOs must therefore step up and help address ethical issues in nursing.

Failure to effectively handle these ethical issues could result in a drop in the quality of patient care, moral stress, and distorted clinical relationships. The nurse supervisors will face more pressure in matters of ethical issues in nursing since they are the ones that new nurses will look up to for guidance and mentorship in the challenging nursing field. All nursing departments, therefore, need to work in tandem to ensure that they make the appropriate ethical decisions and always keep in mind the needs of all the parties involved.

Common examples of legal and ethical issues in nursing

Although each day in nursing presents unique obstacles, many hospital administrators describe experiencing the same ethical issues. A recent study determined that protecting patients’ rights, staffing, advanced care planning, and decision-making were the most common and difficult ethical circumstances.

The problem is made worse by the influx of new nurses without much practice who haven’t dealt with ethical dilemmas in their profession. As a result of obstacles like these, competent hospital administrators are more important than ever for meeting the demands of everyday healthcare across the country.

Some more instances of typical ethical issues in nursing are as follows:

Spirituality vs Science

Healthcare, which is science-based and results-oriented, may conflict with one’s personal or religious convictions. Some faiths forbid using life-saving measures and medical procedures. Nurses concentrate on providing medical care to lessen suffering, and free patients start to focus on self-care.

The emphasis may be on following stringent rules for patients or their families with strong religious or spiritual beliefs. Nursing professionals are expected to honor the differences of the patient, including the value system, lifestyle, and
religious beliefs
according to the ANA Code of Ethics. Appreciation for a concept, however, “does not indicate that the nurse personally endorses those ideas or actions.”

Autonomy vs beneficence

Although patients have the option to decline medications, nurses are compelled to provide them. Despite having well-defined needs, patient autonomy can conflict with medical recommendations. Patients can refuse all medical care. The ANA emphasizes the demand for nurses and nurse managers comprehend patient histories and unique circumstances to explain the medical necessity to patients.

According to ANA, applying ethical principles to find a solution should be done in a setting of kindness, respect, candor, and openness. To be effective, this method must adhere to the highest ethical standards and be grounded in the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice standards.

Healthcare needs versus resource allocation

Hospital administrators are becoming more in conflict with patient requirements and budgetary restrictions as healthcare costs rise. Patients risk not receiving the necessary care because several medical facilities have insufficient resources. These resources include anything from medical technology to medical personnel. According to research, nurse supervisors should involve staff in planning so they may fully understand requirements and desires.

Honesty versus information withholding.

To preserve the patients’ feelings, relatives may desire to keep health information from sick people. Nevertheless, patients have a right to information regarding their medical issues. It can be difficult to disclose this information, especially if it contradicts the family’s beliefs. The ANA promotes honesty as a crucial element in nurse-patient interactions.

4 consequences of avoiding ethical issues in nursing

Nurses encounter ethical issues regardless of the area of nursing or institution type. Nurses need to be able to identify when faced with an ethical problem and develop strategies for balancing their values with their profession.

Adverse outcomes can result from avoiding ethical challenges. Some examples of what could happen if nurses don’t deal with ethical issues in nursing are provided below.

Legal problems

Legal trouble might arise when nurses try to avoid dealing with ethical dilemmas. There may be significant legal consequences to some ethical concerns. Avoiding ethical issues in nursing is never a wise idea. As an alternative, the issue should be addressed to the right people, such as supervisors, and dealt with properly to avoid legal complications.

Burn out

One of the most common problems nurses face is burnout. Ethical issues in nursing area fertile ground for anxiety-related problems. Nurses must therefore identify any signs of burnout and find solutions as soon as possible. Not doing so can increase stress levels, resulting in poor service among nurses.

Loss of license

Losing a nursing license is a severe consequence of avoiding some ethical common ethical issues in nursing. If this happens, the nurse may lose their right to work. It’s often wise for nurses to admit when they’re in a bind and ask for guidance from superiors before it’s too late to save their job or license.

