Develop and submit a personal leadership philosophy that reflects what you think are characteristics of a good leader
Develop and submit a personal leadership philosophy that reflects what you think are characteristics of a good leader. Use the scholarly resources on leadership you selected to support your philosophy statement. Your personal leadership philosophy should include the following: Personal Leadership Philosophy Core Values My philosophy for leadership is based on honesty, integrity and open-mindedness, and this philosophy is the anchor for my core values. I believe that a person in position of leadership has to be honest so that they be open in performing their roles. By being open, the leader makes it possible for the followers to be aware of what the leader wants and the approach to pursuing leadership objectives. I also hold in high esteem the ethical principles which guide behaviors, and personally, I feel that every leadership has to be an individual of integrity and set an example to the followers. Besides, I accept divergent views and opinions because this is one of the ways in which individuals can learn (Allen et al., 2016) Personal Vision My personal vision intertwines with my moral philosophy of respect for what others feel and think. People’s cultural identities diverge, and because of the divergence in individuals’ cultural beliefs and values, conflicts can occur while the leader exercises their leadership role especially when working with people with whom they culturally differ. I believe that people in leading positions can prevent organizational conflicts by leading the way in respecting people other cultures and the divergent views. On their part, a leader should strive to found out about the teaching and values from other cultures so that they can involve every follower, irrespective of their culture, in promoting organizational vision (Marshall & Broome, 2017). An Analysis of My CliftonStrengths Assessment Summarizing the results of My Profile Reflecting on the outcomes from self-evaluation using the Clifton Strengths Assessment (CSA), I consider myself an effective communicator, an empathetic person and a strategist. While communicating a point, I tend to put together my thoughts and feelings in a way that others may understand whatever I message I convey. I believe that everyone has their weakest link, and for this reason, I tend to express empathy to people who make mistakes, and help them correct these mistakes. As a strategist, I study organizational situations, and apply my leadership knowledge to address any issue which arise in the organization. Two Key Behaviors that I Wish to Strengthen While exhibit strengths when it comes to executing leadership functions, I need to make adjustments to the way I handle tasks and manage relationships. I tend to lose focus by taking multiple tasks, and I am also poor when it comes to relating with some employees. I always handle more than two tasks at once, and this can be overwhelming for me. In future, I will need to handle tasks, one at a time so that I avoid undesirable outcomes such as failing to properly complete tasks (Duggan et al., 2015). A Development Plan for Improvement of Behavior The intervention plan to change the undesirable behavior integrates various elements including the goals which the plan seeks to attain. In this context, the goals is to learn how to individually handle tasks and manage relationships. The learning process involves using a simulated management activity in which I have to virtually learn how to deal with situations related to handling of tasks and managing relationships. Conclusion In overview, individual’s personal philosophy mirror in how they behave and their core visions. When one is honest, empathetic and respect the views of others, their followers would want to emulate the former’s approach to leadership. Leaders, therefore, have to strive to continuously build relationships with those who follow these leaders. References Allen, G. P., Moore, W. M., Moser, L. R., Neill, K. K., Sambamoorthi, U., & Bell, H. S. (2016). The Role of Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership in Academic Pharmacy. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 80(7), 113.Doi: https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe807113. Duggan, K., Aisaka, K., Tabak, R. G., Smith, C., Erwin, P., & Brownson, R. C. (2015). Implementing administrative evidence-based practices: Lessons from the field in six local health departments across the United States. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1). doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0891-3. Retrieved from https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-015-0891-3. Khoshhal, K. I., & Guraya, S. Y. (2016). Leaders produce leaders and managers produce followers. A systematic review of the desired competencies and standard settings for physicians’ leadership. Saudi medical journal, 37(10), 1061–1067.Doi: https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2016.10.15620. Marshall, E., & Broome, M. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer. Assignment: Personal Leadership Philosophies Many of us can think of leaders we have come to admire, be they historical figures, pillars of the industry we work in, or leaders we know personally. The leadership of individuals such as Abraham Lincoln and Margaret Thatcher has been studied and discussed repeatedly. However, you may have interacted with leaders you feel demonstrated equally competent leadership without ever having a book written about their approaches. What makes great leaders great? Every leader is different, of course, but one area of commonality is the leadership philosophy that great leaders develop and practice. A leadership philosophy is basically an attitude held by leaders that acts as a guiding principle for their behavior. While formal theories on leadership continue to evolve over time, great leaders seem to adhere to an overarching philosophy that steers their actions. What is your leadership philosophy? In this Assignment, you will explore what guides your own leadership. To Prepare: Identify two to three scholarly resources, in addition to this Module’s readings, that evaluate the impact of leadership behaviors in creating healthy work environments. Reflect on the leadership behaviors presented in the three resources that you selected for review. Reflect on your results of the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and consider how the results relate to your leadership traits. The Assignment (2-3 pages): Personal Leadership Philosophies Develop and submit a personal leadership philosophy that reflects what you think are characteristics of a good leader. Use the scholarly resources on leadership you selected to support your philosophy statement. Your personal leadership philosophy should include the following: A description of your core values. A personal mission and vision statement. An analysis of your CliftonStrengths Assessment summarizing the results of your profile A description of two key behaviors that you wish to strengthen. A development plan that explains how you plan to improve upon the two key behaviors you selected and an explanation of how you plan to achieve your personal vision. Be specific and provide examples. Be sure to incorporate your colleagues’ feedback on your CliftonStrengths Assessment from this Module’s Discussion 2. Need help
Post a description of your views on whether or not digital inclusion or broad band access should be added as a key area to the social determinants of health
