Health Care Environment that Impacts the Nursing Profession
Natural Disasters

The objective of this work in writing is to examine the issue of natural environment in terms of impacts on the nursing profession in the health care environment. Questions answered in this study include the question of what steps should the nursing profession take to prepare the profession for provision of health care during natural disasters.

It is the opinion of the writer of this work that special preparations should be undertaken by those in the nursing profession to prepare them to properly assist those in the health care environment seeking treatment during such as natural disasters.

rief Outline

Following this section in this study will be a brief introduction followed by a literature review in this area of study and next following will be an analysis of the information reviewed and then stated will be a conclusion to the study.

Introduction

Nurses are often reported…...

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Bibliography

Global Relief Efforts in Natural Disasters (2010) Canadian Nursing Student's Association. Jan 2010. Retrieved from:  http://www.cnsa.ca/english/publications/policies-and-position-statements/resolutions/global-relief-efforts-in-natural-disasters 

Olivia, F. et al. (2009) Nurses' Perception of Disaster: Implications for Disaster Nursing Curriculum. Nurse Education. Journal of Clinical Nursing 15, Nov. 2009. Retrieved from:  http://web.ebscohost.com.rap.ocls.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=185f38dc-6533-42c0-ac0b-1664fc9ec5d8%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=123 

Public Health -- Community Health Nursing Practice in Canada: Roles and Activities (2010) Canadian Public Health Association. 2010. Retrieved from:  http://www.cpha.ca/uploads/pubs/3-1bk04214.pdf 

Sebastian, SV (2003) Resiliency of Accomplished Critical Care Nurses in a Natural Disaster. Clinical Article. 1 Oct 2003. Vo. 23, No. 5. Critical Care Nurse. Retrieved from:  http://web.ebscohost.com.rap.ocls.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3d313e8a-ed28-4e35-ac92-08c52b4b0475%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=123

healthcare environment, Palese et al. (2011) argue there is no effective data to support that patients' satisfaction is correlated with a nursing care. Moreover, there is evidence revealing uncertainty in the nursing care environment since there is lack of identification of caring consequences. While the patient's satisfaction has been linked with nurses' caring behaviors, however, there is no empirical evidence to support "the effect of caring on patient's satisfaction." (Palese, Tomietto, Suhonen et al. 2011 p 342). Moreover, there is ongoing scientific debate to ascertain the meaning of caring with reference to a caring context, and working environment to support nurse is caring. Palese et al. (2011) also reveal that there is scanty of studies that focus on the "international cross-cultural nursing studies" (p 342) despite that the European Union has opened its border for free movement of nursing professional to enhance common base and safeguard equal opportunity that…...

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Reference

Palese, A. Tomietto, M. Suhonen, R. et al.(2011). Surgical Patient Satisfaction as an Outcome of Nurses' Caring Behaviors: A Descriptive and Correlational Study in Six European Countries. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 43 (4): 341 -- 350.

Burston, P.L., & Stichler, J.F. (2010). Nursing work environment and nurse caring: Relationship among motivational factor. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(8), 1819-1831.

a. Committee -- Attending physician and at least one attending nurse from shift; head physician of H; E administrator; representative from H; representative from Legal; Union representative (if appropriate); P representative; potentially GP depending on hospital relationship and legal vulnerability.

b. Testing of interventions -- likely establishment of at least two new protocols would be put in place; 1) heightened diligence and/or special considerations for certain pharmaceutical combinations with concurrent educational seminars and/or training sessions; 2) additional monitoring criteria based on patient history, combination of symptoms, severity of treatment. Impossible to do double blind studies on these implications, because a repeat of the action is not wanted; but using case analysis and review, potential negative outcomes could still be tested appropriately.

c. Pre-Steps for FMEA Preparation:

a. Collection and analysis of patient records during E visit.

b. Collection and analysis of patient file from GP or previous hospital visits.

c. Log of staff, patients, and…...