Loss of jobs

Nurses who avoid morally challenging situations risk being fired. If a nurse fails to confront an ethical issue at work, they may face disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Current ethical issues in healthcare

Compared to illegal actions, ethical choices tend to have less severe repercussions. There is no requirement under law that a healthcare administration assures patients that wait times will decrease in an overcrowded emergency room. But it can be morally sound for them to voice the problem with the panel of administrators. Here is a list of current ethical issues in healthcare.

The confidentiality of medical records

For instance, concealing information concerning a patient’s illness could be unethical since it could hurt the patient or someone else. The contrary might be dangerous too. A medical practitioner could be suspended or, sometimes, sacked for posting information about cases on social media.

Despite how accidental such a practice can be, HIPPA statutes ban any release of health information on social media channels because a patient immediately loses any expectation of privacy associated with such disclosures.

Do-Not-Resuscitate Commands

If a patient stops breathing or their heart stops beating, a doctor can write a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order instructing medical staff not to do CPR. The DNR doesn’t have instructions for additional therapy and can only be approved after a physician consult with the patient.

When it is unclear whether or not a patient has the mental capacity to make a DNR decision, ethical questions may arise.

Access to Care

Given the peak availability of health care insurance, Americans without coverage have difficulty receiving medical treatments. With the rise in healthcare resource demands, financial expenditures that cover the resources are pretty significant, and hospitals pull down the price. Protecting people from financial risks associated with their health is also encouraged by the WHO. Institutions and healthcare providers face difficult questions regarding this advice and the debate over cost and access.

Malpractice and negligence

According to a study published in BMJ magazine, medical mistakes are the third most significant cause of death in the U.S. Patients negatively impacted by the declining number of malpractice lawsuits may never fully recover. There are those for whom this could take years.

The high-risk aspect of the healthcare field can enhance the chance of malpractice. Administrators, like doctors and nurses, must ensure that patients receive the most basic treatment possible to protect themselves from legal action. Hospitals can be liable for negligence in medical malpractice if they use substandard equipment, make an incorrect diagnosis, or fail to diagnose a patient promptly.

Physician-assisted suicide

The term “physician-assisted suicide” refers to the practice of committing suicide with the assistance of a medical professional. In the most fundamental sense, only a doctor is technically allowed to participate. The American College of Physicians reports that efforts to legalize PAS are rising despite the profession’s ethical solid opposition to the practice (ACP).

Common ethical issues in nursing

The dignity of the nursing field and improved outcomes for patients depend critically on nursing ethics. The ANA’s nursing code of ethics, which addresses numerous aspects of patient care and offers assistance in resolving the biggest ethical challenges in nursing today, including the five described below, binds nurses in all settings and roles. Here are some of the ethical issues in nursing.

Agressive interventions

Another ethical issue in nursing is whether to provide unnecessary care or make aggressive interventions amid the patient’s increasing decline.

Artificial hydration and nutrition

The most challenging topic for patients, families, and staff is artificial hydration and nourishment.

The opioid crisis

The opioid crisis has also given rise to ethical problems in nursing. As they wrestle with the ethical issue of whether a course of action is ideal for their patient’s health, nursing staff must abide by the ethical regulations regarding the opioid issue.

Anti-Vaccine issues

When discussing childhood vaccines, ethical questions about autonomy vs beneficence can spark a contentious discussion. Parents can choose not to vaccinate their children, but doing so may endanger public health and lead to the resurgence of previously wiped illnesses.

When removing barriers to vaccination, a nurse must try to ascertain why a parent is against vaccination, give them factual information about the significance of immunization, and address their reluctance.

Managing patients who aren’t compliant

Emergency room nurses can face ethical issues when dealing with patients who blatantly need immediate medical attention but actively refuse it. Whereas a patient has the right to autonomy, the moral duty of a nurse is to fight for the necessary medical care.