Post a description of your views on whether or not digital inclusion or broad band access should be added as a key area to the social determinants of health. Be specific and provide examples that support your position. Explain how electronic health records, mobile health, patient portals, or telemedicine can impact and be impacted by the social determinants of health. The inclusion of the broadband or digital access as one of the social determinants of health (SDOH) is crucial because it will compel the individuals tasked with addressing the SDOH to focus on empowering and supporting populations to access health services using the contemporary healthcare technologies. Currently, some of these technologies supplement the traditional care, allowing patients to access health services delivered virtually. For instance, a patient discharge from the hospital may have virtual consultation with their provider, providing them with the opportunity to receive new recommendations on how to manage their health. Including access to the digital technologies into SDOH is equally critical in the sense that it supports the preparation of the populations for a potential disaster (Sieck, et al., 2021). This implies that it helps address the disadvantages tied to the divide in access to pertinent information during public health emergencies. A recent study showed that digital exclusion was associated with higher incidences of Covid-19, with digitally excluded counties recording higher rates of Covid-19 including Covid-19-based mortality compared to counties with established digital infrastructure (Li, 2022). The results of this study highlight the need to expand access to digital technologies, which essentially sustains access to information. Impact of the Social Determinants of Health on EHRs, Mobile Health, Patient Portals or Telemedicine and Vice Versa The usefulness or the impact of the digital technologies on population health depends on education and income, which are some of the SDOH. For one to benefit from these technologies, for instance, they have to be literate and computer literate because ability to read is a prerequisite for successful or effective interaction with communication devices. Conversely, the informatics technologies impact the SDOH in the sense that it addresses the impediments tied to the individuals’ income status. The lack of transport to health facilities, and living in underserved communities are some of the disadvantages that people from low-income families are likely to experience. Additionally, lack of adequate funds may limit individuals from purchasing mobile health devices like wearable devices that take vital data like blood pressure. If patients have access to digital technologies, they would less likely to worry about missing out on essential health services delivered virtually (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). Conclusion Reflecting on how access to or lack of access to digital technologies is impacting the delivery of health services, there is need to adopt it as one of the social factors that determine health outcomes among populations. Digital access is tied to other SDOH, and it is imperative that it is considered as a SDOH because it affects other determinants. This implies that even if the other SDOH were to be addressed, divide in access to digital technologies may exacerbate the disparity in access to health services. References Benda, N. C., Veinot, T. C., Sieck, C. J., & Ancker, J. S. (2020). Broadband Internet Access is a Social Determinant of Health!. American Journal of Public Health, 110(8), 1123-1125. https://Doi.Org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305784. Li, F. (2022). Disconnected in A Pandemic: COVID-19 Outcomes and The Digital Divide in the United States. Health & Place, 77, 102867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102867. Mcgonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge (5th Ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. Sieck, C. J., Sheon, A., Ancker, J. S., Castek, J., Callahan, B., & Siefer, A. (2021). Digital Inclusion as A Social Determinant Of Health. NPJ Digital Medicine, 4(1), 52. https://Doi.Org/10.1038/S41746-021-00413-8. Post a description of your views on whether or not digital inclusion or broad band access should be added as a key area to the social determinants of health. Be specific and provide examples that support your position. Explain how electronic health records, mobile health, patient portals, or telemedicine can impact and be impacted by the social determinants of health. Support your explanation with the required or optional resources. Need help with a similar assignment? Our experts can write a 100% original version for you Chat Directly with Us on WhatsApp Social Determinants of Health When we talk about health, it’s not just about our physical well-being or the absence of illness. It’s a complex interplay of various factors that influence our overall quality of life. These factors are what we refer to as determinants of health, and among them, the social determinants of health (SDoH) play a particularly significant role. In this article, we will delve into the world of determinants of health, with a specific focus on the social determinants of health and the impact they have on our well-being. Understanding Determinants of Health Determinants of health are the wide array of factors that affect our physical, mental, and social well-being. They encompass everything from our access to healthcare services to our lifestyle choices. These determinants can be categorized into two broad categories: social determinants and health determinants. Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Social determinants of health (SDoH) refer to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are shaped by various socioeconomic and environmental factors and have a profound influence on our health. SDoH encompass a wide range of elements, including: Economic Stability: Our income, employment status, and economic opportunities play a significant role in determining our access to resources and, subsequently, our health. Education: Education provides us with the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about our health. Limited access to education can lead to poorer health outcomes. Social and Community Context: Our social and community environments, including our relationships and support systems, can greatly affect our health. Strong social connections promote better health. Healthcare Access and Quality: Access to healthcare services and the quality of care we receive are critical to managing and preventing health issues. Neighborhood and Built Environment: The safety and quality
Provide a summary of your learning style according the VARK questionnaire
Provide a summary of your learning style according the VARK questionnaire. Describe your preferred learning strategies Summary of My Learning Style According to the VARK Questionnaire According to the VARK questionnaire, my learning style is Multimodal, whereby I prefer learning concepts using multiple methods or channels of communication. Among these different ways, my largest preference is Kinesthetic, as I had the highest scores in the category. Kinesthetic learning implies that I prefer using my hands, body, and sense of touch when learning. From the results, it is clear that people with my preference like to use different formats of information such as maps, graphs, and diagrams (Truong, 2016). They also like using discussions, listening, questioning, and taking notes, practical exercises, as well as experiences. Most importantly, they like using things that are real such as case studies in understanding various concepts that boost their learning experience. Fig 1. A screenshot of my scores from the VARK website. My preferred mode of learning is multimodal, with kinesthetic being the highest choice (The VARK Questionnaire, 2019). My Preferred Learning Strategies Among the strategies I prefer in learning include class discussions as well as class lectures that have illustrative diagrams. This relates to my learning style as it is a connection of different styles to achieve one mixture of methods. The main reason why I prefer class discussions is because they allow one to express themselves to class colleagues (and other people horizontally- with common level of education) about their learning experience. Illustrative diagrams also allow one to grasp the concept without much difficulty. How Learning Styles Can Affect the Degree of Performance in Educational Activities Learning styles affect the degree of performance in educational activities in that the better the learning style, the greater the performance. People who have not learnt how to integrate their learning styles with the educational activities find it hard improving the performance in the learning forums that they are involved in (Willingham, Hughes, & Dobolyi, 2015). When working with learners, educators should investigate their individual learning styles as they would understand the most applicable techniques when imparting them with knowledge, and this can greatly improve the learning outcomes. Why Understanding the Learning Styles of Individuals Involved in Health Promotion is Important Health promotion is a marketing strategy in which marketers or members of healthcare units attempt to increase the likelihood of health products becoming more popular among members of the public (Bokhari & Zafar, 2019). Just like teachers and lecturers, individuals participating in such campaign have the goal of increasing the knowledge of various products in a positive way to the members of the public. They can achieve the results through implementing practices and lessons that directly or indirectly result to behavior change and subsequent demand of the health products. Learning