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REFERENCES

Drug Interactions Between Oxycodone and Diazapam. (2011, January). Retrieved January 2011, from Drugs.com:  http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/oxycodone-with-valium-1770-0-862-441.html 

Bluvband and Grabov. (2010, March). Failure Analysis of FMEA. Retrieved January 2011, from Advanced Logistics Department:  http://www.aldservice.com/en/articles/failure-analysis-of-fmea.html 

Joint Commission Resources Inc. (2005). Failure Mode and Effectgs Analysis in Health Care. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commissions Resource.

Latino, R. (2006). Root Cause Analysis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Changing Healthcare Environment
The changing Health care environment

Changing leadership and decision-making process

Developing of the prospect nurse leaders is among the greatest challenges that the nursing profession faces today despite the need for powerful leadership skills for all nurses. Any nurse who is in authority, such as one taking care of a patient, or a nurse responsible for assisting other nurses is a leader (Harris and oussel, 2010). One should not view leadership as a mere sequence of tasks or skills, but an attitude that affects behavior and that good leadership is reliable finer performance that allows long-lasting benefit to all the stakeholders.

The health care system is undergoing radical transformations to meet the consistent cost increases, in addition to the declining economic, statuses of countries. The capability to pay for health care is an increasing apprehension for businesses, governments, and individuals calling for transformational change, which will necessitate leaders to form the…...

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References

Educating nurses for leadership. (2006). The Canadian Nurse, 102(1), 7-7. Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com/docview/232080561?accountid=35812 

Harris, J.L., & Roussel, L. (2010). Initiating and sustaining the clinical nurse leader role: A practical guide. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Institute of Medicine. (2011). Future of nursing: Campaign for action. Retrieved from  http://thefutureofnursing.org/topics/leadership .

Kay, V.M., Bellack, J.P., & Edward, O. (2012). Nurses in the C-Suite: Leadership Beyond Chief Nurse. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 6(1), pp 5 -- 11.

Communication in the Health Care Environment:
Effective communication between patients, physicians, family members, and nurses is one of the most important elements in the delivery of care. Actually, the lack of effective communication in the health care sector contributes to poor delivery of care services since it enhances the likelihood of mistakes due to lack of clarity. Therefore, in order for the health care system to accomplish its goal of improved patient outcomes, there must be effective communication. Every stakeholder involved in the health care industry or system acts as an agent of communication either verbally or through non-verbal signals. This is primarily because the delivery of care involves the transmission of millions of messages among several stakeholders on a daily basis. In the modern health care system, the delivery procedures involve several crossing points and patient handoffs among the many health care practitioners.

As part of interpersonal communication, collaborative communication is…...

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References:

"Communication Skills." (n.d.). Employability Skills. Retrieved from University of Bradford

website: http://www.careers.brad.ac.uk/employability/skills/communications.php

Ellingson, L.L. (2002). Communication, Collaboration, and Teamwork among Health Care

Professionals. Communication Research Trends, 21(3), 1-44. Retrieved from  http://cscc.scu.edu/trends/v21/v21_3.pdf

Shared values and diverse ideas are crucial for organisational success. Shared values connect people within an organisation (Schein, 2010), while diversity serves as a source of strength, motivation, and empowerment for organisational members (Danowitz, Hanappi-Egger & Mensi-Klarbach, 2012). This can have a positive impact on employee productivity and organisational performance as a whole. Nonetheless, this may not be achieved if the potential conflict between shared values and diverse ideas is not effectively reconciled. Within the health care environment, it is particularly crucial to ensure coexistence between shared values and diverse ideas. After highlighting the significance of shared values and diverse ideas to an organisation, this paper discusses how leaders in the health care environment can reconcile shared values and diverse ideas.
Within the context of organisational behaviour, shared values essentially denote the beliefs, principles, and standards that bind or are common to members of a particular organisation. Shared values comprise part…...