A patient is entitled to decline any medical treatment, even if it means they may not survive, the nurse must try to provide care and give out recommended medications. While it is against
nursing ethics
to pressure patients into accepting medical treatment, a nurse must notify them of the need for it.

Typically, nurses collect signatures on consent papers, particularly for operations. When confronted with a circumstance in which the nurse is uncertain about whether the patient knows what he is being told or can read, the decision of whether to speak with the patient delay a busy schedule or have the doctor return and or clarify to the best of her ability and obtain the patient’s signature could be challenging.

The bottom line

Working in the healthcare industry, whether as an administrator, nurse, or doctor, can be highly satisfying and demanding at the same time. Uncertainty exists in the healthcare industry. Every choice, from a patient’s treatment to the money a health center requires, can spark disagreements.

Regardless of how difficult it is, healthcare professionals will need to ask themselves what the ethically right course of action is in a given situation. The list of ethical issues in nursing above contains most of the ethical issues in nursing. The nursing field keeps evolving, the more ethical issues in nursing.

If you think nursing is a challenging career, talk to a practicing nurse and learn what ethical means. Most often, you will be caught in between a rock and a hard place due to the decisions you will be required to make. This guide delves into the importance of ethics in nursing to avoid stress. Remember, adherence to nursing ethics will always leave you with a clean conscience.

Day after day, nurses complete hundreds of crucial, medically relevant duties. The choices they have to make occasionally put both their personal and professional integrity to the test. The code of ethics in nursing aids them in maintaining a secure healing environment and taking into account patients’ demands from various angles.

Ethical standards remind caregivers to treat everyone fairly and uniquely while upholding a patient’s right to confidentiality in a way that might not be immediately apparent. Along with taking complete accountability for their roles as caregivers, these suggestions urge caregivers to stand up for individuals in their care and pursue justice.

What is ethics in nursing?

At some point in life, situations that test your professional and personal knowledge of the importance of ethics in nursing can arise at your workplace. However, morally strong healthcare workers find ways to act morally even when no one else shares their convictions. Regardless of any adverse personal consequences that may occur, nurses who use this skill make an effort to conduct themselves in accordance with the nursing ethical standards.

The worst thing about the ignorance of ethics in nursing is a tarnished reputation, individual embarrassment, anxiety, exclusion by colleagues, boss or peer retaliation, and professional repercussions. So, it is high time to learn more about,’ what is ethics in nursing?’ No doubt, the character of the nurse should be as good as the knowledge they possess.

A safe, judgment-free environment is created for caregiving by ethical practitioners. Whenever an unexpected risk arises, a nurse acts to safeguard both the patient and oneself. Along with building close bonds with their patients, they also demonstrate empathy via their deeds and words. These connections encourage communication, which aids healthcare providers in identifying individualized and efficient care options.

Examples of ethics in nursing

Ethics in
nursing research
cover a variety of areas, all of which you must be well-versed in. before delving into the importance of ethics in nursing, let’s look at some of the critical examples of ethics topics in nursing

Accountability

Practitioners in nursing accept accountability for their activities. They are morally upright and uphold high standards at work. When it comes to patient safety, ethical nurses never try to go above and beyond what they are trained to accomplish.

Advocating for a patient

Nurses must dedicate themselves to acting as patient advocates to ensure that each patient’s particular requirements and desires are considered. The notion that individuals are entitled to choose how they wish to be treated and are educated about treatments in a way that suits their preferences is stated in the code of ethics for nurses. To make such decisions, patients must be in good
mental health
. If they are not, caregivers must help them reach conclusions.

Discretion

HIPAA prohibits nurses from disclosing sensitive patient data. The virtue of ethics in nursing also stresses maintaining patient case information confidentiality. This rule extends beyond preventing unauthorized individuals from accessing confidential information.

 The guideline advises caregivers to discuss cases when no one else is present or can overhear their conversation. This is certainly relevant in a context where patients or personnel may eavesdrop on clinical discussions.