styles of the recipients of health promotional material can affect behavior change in that the more the promoter is aware of the recipient’s learning style, the higher the likelihood of changing their behavior (Bokhari & Zafar, 2019). People with a greater coincidence of learning styles knowledge have a higher likelihood of achieving positive results. Behavior change is also accomplished more easily when health promoters have the potential to quickly recognize the effect of their techniques on behavior change. Different learning styles can be accommodated in health promotion by having health promotion experts who have specific specializations of teaching. That is, when a certain group of expert is specialized in educating kinesthetic learners about the product, it becomes easier to convince the clients using their own language (Bokhari & Zafar, 2019). Having different learning styles is also a source of unity among health promoters as they have to work together to build a clientele in all diverse fields. Conclusion After an analysis of my learning preferences using the questionnaire presented in the VARK Website, it is clear that I am a multimodal individual, with a high preference of kinesthetic learning techniques. This means that besides having the ability of interlinking different ways of learning, I have a high preference of using actions and using the body or touch as a way of learning. Learning styles can affect the performance in educational activities as applying the most individually suitable style imply that the learners have the best results. Understanding the learning styles of individuals in health promotion is also important as it increases the likelihood of health products becoming popular among the members of the public through implementation of behavior change practices. References Bokhari, N. M., & Zafar, M. (2019). Learning styles and approaches among medical education participants. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 8(1), 181. The VARK Questionnaire (2019). Retrieved from: http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/?p=results Truong, H. M. (2016). Integrating learning styles and adaptive e-learning system: Current developments, problems and opportunities. Computers in human behavior, 55, 1185-1193. Willingham, D. T., Hughes, E. M., & Dobolyi, D. G. (2015). The scientific status of learning styles theories. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 266-271. Assignment Question Learning styles represent the different approaches to learning based on preferences, weaknesses, and strengths. For learners to best achieve the desired educational outcome, learning styles must be considered when creating a plan. Complete “The VARK Questionnaire,”( http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/ ) located on the VARK website, and then complete the following: Click “OK” to receive your questionnaire scores. Once you have determined your preferred learning style, review the corresponding link to view your learning preference. Review the other learning styles: visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic, and multimodal (listed on the VARK Questionnaire Results page). Compare your current preferred learning strategies to the identified strategies for your preferred learning style. Examine how awareness of learning styles has influenced your perceptions of teaching and learning. In a paper (750‐1,000 words), summarize your analysis of this exercise and discuss the overall value of learning styles. Include the following: Provide a summary of your learning style according the VARK questionnaire. Describe your preferred learning strategies. Compare your current preferred learning strategies to the identified strategies for your preferred learning style. Describe how individual learning styles affect the degree to which a learner can
Explain the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors associated with the patient you were assigned
Explain the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors associated with the patient you were assigned BUILDING A HEALTH HISTORY: COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY TO GATHER APPROPRIATE HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION Effective communication is vital to constructing an accurate and detailed patient history. A patient’s health or illness is influenced by many factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, and environmental setting. There may also be significant cultural factors. In May 2012, Alice Randall wrote an article for The New York Times on the cultural factors that encouraged Black women to maintain a weight above what is considered healthy. Randall explained from her observations and her personal experience, as a Black woman, that many African American communities and cultures consider women who are overweight to be more beautiful and desirable than women at a healthier weight. As she put it, “Many black women are fat because we want to be” (Randall, 2012). Randall’s statements sparked a great deal of controversy and debate at the time; however, they emphasize an underlying reality in the healthcare field: Different populations, cultures, and groups have diverse beliefs and practices that impact their health. APRNs and other healthcare professionals should be aware of this reality and adapt their health assessment techniques and recommendations to accommodate diversity. As an advanced practice nurse, you must build a patient health history that takes into account all of the factors that make a patient unique and tailor your communication techniques accordingly. Doing so will not only help you establish rapport with each patient, but it will also enable you to more effectively gather the information needed to assess a patient’s health risks. For this first Assignment, you will take on the role of an APRN who is building a health history for a particular patient assigned by your Instructor. You will consider how social determinants of health and specific cultural considerations will influence your interview and communication techniques as you work in partnership with the patient to gather data for an accurate health history. Note: You are expected to draw on the resources for both Week 1 and Week 2 when completing your Assignment. To prepare: Reflect on your experience as an advanced practice nurse and on the information provided in the Week 1 Learning Resources on building a health history and the Week 2 Learning Resources on diversity issues in health assessments. By Day 1 of this week, your Instructor will assign a case study for this Assignment. Note: Please see the Course Announcements section of the classroom for your Case Study Assignment. Reflect on the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors related to the health of your assigned patient. Consider how you would build a health history for the patient. What questions would you ask? How might you target your questions based on the patient’s social determinants of health? How would you frame the questions to be sensitive to the patient’s background, lifestyle, and culture? Identify any potential health-related risks, based on the patient’s age, gender, ethnicity, or environmental setting, which should be taken into consideration. What risk assessment instruments would be appropriate to use with this patient? What questions would you ask to assess the patient’s health risks? Select one (1) risk assessment instrument discussed in the Learning Resources, or another tool with which you are familiar, related to your selected patient. Develop five (5) targeted questions you would ask the patient to build their health history and to assess their health risks. Think about the challenges associated with communicating with patients from a variety of specific populations. What communication techniques would be most appropriate to use with this patient? What strategies can you as an APRN employ to be sensitive to different cultural factors while gathering the pertinent information? Assignment: Building a Health History With Cultural and Diversity Awareness Include the following: Explain the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors associated with the patient you were assigned. Be specific. Explain the issues that you would need to be sensitive to when interacting with the patient, and why. Describe the communication techniques you would use with this patient. Include strategies to demonstrate sensitivity with this patient. Be specific and explain why you would use these techniques. Summarize the health history interview you would conduct with this patient. Provide at least five (5) targeted questions you would ask the patient to build their health