PPE
PESONAL POTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The objective of this study is to review an article relating to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Toward this end this study will review the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entitled "Guidance for the Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Healthcare Settings' published in 2014.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Personal protective equipment (PPE) is defined by the Occupational Health Administration (OSHA) as "specialized clothing or equipment, worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials." (p. 5)

OSHA egulations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reported to issue recommendations for "when and what PPE should be used to prevent exposure to infectious diseases." (p. 6) Healthcare personnel protection from exposure to diseases in the workplace is reported to make a requirement of "a combination of controls, one of which is the use of PPE." (Centers for Disease…...

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References

Guidance for the Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Healthcare Settings (2014) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from:  http://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/ppe/ppeslides6-29-04.pdf

One change that has taken place in my facility is the shift from the traditional system of communication, which was based on the manual transmission of information from the sender to the receiver to what is today a digital and online system involving cloud communication and storage. The restraining forces for this change have been many. Awareness had to be disseminated to the participants through regular training, which has often taken the credible amount of time and resources from the organization. Getting rid of the old system of communication and adopting, the new system has seen the facility spent many finances on resources and installation processes, something that has not been direct of benefit to the facility (Kearney-Nunnery, 2016). Many practitioners had gotten used to the old system and always find it hard to embrace and focus on the new system completely. The systematic production process has been low since…...

Healthcare Environment
The last few decades have seen the healthcare environment change from one that was dictated by physicians to one that is dictated more by big business and government entities. That is particularly problematic, because that puts healthcare into the hands of people who are not really focused on helping people, and are, instead, focused on the financial aspects of ensuring that people get care. While healthcare should be about taking care of people who are ailing, injured, or sick, it becomes who has the most money or the best insurance provider. There are a number of segments to the healthcare environment, as well, and they all play roles in the mission that involves caring for the health and well-being of the greater society. Among these segments is the pharmaceutical industry, which has provided medicines for more than 100 years so that people with disease and health conditions could be…...

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References

Galloway, S.J., (2009). Simulation techniques to bridge the gap between novice and competent healthcare professionals. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(2), manuscript 3. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol14No02Man03

Hagler, D., & Wilson, R. (2013). Designing nursing staff competency assessment using simulation. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 32(4), 165-169. doi:10.1016/j.jradnu.2013.10.001

Iacono, M. (2013). The culture of accountability. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 28(2), 107-109. doi:10.1016/j.jopan.2013.01.002

Muller, L. (2013). Integrity and accountability the omnibus final rule: Part 1. Professional Case Management, 18(4), 204-207. doi:10.1097/NCM.0b013e3182950694

A patchwork of laws provided narrow privacy protections for selected health data and certain keepers of that data." (Administrative Simplification in the Health Care Industry) Therefore, new technologies such as relational databases have simplified the data gathering and maintenance processes of all types of healthcare related data like the physician information process. It is not unheard of today for healthcare and insurance providers matching or 'sinking data' on a monthly or quarterly basis because of the availability of better communication capabilities as well as compatible database comparison processes.
Even the doctors themselves have access to providers' systems and databases today. Through automatic telephone systems, business to business Internet portals, and tape or disk delivery processes, all of a physician's personal, office and patient information can be updated easily. In many cases, the entire process including security and confirmation is a completely hands free operation. In other words, without human intervention,…...

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Works Cited

Administrative Simplification in the Health Care Industry. Ed. HIPAA. Health and Human Services. 23 Oct. 2004 http://www.hipaa.com/.

HMO Patients Can Contact Their Doctors Electronically as Blue Shield of California Expands Online Communication Services. Ed. Unknown. October 29, 2003. Relay Health. 23 Oct. 2004  http://www.relayhealth.com/rh/general/news/newsRecent/news49.aspx .

Hoffer, Prescott, and McFadden. Modern Database Management. 7th ed. Add City: Add Publisher, Add Year.