Wholistic treatment

The physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of patients is taken into consideration as part of an integrated and holistic care model that responsible nurses actively promote. They collaborate with other healthcare experts to achieve and put this goal into practice as far as possible. They also aim to reduce risks to providing ethical, adequate services, such as misaligned public health objectives with local health needs.

Esteeming individual patients

Caregivers motivate their coworkers to be similarly proactive in upholding this standard by being educated about the people and communities they serve. Furthermore, a nurse respects everyone and always upholds an acceptable
professional limit
.

Promoting equality

Justice in nursing ethics encourages treating everyone fairly and forbids prejudice for whichever reason. This involves ensuring that the scarce healthcare funds are distributed in accordance with necessity. Caregivers build trust-based relationships with their patients by treating them fairly.

Where should you practice your ethics as a nurse practitioner?

Can you confidently and thoroughly describe the importance of the code of ethics in nursing? Kudos for the confidence. Here are some areas where you should attempt to apply your knowledge of ethical nursing considerations.

As a nurse practitioner, you must exercise great humility and adaptability. Healthcare practitioners are encouraged to apply these moral principles to their daily life by the nursing code of integrity. The American Nurses Association claims that nursing ethics covers numerous common issues. They include;

Moral courage, moral resilience, and moral distress

Bioethics

Advocacy

Caregiving

End-of-life issues

Importance of ethics in a nursing career

Are you in a daze and unaware of the importance of ethics in nursing? Nearly every day, nurses come into circumstances that call for a firm ethical foundation. They are assisted in navigating the hazy waters when the appropriate course of action is rarely obvious by education and resources like ‘The Codes.’

Therefore, this should be a no-brainer, but knowledge of the importance of ethics in nursing is a must. Below are some situations that nurses face that go to show just how vital these ethics are

Inadequacy of staff members and resources

Even though it’s not always a moral dilemma for specific nurses, hospital administrators and nurse supervisors need to be aware of the insufficient funding and staffing for patient care. Nurse leaders conflict with budgetary restrictions and patient needs as healthcare expenses rise.

Patients run the danger of not getting the proper care when medical facilities are short on resources, forcing a nurse to make challenging choices. When hospitals are confronted with insufficient employee numbers, tough decisions might also have to be taken. Nurses lack time to care for every patient as thoroughly if there is inadequate staff to care for the patients.

 Recovery times or even attending to the patient’s physical and emotional requirements are examples of the needs of the patient. Due to time constraints and stress overload, a nurse’s moral duties to a patient are jeopardized. They now have to battle mentally to determine where to put their priorities.

Obtaining well-versed consent

A patient’s agreement must be obtained before every treatment or surgery unless a patient is unconscious. The patient may occasionally decline medical care. Nurses make sure that the personnel abides by the patient’s requests. For nurses, the issue of informed consent sometimes raises ethical issues.

When there is a worry that patients or their families are not being told or do not comprehend the treatments employed on a person, a difficulty might arise. In some instances, patients might not always feel at ease questioning or giving consent because they do not completely understand the ramifications of their therapy.

Patients are more likely to adhere to a treatment program and have better results if they feel accepted and have confidence in their nurses and physicians. To avoid ethical problems, nurses should ensure that patients comprehend every aspect of their care plan.

Understanding all the hazards and the specifics of how an operation will be carried out, as well as how specific drugs and therapies may affect them, are among the details. If not, patient safety may be at risk, and hospitals may incur significant expenses. To acquire informed consent, healthcare professionals must take all reasonable steps to ensure that their patients know the treatment protocol.

Speaking about innovative care planning

Healthcare providers find it challenging to discuss advanced care planning, especially during end-of-life care discussions. These discussions occur amongst doctors and patients when they have to make arrangements for their long-term medical care if they leave this world or become too sick to do it themselves.