history and to assess their health risks. Explain your reasoning for each question and how you frame each for this specific patient. Identify the risk assessment instrument you selected, and then justify why it would be applicable to your assigned patient. Be specific. Include a reference list with a minimum of 3 scholarly articles. Expert Answer and Explanation Building a Culturally Sensitive Health History for WH, a 62-Year-Old Chinese Male Health assessments are key in comprehending patient needs and informing clinical decision-making. In order to be effective, evaluations should extend beyond the physical and address cultural, socioeconomic, and spiritual backgrounds (Ball et al., 2023). The case of WH, a 62-year-old Chinese male with low English proficiency, demonstrates the significance of taking history in a culturally sensitive manner. The background of WH, family life, and his health beliefs shape his contention to care and its comprehension. Cultural awareness, the correct type of communication strategies, and sensitivity to social determinants of health will make it possible to construct an effective health history of this patient. This paper aims to analyse the factors, issues, communication methods, questions to be asked, and risk assessment tools applicable to developing a culturally sensitive health history of WH. Social, Economic, Spiritual, Lifestyle, and Cultural Factors. There are barriers to health care among Chinese immigrants and older Chinese adults that influence their experiences with the management of chronic illness. Research indicates that access and adherence are lower due to language barriers, lack of health literacy, financial limitations, and familiarity with the Western medical system (Zhu et al., 2024). WH relies on his daughter to communicate and navigate the health system, which can restrict his autonomy. Social isolation associated with his being a widower may also make
Research the health-illness continuum and its relevance to patient care. In a 750-1,000-word paper
Research the health-illness continuum and its relevance to patient care. The Health-Illness Continuum Perspective and its Importance in the Health and the Human Experience when Caring for Patients The Health-Illness continuum perspective represents a graphical or diagrammatic illustration of the concept of human well-being on their emotional and mental states. For some people, wellness is the direct opposite of illness, where the absence of disease conditions shows they are well (Swanson et al., 2019). Other individuals believe that having a healthy lifestyle or the potential to lead a healthy lifestyle is the real definition of wellness (Kishan, 2020). A pictorial illustration of the illness-wellness continuum is as follows. Fig 1: An illustration of the illness-wellness continuum. The right side of the graph in Fig 1 shows the different degrees of wellness, while the left side shows illness levels. In this continuum, wellness is explained to be dynamic, in that it is not static, and that the patient is often changing in their present states. Individuals’ outlook is what contributes to their states of wellness for the positive vision of a person who has a disability or a disease, and such a person is likely to face the right side of the continuum (Ow & Poon, 2020). This is unlike a healthy individual who has a negative outlook, feels anxiety, complains a lot, and is depressed. The latter would face the left side of the continuum, and their emotional and mental growth and wellness are hindered to the point that they experience the real state of wellness. How Understanding the Health-Illness Continuum Could Enable Healthcare Providers to Better-Promote the Value and Dignity of Individuals or Groups and Serve others in Ways that Promote Human Flourishing In caring for patients, understanding the health-illness continuum helps to improve the patients’ mental and emotional development. Healthcare givers can use this continuum to motivate the patients’ healthcare and have better health systems including but not limited to, preventing emotional and physical diseases (Sajnani, Marxen, & Zarate, 2017). This continuum is also essential in patient care as it helps to analyze the different developments and evaluate the patient progress. A Reflection of My Overall State of Health and the Behaviors that Support or Detract from Health and Well-Being Several behaviors support my overall state of health, and these include but are not limited to workouts, exercises, and healthy eating. I believe what I eat and my behaviors determine how I will show wellness. I have to continually keep my weight in check, where a negative shift in my BMI prompts me to change my diet and my workout strategies. Besides hitting the gym at least thrice a week, I do regular jogging in the morning before embarking on my daily activities, which I believe serves a long way in improving my emotional well-being. I also walk for 30 minutes to the gym instead of using other less engaging means of transport. I have recently started consuming plenty of water and many greens, which I believe will help me improve my immunity from diseases. Among the negative behaviors that could be distracting me from wellness is smoking, which I did not know its detrimental effects until a recent webinar on lung cancer. Also, I think I barely have enough time to have a healthy sleep. Lastly, I believe I spend too little time with my loved ones due to excessive engagement in my workplace. Options and Resources that Could Help Me to Move toward Wellness on the Health-Illness Spectrum Among the essential resources to help me improve wellness on the spectrum are programs to stop my smoking habit. I receive a lot of pleasure from smoking, which I believe is healthy, but it is also clear that there are several adverse effects (Pickard, 2018). I have already accessed several support groups from smokers, which will help me improve my score in the spectrum. Also, I hope to use my digital calendar to manage my sleep schedules better. Conclusion An individual’s score in the health-illness spectrum is based on their feelings towards healthcare and their perceptions of their health conditions. People who feel that they lack some wellness despite all positive physical signs are more likely to show lower scores. As a healthcare giver, understanding the health-illness continuum helps improve the patients’ mental and emotional development. I believe some of the behaviors that promote my scores are routine exercising and checking on my diet. Smoking, inadequate sleep, and disconnection from family are some of the things that could contribute to lower scores. Resources such as support groups for smokers could help me to improve my scores significantly. References Kishan, P. (2020). Yoga and Spirituality in Mental Health: Illness to Wellness. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 42(5), 411-420. https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620946995 Ow, R., & Poon, A. W. C. (2020). Theories on Mental Health, Illness and Intervention. Mental Health and Social Work, 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6975-9_1 Pickard, S. (2018). Health, Illness and Frailty in Old Age: A Phenomenological Exploration. Journal of aging studies, 47, 24-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2018.10.002 Sajnani, N., Marxen, E., & Zarate, R. (2017). Critical Perspectives in the Arts Therapies: Response/Ability across a Continuum of Practice. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 54, 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.007 Swanson, C., Thompson, A., Valentz, R., Doerner, L., & Jezek, K. (2019). Theory of Nursing for the Whole Person: A Distinctly Scriptural Framework. Journal of Christian Nursing, 36(4), 222-227. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/cnj.0000000000000656 Benchmark – Human Experience Across the Health–Illness Continuum Research the health-illness continuum and its relevance to patient care. In a 750-1,000-word paper, discuss the relevance of the continuum to patient care and present a perspective of your current state of health in relation to the wellness spectrum. Include the following: Examine the health-illness continuum and discuss why this perspective is important to consider in relation to health and the human experience when caring for patients. Explain how understanding the health-illness continuum enables you, as a health care provider, to better promote the value and dignity of individuals or groups and to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and are consistent with the Christian worldview. Reflect on your
How Do Your Health Behaviors Affect Your Position on the Health Continuum?
