BSN4020 All Discussions Latest 2017 March

BSN4020 Unit 1 Discussion 1 & 2

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Using Evidence-Based Health Assessments

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During your BSN program, you have been introduced to the importance of using an evidence-based model for practice. In this discussion, you will explore evidence-based techniques and strategies that can be used when conducting health assessments by reflecting on the following elements:

Based on your independent research, identify and discuss existing best practices for conducting a health assessment.

• Identify and discuss key factors included in an assessment at various levels (community, group, or individual).
• Analyze the impact of information systems, technology, and telecommunication on direct and indirect patient care and nursing practice in relation to conducting a health assessment.

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one peer, offering constructive feedback or opportunities to extend the discussion.

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Health Assessment Strategies in Professional Practice

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As part of your Unit 3 assignment, you will be asked to conduct an assessment of a particular population. For this discussion, consider the following questions:

1. What population are you considering choosing and why?
2. What are the key factors you intend to include in your assessment?
3. How will you use your knowledge of assessment to complete this particular assessment?
4. What additional challenges might you face based on the population you have selected?

Feel free to ask your peers to help with any questions you might have, give advice or counsel on a particular direction you want to go, or consult with them in any other way you would find helpful.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers. Collaboration is often the key to good outcomes. Offer questions to clarify thinking, observations to expand thinking, and encouragement to keep forward movement.

BSN4020 Unit 2 Discussion 1 & 2

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The Role of Communication, Collaboration, and Teamwork

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For a patient to have an optimal outcome, it requires the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. Effective communication, collaboration, and teamwork are critical elements to the welfare of our patients. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Identify key factors that enhance communication.
• Describe potential barriers to communication.
• Explore how communication can impact a patient’s experience both positively and negatively.

Discuss the Joint Commission’s stance on communication and identify tools that can be used to promote patient safety. What have you seen in professional practice? If you have not had the opportunity to witness this, what communication strategies could be used to enhance patient safety?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

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Participation in a Multidisciplinary Team

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Identify and discuss key elements to functioning effectively in a collaborative team environment.

• In terms of patient outcomes, identify the benefits to multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Describe the challenges that might arise when working with a diverse group of individuals.
  • Consider the variety of backgrounds, educational levels, professional roles, personalities, et cetera.
• Describe the team that will be the audience of your presentation.
  • As you think about your Health Assessment presentation, what challenges might the team present?
  • What elements do you think will come into play to function effectively with this group?
  • What things will you particularly have to pay attention to?
• Describe how might you adjust your presentation to effectively communicate with this group of people.
  • What are several strategies that you can identify to help overcome these challenges in an effort to enhance professionalism and foster optimal patient outcomes?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one learner. What can you add to their general discussion? What counsel can you give for their particular situation?

BSN4020 Unit 3 Discussion 1

Population Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

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In an effort to improve patient outcomes, healthcare providers have begun to shift their mindset from one of treating a disease or disorder to promotion of health and disease prevention. For this discussion, select a specific population and consider the following:

• Identify the population you will be working with.
• Based on current literature, discuss strategies to identify the specific needs of your selected population.
  • What are the fundamental concepts of health promotion and disease prevention?
• Discuss the positive and negative factors that can affect health promotion and disease prevention in your selected population.
  • Can you identify any cultural, psychological, or spiritual factors that may influence the health promotion and disease prevention of this population?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 4 Discussion 1 & 2

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Cultural Differences

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Identify the culturally diverse population you have selected for your Unit 5 assignment.

• Provide background information and characteristics of this group.
• Identify areas of concern derived from your assessment of this group.
• What are the basic concepts of health promotion and disease prevention?
• Explain both the positive and negative factors that can affect health promotion and wellness for these populations in general, and the one you are focusing on in particular.
• What barriers to communication may be present, and how might you overcome them?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

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Cultural Competence

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To provide quality healthcare to the entire population, healthcare workers and educators must be competent in their understanding of the relevant characteristics for the ethnic groups represented. This is true both of individuals and of the organizational culture as a whole. For this discussion, consider the following:

• What is cultural competence and what are its benefits to the patient, staff, and healthcare organization?
• Identify evidence-based strategies that organizations could employ to establish and maintain cultural competence.
• What barriers exist regarding cultural competence and how might they be overcome?
• Describe the cultural competence of your organization. How might it affect the content of or quality of the outcome of your Unit 5 assignment?
• Reflect on your personal cultural competence. What things will you personally need to be aware of as you complete your Unit 5 assignment?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 5 Discussion 1

Community and Public Health Nursing

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Historically, nurses have made significant contributions to the field of public health. Today, nurses continue to have a key role in identifying and developing plans of care to address local, national, and international health issues. For this discussion, consider the following:

• How do local healthcare decisions and practices impact global health and healthcare delivery?
• Discuss commonalities and barriers to effective healthcare practices at the local, national, and global levels.
• Explain the impact of policies, regulations, and laws on the ability to effectively provide healthcare services for specific populations.
• What organizations serve as resources and how can the information they provide assist us with caring for clients?
• What are your strategies for maintaining current awareness of trends in health concerns and best practices? How might you assist with policy development and implementation related to current health concerns?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate. Consider using journal sources in the field of global wellness, disease prevention, and international nursing.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 6 Discussion 1 & 2

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Quality Measures

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Healthcare quality standards are critical and provide a baseline against which measurement and evaluation are assessed. There are common performance measurement selection criteria for determining the standards. In addition, it is essential that organizations track their trends in quality improvement measurements in order to continue the improvement process. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Identify, compare, and contrast 2–3 external organizations that analyze quality improvement.
• Offer a brief description of the unit or organization where you work or have worked in the past.
• Identify and describe one healthcare quality standard that is applicable to your area.
• How does the performance of your unit or organization measure against local, regional, or national standards?
• What process is in place to monitor your unit or organization’s progress, and is this information disseminated to the staff? If so, how?
• Identify strategies that could maintain or improve your unit’s current quality performance.

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

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Patient Safety Initiatives

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In an effort to maintain a healing and caring environment, one of the most important things we can do for our clients is to ensure their safety. Engaging in quality assurance and process improvement strategies are one way to do this, but there are many others as well. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Identify one patient safety initiative that is in place or would be helpful in your unit or organization.
• What led you or your organization to this selection? What role do you think the risk management department plays in patient safety?
• How does (or could) your unit or organization measure its success with this initiative?
• What indirect impact could this initiative have (financial, satisfaction, and so on)?
• What strategies will you now incorporate into your daily practice to improve patient outcomes in terms of fostering patient safety?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 7 Discussion 1

Impact on Nursing Research and Technology

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Many times it is not enough to simply produce a good idea that you think may work to help patients. In order for an initiative to truly have a positive impact on the patient, you must explore the “why” behind it. This is where nursing research and evidence-based practice become essential to improving patient outcomes. In addition, recent developments in technology can help us reach our goals faster and more efficiently.

For this discussion, reflect on the safety initiative identified in the Unit 6 discussion Patient Safety Initiatives and consider the following:

• What evidence in the literature supports your identified safety initiative?
• How can the data from the initiative’s success measures be used to improve your processes or potentially help another organization dealing with the same issue?
• What role can nurses play in the data collection and analysis process?
• What technology modalities are, or may be, beneficial to your selected safety initiative, and why?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

As future leaders in the nursing profession, it is critical that you understand the scope and role of policy and finance in relationship to individual and population outcomes. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Where can you find current trends in policy and finance as they apply to healthcare in general? To your area specifically?
• Analyze the relationship between legislative processes and their impact on healthcare financing and service delivery systems.
• Analyze how financial reimbursement affects quality of care, and conversely, how quality of care affects financial reimbursement.
• Analyze the roles individual nurses and professional organizations play in influencing health policy.

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

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The Influence of Regulatory Agencies in Healthcare

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There are many regulatory bodies (both internal and external to an organization) that influence policy, standards and guidelines, and the scope of practice. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Discuss two regulatory entities that directly influence care delivery on your unit or at your organization.
• How can organizations stay abreast of current changes in regulations, standards, scope of practice, and so on? How should this information be communicated to the healthcare team?
• Analyze nursing leadership’s role in maintaining compliance with current standards.
• How will you apply your knowledge of regulatory agency compliance to your professional practice?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least two of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 9 Discussion 1

Organizational Analysis and Change Implementation

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To effectively implement any change within a healthcare organization, a thorough analysis of the organization is an essential first step. For this discussion, consider the following:

• Discuss the difference between microsystems and macrosystems.
• Describe the organizational structure of your healthcare facility.
• How are decisions made in your organization? Is the decision process centralized or decentralized?
• Discuss the incentives and forces that drive a shift toward quality improvement in healthcare.
• Analyze how standards and performance measurement can be used to promote quality improvement.
• What would be the process to initiate, implement, and sustain a process improvement change in your organization?
  • What barriers might be encountered and how could they be overcome?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.

BSN4020 Unit 10 Discussion 1

Your Professional Role

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Throughout your curriculum, you have been provided with the knowledge and tools to make a tremendous difference and contribution to the profession of nursing. As this course comes to an end, reflect on how your practice has already changed because of your new skill sets, and imagine the potential you still possess. For this discussion, consider the following:

• How has your perception of your professional role changed through your educational journey?
• How might you highlight or validate your acquired skill sets for a potential or current employer?
• Offer 1–2 examples of how you will apply the lessons you have learned with respect to patient advocacy, quality of care, and patient safety.
• Discuss 1–2 concerns you may have, and identify how you might initiate a change within your organization to solve these problems.
• What are your plans for remaining aware of current best practices in your area of interest or expertise?

Be sure to support your discussion with references to the literature as appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Respond to at least one of your peers, offering constructive feedback or opportunities for further discussion.