  Patients will investigate, talk about, and record their individual healthcare preferences. They are able to define their own beliefs and goals about possible medical care through this approach. Additionally, they will disclose to whom they wish to make healthcare judgments if they cannot decide for themselves.

The challenging duty of ensuring that these wishes are stated and respected in a medical crisis typically falls to nurses. For instance, a problem can arise if a patient requests not to be placed on a respirator, but their closest family insists otherwise. Despite the challenging scenario, caregivers must prioritize patients’ wants and desires, mainly when providing end-of-life care.

Maintaining patient confidentiality

Concerns over patient confidentiality and privacy are serious
ethical dilemmas
for nurses. This could have legal repercussions if performed improperly and negatively impact healthcare providers. There are clear limits and procedures for preserving patients’ privacy since HIPAA protects medical information about individuals.

A nurse must respect patient autonomy while upholding their patients’ rights and acting in their best interests. All healthcare personnel should respect patient autonomy, which is the freedom of patients to autonomously make choices regarding their care based on their individual or cultural belief systems.

Patients have the choice to reject treatments, drugs, or operations when they are autonomous. Nursing staff must respect this choice and carry it out even if it runs counter to advice from doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Telling the truth

One of the reasons why nurses have the best grade for honesty and ethics is that the majority of patients have faith in them. Caregivers must be honest even when delivering news that the patient may not wish to hear. Additionally, they rely on a patient to provide truthful data about their diseases, medications, and other difficulties.

Collective patient-decision production

When a healthcare professional fully controlled patient care in the past, a collective decision was a much more moral strategy to care delivery. When healthcare professionals and patients collaborate to determine the best option feasible for a patient’s treatment, this practice enhances patient autonomy.

By engaging in frank discussions about a patient’s background, beliefs, values, and cultures, healthcare professionals and patients can establish a trusted working relationship. Without a bond, nurses and other healthcare providers will have a tough time getting patients to comply and communicate effectively.  

Patients are much more likely to be content with medical care and have more faith in a doctor’s treatment recommendations when they fully engage in decision-making. Despite the fact that information shared with patients is difficult, healthcare practitioners should understand how important patient education is. Conflicts between the staff and patients may arise if a client is unable to comprehend the treatment.

Dealing with beliefs that conflict with experiential knowledge

Patients and their loved ones have the right to reject successful conventional care. For instance, blood transfusions are prohibited by some religions. Can the nurse go through the advantages of the suggested course of action? Alternatively, must the nurse honor the patient’s choice?

What are some of the ethical principles in nursing?

You are aware of the importance of ethics in nursing but do you know some of the ethical principles? Do you know that these principles eventually heighten patient care and outcome? Below are some of the ethical principles in nursing

Esteem for autonomy

The ability of individuals to make their own decisions is referred to as autonomy. This implies that nurses must ensure that patients are informed and have all the data they need to make decisions about their medical care. The nurses do not influence the choice of the patient.

Instances of nurses doing this include getting the patient’s consent for treatment with informed consent, understanding when the patient declines medication, and keeping confidentiality. By adhering to these principles, you demonstrate a high knowledge of the importance of a code of ethics in nursing.

Justice

Justice entails objectivity and fairness. This is demonstrated by nurses making unbiased medical decisions, irrespective of socioeconomic class, race, sexual orientation, etc., whether it relates to few resources or novel treatments.

Beneficence

Beneficence is charity and kindness, which calls for a nurse to take action to help others. Holding the hand of a patient who is dying is an illustration of a nurse exemplifying this ethical principle.

Non-maleficence

This implies that caregivers must not purposefully cause damage. As it pertains to medical competency, nurses are required to deliver a level of care that avoids or minimizes risk. Nurses can illustrate this idea by refraining from giving a patient subpar care.

Bottom line

As a nurse, you must have been drawn to nursing because of an innate desire to care, serve, or help, right? Above are the most common importance of ethics in nursing that should remind you why you do what you do. Nursing is an art and hence requires exclusive devotion. You are right where you should be!