Health behaviors directly influence your position on the health continuum by either moving you toward optimal wellness or toward illness and premature death. Positive behaviors like regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep shift you toward the wellness end, while negative behaviors like smoking, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle move you toward the illness end. Understanding this relationship is crucial for making informed decisions about your daily habits and long-term health outcomes. Understanding the Health Continuum The health continuum is a visual representation that shows the full spectrum of health states, ranging from premature death on one extreme to optimal wellness on the other. This model helps us understand that health isn’t simply a matter of being sick or healthy – it’s a dynamic state that can improve or decline based on our choices and circumstances. Components of the Health Continuum The health continuum typically includes several key points along its spectrum: 1. Premature Death: At the far left of the continuum lies premature death, representing the most severe health outcome. This occurs when individuals die before reaching their expected lifespan due to preventable causes. 2. Disability and Disease: Moving toward the center, we find states characterized by chronic diseases, disabilities, and significant health impairments that limit daily functioning and quality of life. 3. Signs and Symptoms: This area includes early warning signs of health problems, minor illnesses, and symptoms that may indicate developing health issues. 4. Neutral Point: At the center lies a neutral state where individuals experience neither significant illness nor optimal wellness. This represents average health status. 5. Signs of Health: Moving toward wellness, this area includes indicators of good health such as energy, vitality, and absence of disease symptoms. 6. Improved Health: This represents a state of better-than-average health, characterized by physical fitness, mental clarity, and emotional stability. 7. Optimal Wellness: At the far right of the continuum lies optimal wellness, representing the highest level of health achievement where individuals experience peak physical, mental, and social well-being. How Health Behaviors Impact Your Continuum Position Your daily choices and behaviors serve as the primary drivers that determine where you fall on the health continuum. These behaviors can be categorized into those that promote wellness and those that increase disease risk. The Cumulative Effect of Daily Choices Health behaviors don’t impact your continuum position overnight. Instead, they create a cumulative effect over weeks, months, and years. Each positive choice you make contributes to moving you toward the wellness end, while each negative choice pushes you toward the illness end. This cumulative nature means that small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in your health status over time. Conversely, seemingly minor negative behaviors can compound to create serious health problems if practiced consistently. Positive Health Behaviors That Move You Toward Wellness Positive health behaviors are actions and lifestyle choices that promote physical, mental, and social well-being. These behaviors help you move toward the optimal wellness end of the health continuum. 1. Regular Physical Activity Impact on Health Continuum: Regular exercise is one of the most powerful tools for improving your position on the health continuum. Physical activity strengthens your cardiovascular system, builds muscle mass, improves bone density, and enhances mental health. Specific Benefits: Reduces risk of heart disease by up to 35% Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels Improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control Strengthens immune system function Enhances mood and reduces depression symptoms Improves sleep quality and cognitive function Recommended Actions: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly Include strength training exercises twice per week Incorporate flexibility and balance exercises Choose activities you enjoy to maintain consistency 2. Balanced Nutrition Impact on Health Continuum: Proper nutrition provides your body with essential nutrients needed for optimal function. A balanced diet supports every system in your body and helps prevent chronic diseases. Key Nutritional Strategies: Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables daily Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates Include lean proteins from diverse sources Limit processed foods and added sugars Stay adequately hydrated with water Practice portion control and mindful eating Long-term Benefits: Maintains healthy weight Reduces inflammation in the body Supports brain health and cognitive function Strengthens immune system Improves energy levels and mood Decreases risk of chronic diseases 3. Quality Sleep Impact on Health Continuum: Adequate, quality sleep is essential for physical recovery, mental processing, and emotional regulation. Poor sleep consistently moves you toward the illness end of the continuum. Sleep Optimization Strategies: Maintain consistent sleep and wake times Create a comfortable sleep environment Limit screen exposure before bedtime Avoid caffeine and large meals close to sleep time Develop a relaxing bedtime routine Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep nightly for adults Health Benefits: Supports immune system function Improves memory consolidation and learning Regulates hormones that control hunger and stress Reduces inflammation Enhances mood and emotional stability Improves physical performance and recovery 4. Stress Management Impact on Health Continuum: Effective stress management prevents chronic stress from damaging your health and helps maintain your position toward the wellness end of the continuum. Stress Reduction Techniques: Practice mindfulness and meditation Engage in regular physical activity Maintain social connections and support networks Use time management strategies Develop healthy coping mechanisms Seek professional help when needed Health Benefits: Reduces cortisol levels and inflammation Improves cardiovascular health Enhances immune system function Improves mental health and emotional well-being Increases resilience to future stressors Improves sleep quality and cognitive function 5. Preventive Healthcare Impact on Health Continuum: Regular preventive care helps detect health issues early when they’re most treatable and prevents minor problems from becoming major health concerns. Preventive Care Components: Regular health screenings and check-ups Vaccinations according to recommended schedules Dental and vision care Health risk assessments Early intervention for identified risk factors Health education and counseling Negative Health Behaviors That Move You Toward Illness Negative health behaviors are actions and lifestyle choices that increase your risk of disease and move you toward the illness end of the health continuum. 1. Tobacco Use Impact on Health
Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization
Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization The Quadruple Aim provides broad categories of goals to pursue to maintain and improve healthcare. Within each goal are many issues that, if addressed successfully, may have a positive impact on outcomes. For example, healthcare leaders are being tasked to shift from an emphasis on disease management often provided in an acute care setting to health promotion and disease prevention delivered in primary care settings. Efforts in this area can have significant positive impacts by reducing the need for primary healthcare and by reducing the stress on the healthcare system. Changes in the industry only serve to stress what has always been true; namely, that the healthcare field has always faced significant challenges, and that goals to improve healthcare will always involve multiple stakeholders. This should not seem surprising given the circumstances. Indeed, when a growing population needs care, there are factors involved such as the demands of providing that care and the rising costs associated with healthcare. Generally, it is not surprising that the field of healthcare is an industry facing multifaceted issues that evolve over time. you reviewed some healthcare issues/stressors and selected one for further review. For this Assignment, you will consider in more detail the healthcare issue/stressor you selected. You will also review research that addresses the issue/stressor and write a white paper to your organization’s leadership that addresses the issue/stressor you selected. To Prepare: Review the national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the Resources and reflect on the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for the study. Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post for the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected. Identify and review two additional scholarly resources (not included in the Resources for this module) that focus on change strategies implemented by healthcare organizations to address your selected national healthcare issue/stressor. The Assignment (3-4 Pages): Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue Develop a 3- to 4-page paper, written to your organization’s leadership team, addressing your selected national healthcare issue/stressor and how it is impacting your work setting. Be sure to address the following: Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization. Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization). Provide a brief summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources on the national healthcare issue/stressor. Explain how the healthcare issue/stressor is being addressed in other organizations. Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the scholarly resources you selected. Explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples. APA citation 3 to 4 references within 5 years Expert Answer and Explanation Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue When it comes to the delivery of care, healthcare organizations play a vital role, delivering clinical care, and providing pertinent information to patients as part of the patient empowerment initiative. For organizations, however, meeting the needs of patients can be a challenge considering that they grapple with a wide range of issues. If an organization wants to effectively provide care that is adequate and optimal, it must have adequate clinical staff because the staff members’ input is necessary for the organization to assess and screen patients, and administer meaningful clinical interventions (Baker, 2022). Unfortunately, organizations struggle with addressing patients’ needs due to the shortage of nurses. Description of the National Healthcare Issue its Impact on the Organization (use Data) As a national healthcare issue, nurse shortage is characterized by the limited supply of nursing professionals resulting to understaffing of the hospitals. In the United States (U.S.), the nurse to patient ratio is subject to regulatory policies with states like Massachutes requiring a single nurse for every patient admitted in intensive care unit. For these states, imposing the staffing requirements is crucial because it helps protect the welfare of the patient by ensuring that they receive adequate care. Unfortunately, the shortage of nurses is an issue that is prevalent in various organizations across the country, undermining patients’ access to care. Cases of employee absenteeism and turnover are widespread in poorly staffed organizations considering that employees in such organizations tend to have high workload. For the clinical staff, the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes with working longer hours, may compromise the quality of the services they provide, resulting to prolonged stay in hospitals. Summary of the Article reviewed on the Healthcare Issue The shortage of nursing professionals is a major public health concern because of its ramifications, and to better understand it in terms of causes and interventions that can help mitigate it, one should evaluate existing studies. One of these studies is a study that Tamata and Mohammadnezhad (2023) conducted, employing a systematic review to investigate the contributors to the limited supply of nursing professionals including their implications on nurses. They found that impediments such as the lack of nurse training coupled by low enrolment in nursing schools contributed to decline in population of nurses. According to Udod (2023), nurses leave their profession or the organization they work for because of reasons such as lack of infrastructure. The author highlights the interventions that can help retain nurses, emphasizing the importance of establishing infrastructure to spur innovation. In addition, he recommends investing in programs meant to improve employees’ leadership skills. How the Healthcare Issue is being addressed in other Organizations Organizations are tackling the nursing shortage issue by adopting various strategies including providing incentives to the nursing staff as a retention strategy. Part of these incentives includes educational opportunities to allow nurses to advance their education, and acquire new skills. Still, some organizations are boosting benefits for their nursing workforce in a bid to prevent them from seeking jobs elsewhere, or transitioning to other careers. An organization such as Vanguard leverages this strategy as part of its efforts to attract and retain nurses. The Strategies used to address the Organizational Impact of the Healthcare Issues identified in the Resources
Cultural theorist Campinha-Bacote describes cultural competency as a continuum
Cultural theorist Campinha-Bacote describes cultural competency as a continuum, which Cultural theorist Campinha-Bacote describes cultural competency as a continuum, which implies continual growth and development (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). Discuss the following: • What is cultural competence? • Are there steps nurses can take to achieve it? • How does it differ from cultural humility? • Briefly describe how a lack of cultural sensitivity may impact patients’ health and well-being and their future encounters with the healthcare system. • Why is it more important to focus on cultural humility rather than achieving cultural competence? Expert Answer and Explanation In the healthcare sector, cultural competence focuses on the ability of a nurse or any other medical professional to be aware of their cultural beliefs and values. Additionally, cultural competence also includes the awareness of how personal culture and perspectives are different from that of others (Kersey-Matusiak, 2018). In the case of a nurse, cultural competence focuses on the ability to differentiate one’s cultural beliefs from that of the patient. Nurses can take different initiatives and steps to achieve cultural competence. The most efficient strategy is to interact with patients, improve self-awareness and learn about different cultures within the community. The strategies are key as they will create the needed awareness, and help improve the outcome of care. Cultural competence differs from cultural humility in different ways. Cultural competence encompasses the ability to work with patients from different cultures while at the same time identifying the impact that cultural bias might have on care delivery. On the other hand, cultural humility entails the capacity for care providers to recognize their limitations, assumptions, or challenges when working with other cultures to avoid bias or predetermined patient care (Kersey-Matusiak, 2018). When nurses are not sensitive to cultural differences, they tend to provide biased medical care that does not meet patient autonomy. As a result, patient satisfaction is negatively affected. With modernization, care providers are more likely to encounter patients from different cultures which requires the need for cultural competence. Focusing on cultural humility is more sustainable than trying to be more culturally competent as a nurse cannot be able to be aware of different cultures. However, a nurse can identify their biases and adjust their care depending on the needs of the patient through cultural humility (Kersey-Matusiak, 2018). Reference Kersey-Matusiak, G. (2018). Delivering culturally competent nursing care: Working with diverse and vulnerable populations (2nd ed.). Springer. ISBN: 9780826137272. Alternative Answer Cultural competence is the ability to appreciate, interact, and understand others cultures or beliefs that are different from their own (DeAngelis, 2015). “Cultural competence is defined as the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for providing quality care to diverse populations” (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019, p.8). Culturally competent nurses are able to deliver care that values the beliefs of their patients (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). Culturally competent care does not just happen; there are steps nurses must take to become culturally competent. To become culturally competent, one must learn who they are first (Clay, 2010). Learn about your ancestors, personal background, be curious, and perform a self-assessment (Clay, 2010). Learn about different cultures by immersing yourself in their literature, language, and customs (Clay, 2010). Become comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, converse with different religious groups, volunteer at community centers, and make friends with people of different cultures (Clay, 2010). Attend diversity training seminars to collaborate with other professionals (Clay, 2010). If culturally competent training is not offered at your institution, submit a process to formalize educational material for your organization and peers (Clay, 2010). Cultural humility recognizes that bias may occur and nurses need to understand and eliminate their own prejudices (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). Healthcare providers need to recognize that their perspectives are influenced by policies that are dominated on the basis of whiteness and maleness (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). Cultural humility addresses unconscious biases a nurse may possess and empowers the nurse to work towards eliminating these biases while providing culturally competent care. Cultural sensitivity is having an attitude towards a specific culture