Database

"Studies of the relationship between managed care penetration in the health care market and expenditures for Medicare fee-for-service enrollees have demonstrated the existence of these types of spill over effects" (Bundorf et al., 2004).
Managed care organizations generate these types of spillover effects by increasing competition in the health care market, altering the arrangement of the health care delivery system, and altering physician practice patterns. Studies have found that higher levels of managed care infiltration are linked with lower rates of hospital cost inflation and lower physician fees are consistent with competitive effects. "Other studies demonstrate the impact of managed care on delivery system structure including hospital capacity, hospital admission patterns, the size and composition of the physician workforce and the adoption and use of medical equipment and technologies. More recent evidence has linked market-level managed care activity to the process, but not the outcomes of care" (Bundorf et al.,…...

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References

Altman, D.E. And L. Levin. (2005). The Sad History of Health Care Cost Containment as

Told by One Client. Health Affairs, 24(1).

Bodenheimer, T. (2005). High and rising health care costs. part 1: Seeking an explanation.

Annals of Internal Medicine, 142(10), 847-54.

The reason why, is because this is a sign that the quality of care that is being provided in declining. What normally happens is staff members, will often become frustrated with: health care environments that are inefficient and where management has an attitude of indifference. This is problematic, because it can spread through the organization like cancer by: eating away at the fundamentals that made the facility great.
Once this occurs, it will have an impact on: the costs, efficiency and profitability of the hospital. This is the point that this could undermine the reputation of facility and it could have an impact on the brand. When this takes place, it is a sign that many hospitals are falling into a downward spiral of: declining quality of care and increasing costs. At which point, it only becomes a matter of time until: some kind of major restructuring must occur or…...

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Bibliography

Ableson, R. (2010). Employers Push Costs for Health Care on Workers. New York Times. Retrieved from:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03insure.html 

Palfry, C. (2004). Effective Health Care Management. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Shortell, S. (2006). Health Care Management. New York, NY: Thomason.

The penalties for being out of compliance when OSHA comes knocking should be enough to motivate any healthcare facility to devise a plan to make sure that they are in compliance with OSHA's regulations. The startling thing is that it took an initiative like NEP to wake these facilities up and get them thinking about being compliant. Since they deal with people and their well being on an everyday basis, these are things that they should have been doing all along and not just because there is an increased probability of getting into trouble by OSHA.

eferences

Harris, S. (2012). OSHA in Health Care: Out of Sight & Out of Mind? etreived from http://ohsonline.com/articles/2012/04/01/osha-in-health-care.aspx

Healthcare workers. (2012). etrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/

New OSHA inspection initiative focuses on healthcare. (2011). etrieved from http://www.puresafety.com/public/workingwell/?p=1209#.UAa4aFJ6EM

Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") Targets Nursing and esidential

Care Facilities. (2012). etrieved from http://www.hancocklaw.com/p/OSHA_Newsletter_212_May_H1768037.PDF

Prepare Your Facility for the National Emphasis Program (NEP). (2012).…...

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References

Harris, S. (2012). OSHA in Health Care: Out of Sight & Out of Mind? Retreived from  http://ohsonline.com/articles/2012/04/01/osha-in-health-care.aspx 

Healthcare workers. (2012). Retrieved from  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/ 

New OSHA inspection initiative focuses on healthcare. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.puresafety.com/public/workingwell/?p=1209#.UAa4aFJ6REM 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") Targets Nursing and Residential

ecause unions retain the exclusive right to negotiate on behalf of its members, the individual worker may have little recourse to easily address incompetent leadership.
The Disadvantages of Unionized Labor for Healthcare Employers:

The primary disadvantages of unionized labor for healthcare employers correspond to the relative loss of control over issues and workplace elements commonly transferred to workers (through their unions), which accounts for the traditional resistance with which many employers responded to unionization attempts. On the one hand, unionized workforces are able to secure better pay and benefits from employers than would have been available to workers without union representation; likewise, employers must cede control over many aspects of operational and personnel decisions traditionally within administrative control.

On the other hand, particularly in light of the beneficial effect that unionized nursing has had on the quality of patient care and reduction in patient mortality, it is difficult to conceive of unionization…...