or ethnic background and not saying offensive things directed at that background (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). Cultural sensitivity can also include the avoidance of particular words, phrases, or categorizations of individuals (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019). An example of cultural sensitivity was the removal of the Washington Redskins name from the NFL due to the thoughts and feelings of the Native Americans. Nursing is a trusted profession by the public. Nurses as well as other healthcare providers must provide culturally sensitive care to know how to communicate with their patients and develop professional relationships (The Role of Cultural Sensitivity in Building Patient Relationships, 2019). Nurses must understand nonverbal communication, inclusive language, cultural customs, relatable medical terms, and the use of personal touch (The Role of Cultural Sensitivity in Building Patient Relationships, 2019). Failure to utilize culturally sensitive care can create unwanted distress for patients and they may fail to seek medical attention when required as a result. Nurses must be able to make their patients feel comfortable in a healthcare setting. Cultural competence is learning to accept and understand other cultures. Cultural humility is recognizing personal biases that may distort your perception of other cultures. Cultural sensitivity is recognizing those biases and behaving in an acceptable way towards different backgrounds. Providing care with “cultural sensitivity and cultural humility are both means to the end being cultural competence” (Kersey-Matusiak, 2019, p. 6). References Clay, R. (2010). https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2010/09/culturally-competent. www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2010/09/culturally-competent. DeAngelis, T. (2015, March). In search of cultural competence. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/03/cultural-competence. Kersey-Matusiak, G. (2019). Delivering culturally competent nursing care: Working with diverse and vulnerable populations (2nd ed.). The Role of Cultural Sensitivity in Building Patient Relationships. (2019, July 11). Minority Nurse. https://minoritynurse.com/the-role-of-cultural-sensitivity-in-building-patient-relationships/. Module 1 Assignment Assignment Description: Part 1: For this assignment, conduct a cultural self-assessment using the Staircase Self-Assessment Model and write a 1250–1500-word reflection essay. To understand culture and cultural diversity, you must understand your own culture and beliefs. Utilizing the Staircase Self-Assessment Model as a means of determining your level of cultural competency, write a 1250 to 1500-word essay outlining the six stages: cultural destructiveness,
Why it is important for a nurse leader to understand variance reporting. How does this reporting become a valuable tool?
Why it is important for a nurse leader to understand variance reporting. How does this reporting become a valuable tool? Why it is important for a nurse leader to understand variance reporting. How does this reporting become a valuable tool? Staffing is usually the most expensive resource in the provision of care, what reports would provide valuable info for this expense? Finance department regard nursing units as not being revenue generator. Why would you believe they’re inaccurate in their assessment? Expert Answer and Explanation Variance Reporting and Aspects of Budgeting In healthcare, budget reporting helps hospitals to identify their expenses including the deviation between these expenses and what they projected to spend, allowing them to make better decisions in terms of how they allocate resources, and budget for various programs. For instance, a hospital can use the generated budget reports to make decisions in terms of what to spend on staff, and the amount of duns to use to acquire essential resources and medical supplies. The budgeting process involves creating a plan with details of what one intends to spend, and what they think they would earn based on the services they provide. When there is a deviation between the forecasted and the planned financial outcomes, this phenomenon is known as budget variance, with variance reporting denoting the resulting report with details of how the variance occurred (Nuti et al., 2021). It is important to explore why a nurse leader should understand it, and the information that is pertinent to understanding staffing. The Need for Nurse Leaders to Understand Variance Reporting, and how it becomes an Essential Tool For a nurse leader, understanding the variance reporting is crucial in the sense that it informs the decisions they make regarding the management of costs and the allocation of resources. A variance report reveals any discrepancy between the expenses, both actual and budgeted, and by reviewing this report, the nurse leader gains insight into the areas where they can add resources to optimize operational outcomes (Anderson et al., 2020). With this information, still, the leader can understand the different metrics, and make meaningful decisions such as identifying measures that if they initiate in nursing settings, can improve patients’ wellbeing (El-Sayed Aly et al., 2022). Variance reporting becomes a vital tool for nurse leaders by helping them identify opportunities for the improvement of certain processes that can help optimize clinical outcomes. A nurse informed by this tool, for instance, can make changes to the cash flows to match the resource requirements in specific units or areas. For instance, a nurse leader can rely on reports to identify areas facing a shortage of resources and respond to this by adjusting the budget to address the shortfalls (Kawaguchi et al., 2019). The report also forms an integral tool for informing decision-making during the subsequent budget preparation activities. Relying on what worked in the previous budget, a nurse leader can replicate the same in future budgets. The Reports that Would Provide Valuable Information for the Staffing Expenses When one wants to identify the expenses on staffing, they would rely on various reports which provide vital information in terms of the money used on various staffing activities and programs. As one of the forms of report, employee expense provides a crucial indicator of what is spent in various areas, including the amount and the reason for spending it. One would also rely on the compensation and benefit report which provides the details about benefits and salaries that various carders of staff received (Wieczorek-Wójcik et al., 2022). Part of the reports they would use when assessing the incurred expenses is the travel expense report which denotes a report that includes what the organization spent on employees’ transport. This could be in the form of the expenses on the fuel or transport allowance. These reports are resourceful to those who want to gauge whether a significant amount of the hospital’s budget goes into staffing. Why the Finance Department is Inaccurate in its Assessment of the Nursing Units The finance department’s notion that nursing does not generate revenue but is an expense is inaccurate. Health plans compensate healthcare providers for physician-based care, but they do not receive direct compensation because they provide nursing care. In this case, therefore, the department views nursing as an expense. This is inaccurate because nursing work complements the services that physicians provide because they implement physicians’ instructions, and are directly involved in the delivery of care. Recently, the scope of nursing practice has improved, with nurses playing an important role in addressing patients’ health concerns (Lasater et al., 2021). Due to the evolving role of the nurse, nurses in states such as Colorado are legally allowed to prescribe medications. Failing to recognize how nurses are bridging the gap in health care access by not recognizing the role nursing units play amounts to the wrong assessment of these units. Thus, there is a need to include these units in the pool of sectors that generate revenue. Conclusion In conclusion, variance reporting is important to a nurse because they can use the information on units with limited resources, and make apt decisions that can help improve the subsequent budgeting activities. When a nurse leader wants to identify the sum of the expenses on staffing, they would explore the individual reports including the report that shows the travel expenses. Using these reports, the nurse leader can be able to tell whether their organization is spending more on staffing. Despite the view that managing nursing units require money, these units support service delivery, enhancing the physicians’ work. It is therefore wrong to consider them as expenses, as opposed to viewing them as revenue generators. References Anderson, D. M., Cronk, R., Best, L., Radin, M., Schram, H., Tracy, J. W., & Bartram, J. (2020). Budgeting for Environmental Health Services in Healthcare Facilities: A Ten-Step Model for Planning and Costing. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(6), 2075. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062075. El-Sayed Aly, R. I., Ahmed Mohamed ELBahlawan, G., Aly, M. R., & Mohamed Elsayed, B. K. (2022).
Reflect upon a patient care encounter from personal practice in which principles from Barbara Carper’s theory of “Ways of Knowing” were used.
Reflect upon a patient care encounter from personal practice in which principles from Module 1: Assignment Remember to submit your work following the file naming convention FirstInitial.LastName_M01.docx. For example, J.Smith_M01.docx. Remember that it is not necessary to manually type in the file extension; it will automatically append. Start by reading and following these instructions: 1. Quickly skim the questions or assignment below and the assignment rubric to help you focus. 2. Read the required chapter(s) of the textbook and any additional recommended resources. Some answers may require you to do additional research on the Internet or in other reference sources. Choose your sources carefully. 3. Consider the course discussions so far and any insights gained from it. 4. Create your Assignment submission and be sure to cite your sources if needed, use APA style as required, and check your spelling. Assignment: Reflect upon a patient care encounter from personal practice in which principles from Barbara Carper’s theory of “Ways of Knowing” were used. Illustrate how each fundamental pattern for nursing knowledge contributed to the care of this patient. Select a particular area of nursing that is of interest to you. Elaborate on the specifics of nursing research in relation to this area— what can be accomplished by it, and why you believe it to be valuable. Include an explanation of the following questions in your response. What role does nursing research play in the development of applied medicine? What are the best methods for conducting such research? Include specific topics you will cover, and how this relates to your literature review. How do you know whether a topic qualifies as research worthy? What criteria make a topic acceptable for research? The assignment should be between 1500 and 2000 words in length and contain at least two scholarly sources, in addition to the textbook and provided material. Please submit your assignment in one APA formatted document. Expert Answer and Explanation Research Process and Application in Pediatrics Nursing, as a professional, relies on knowledge and the development of this knowledge is critical to the advancement of the health care objectives. In the context of the nursing profession, meeting patients’ needs is a universal priority, and theories often guide the decisions nurses make in order to meet the expectations of the various stakeholders in the healthcare sector. The contemporary health care delivery models are increasingly adopting findings from the empirical studies as the standard for guiding clinical decisions. This is emerging as a standard practice in the pediatrics where nurses work with younger patients. Theories, combined with the empirical reviews, provide the frameworks for the development of the evidence which pediatricians adopt for the purpose of applying in their practice. Research and theories, are however, useful in the development of the applied medicine (Smith & Parker, 2015). The role of this study is to explore the importance and applicability of nursing knowledge and research with focus on Barbara Carper’s theory of Ways of Knowing. Reflection upon a Patient Care Encounter Reflecting on the past clinical experience, I had an encounter with a patient who cried and complained of pain on the ankle, and I responded to the need of this patient by administering lidocaine. As a caregiver, I see myself as a custodian of the patient, and this formed the basis for my decision to respond as I did. By undertaking this decision, the patient’s pain subsided, and they did not cry for the rest of the period they were in the hospital. This brought calm to the patients and relieved the stress in the patient’s family members. I experience a sense of personal satisfaction, and I felt that my decision to act in a way that I did reflects how nurses impact the lives of the patients. As a person driven by belief to do the greater good, I had to consider injecting the patient with anesthetic medication to reduce the patient’s pain, even though I knew that the injection causes pain itself (Alligood, 2014). Based on what I have learned from various studies, injection with anesthetic medication can reduce pain, and this guided my decision. Specifics of the Nursing Research in Relations to Pediatric Nursing Nurses specializing in pediatrics can find the nursing research crucial in helping advance the clinical objectives in this area of their practice. Pediatric patients present in hospitals with a wide spectrum of medical needs, and this warrants the need for the caregivers to perform the correct assessment and administer evidence-guided interventions. Some of the patients who seek for services in this area have limited understanding of the health knowledge, and the provider cannot rely on these patients to make sound clinical decisions. The nursing research compensates for this challenge by making it possible for caregivers to apply what has worked elsewhere into the intervention regiment, and this improves the possibility of gaining favorable intervention outcomes (Alligood, 2014). Indeed, nursing research may give details about certain clinical conditions which affect patients during specific age, and this knowledge can form the basis for performing certain diagnostic procedures to determine the presence of the disease. Role of the Nursing Research in the Development of Applied Medicine Nursing knowledge is becoming increasingly important in applied medicine, and nursing professionals utilize the existing source of knowledge to explore the intervention options which they can apply in the delivery of care to improve treatment outcomes. These professionals, at various levels of their practice, become aware of the procedures involved in retrieving, reading, critiquing and applying the current studies. With this knowledge, nurses can identify issues with the current studies, and correct these mistakes, and ultimately define the new approaches for addressing the disease incidences, either at individual or community level. The healthcare environment is dynamic, and this is because of the increased emphasis on the improvement of the quality. Essentially, nurses can use this research for the purpose of responding to these changes so that they meet the changing expectations. For nurses, understanding of the current approaches to addressing clinical issues can be