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Bibliography

Daft, R. (2005) Management (7th ed.) Mason: Thomson South Western.

Nevins, J., Commager, H. (1992) a Pocket History of the United States.

New York: Pocket Books

Seago, J., Ash, M. (2002)

Healthcare in the United States: Where We Have Been, Where We Are Going
The current healthcare crisis in America is not one that happened over night. It is one that has been building for more than a quarter century. There was a time in America when healthcare was a stellar institution: research, cures, technological advances, and treatments. The focus of healthcare was maintaining and improving the quality of life. Then, during the early 1980s, managed care became an entity between the physician, the patient, and the healthcare provider of hospital services. It began subtly, but has, today, become one of the most aggressive and successful business ventures of our time; and it has been the unmaking of a once stellar and progressive American institution.

Managed care is a "distinctly American" product (Birenbaum, 1997). It was legislation introduced by the Nixon Administration with the intent to regulate healthcare and to maintain control over…...

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Reference List

Bernstein, A.B., Hing, E., Moss, A.J., Allen, K., Siller, A., and Tiggle, R. (2003). Health Care in America: Trends in Utilization. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

Birenbaum, A. (2002). Wounded Profession: American Medicine Enters the Age of Managed Care. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Birenbaum, A. (1997). Managed Care: Made in America. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Committee on Health Care Access and Economics Task Force on Mental Health (2009). Improving Mental Health Services in Primary Care: Reducing Administrative and Financial Barriers to Access and Collaboration. The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, March, 30, 2009, pp. 1248-1251.

Infection control specifically refers to stopping the spread of disease in healthcare settings and during health care procedures, such as surgeries.  It is a catchall phrase that refers to a wide variety of behaviors or practices that can result in the elimination or reduction of disease transmission in these settings.  We are happy to provide you with some suggested topics and titles for an essay about infection control.

Essay Topics

Best hygiene practices for pre-surgical prep of skin to prevent surgical-site infections

Does the routine use of masks in non-surgical medical examinations and routines reduce infectious disease transmission....

Essay Topic 1: Traditional Maternal Health Practices and Beliefs among Indigenous Populations

Explore the diverse traditional maternal health practices, beliefs, and knowledge systems held by indigenous communities around the world.
Discuss the cultural significance, efficacy, and challenges associated with these practices.
Analyze the role of traditional birth attendants, healers, and cultural beliefs in shaping maternal health outcomes.

Essay Topic 2: Intercultural Collaboration in Enhancing Maternal Health Care for Indigenous Women

Examine the importance of intercultural collaboration between healthcare professionals and indigenous communities to improve maternal health care.
Discuss strategies for effectively addressing cultural differences, communication barriers, and health disparities faced by....

Key Factors Contributing to Surgical Site Infections in Obstetrics and Gynecology Patients
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant complication in obstetric and gynecological (OB/GYN) surgery, leading to increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and healthcare costs. Understanding the key factors contributing to SSIs is crucial for implementing effective prevention strategies.
1. Preoperative Factors:
Diabetes and obesity: Impaired wound healing and immune function increase the risk of infection.
Smoking: Nicotine constricts blood vessels, reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery to the wound.
Malnutrition: Inadequate nutrition compromises immune function and wound healing.
Vaginal infections: Preoperative colonization of the vagina with pathogens can increase the risk....

Dismantling Systemic Barriers in Healthcare for Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities face persistent health inequities due to deeply ingrained systemic barriers within the healthcare system. To effectively address these inequalities, it is crucial to dismantle these barriers through comprehensive and multifaceted approaches.

Barriers to Equitable Healthcare

Cultural Insensitivity and Bias: Healthcare providers may hold implicit biases and lack cultural understanding, leading to inadequate or discriminatory care.
Geographical Distance: Indigenous communities often reside in remote areas with limited access to healthcare facilities, making it challenging to receive timely and comprehensive care.
Poverty and Lack of Resources: Socioeconomic disparities, such as poverty and lack of....