“What Are the Major Ethical Issues in Conducting Research?”

/in /by

Ethical Dimensions of Research Studies

In the best-selling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot, 2010), the author highlights the true story of an African-American woman who died in 1951 from cervical cancer. What makes her story unique is that prior to her death, cells from her tumor were removed and successfully grown in a petri dish. This was the first time scientists were able to successfully replicate cells outside the body, and it is estimated that billions of Lacks’ cells have been used in medical research. However, Henrietta Lacks was never asked for permission to take a sample and her family was never made aware of the widespread use of her cells. Although the culturing of her cells has been pivotal for advancing research, strong ethical concerns later arose about using these cells without patient or family approval.

Reference:
 Skloot, R. (2010). The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.

 

This week’s readings describe historical examples of unethical research, such as a study of syphilis among African-American men in which treatment was withheld and a study in which live cancer cells were injected into elderly patients. Today, stricter controls that seek to protect study participants are placed on researchers, but breaches still occur. Careful attention must be given toward preventing unethical behavior. In this Discussion, you explore ethical considerations and issues in research.

To prepare:

  • Select a current health-related case involving research ethics. (If none come to mind, browse the Internet to familiarize yourself with recent cases.)
  • As you review the case that you have selected, reflect on the ethical principles discussed in “What Are the Major Ethical Issues in Conducting Research?” article found in this week’s Learning Resources. Which principles were breached in the case you have identified?

How did the change affect your job and responsibilities?

/in /by

Critiquing a Change Effort

As a nurse leader, you need to have the skills and knowledge to collaborate and communicate with those who plan for and manage change. This capacity is valuable in any health care setting and for many different types of change. Furthermore, it is essential to be able to evaluate a change effort and determine if it is promoting improved outcomes and making a positive difference within the department or unit, or for the organization as a whole.

To prepare:

  • Review Chapters 7 and 8 in the course text. Focus on the strategies for planning and implementing change in an organization, as well as the roles of nurses, managers, and other health care professionals throughout this process.
  • Reflect on a specific change that has recently occurred in your organization or one in which you have worked previously. What was the catalyst or purpose of the change?
  • How did the change affect your job and responsibilities?
  • Consider the results of the change and whether or not the intended outcomes have been achieved.
  • Was the change managed skillfully? Why or why not? How might the process have been improved?

Post  (1) a summary of a specific change within an organization and describe the impact of this change on your role and responsibilities. (2) Explain the rationale for the change, and whether or not the intended outcomes have been met. (3) Assess the management of the change, and propose suggestions for how the process could have been improved.

Describe Health Communication.

/in /by
Unit 5 Assignment: Creating Media Messages

View an introduction to the Assignment here.

Unit outcome(s) addressed in this Assignment:

  • Describe Health Communication.
  • Create media messages.

Course outcome(s) addressed in this Assignment:

HS315-4: Apply strategies to promote health within a community.

Click the icon below to view the complete Assignment instructions and grading rubric.

 

ID: HS315-05-09-A

Identify a problem, inefficiency, or issue within a specific department/unit.

/in /by

Planned Change in a Department or Unit

Health care organizations are continuously immersed in change from the emergence of new policies, to promote quality care and improve patient safety to keeping pace with the rapid growth in knowledge and best practices. Establishing a solid framework for planning and implementing change is a wise move, as it provides a foundation for the extensive coordination that will be needed to successfully facilitate the change.

For this Assignment, you propose a change at the department or unit level and develop a plan for guiding the change effort.

To prepare:

  • Review Chapter 8 in the course text. Focus on Kurt Lewin’s change theory, and contrast it with other classic change models and strategies.
  • Reflect on problems, inefficiencies, and critical issues within a specific department, unit, or area in your organization or one with which you are familiar. Select one issue as a focal point for this assignment, and consider a change that could be made to address the issue.
  • Think about how the change would align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values as well as relevant professional standards.
  • Using one of the change models or strategies discussed in Chapter 8, begin formulating a plan for implementing the change within the department/unit. Outline the steps that you and/or others should follow to facilitate the change effort. Align these steps to the change model or strategy you selected.
  • Determine who should be involved in initiating and managing the change. Consider the skills and characteristics that are necessary to facilitate this change effort.

To complete:

Write a 4- to 5-page paper (page count does not include title and reference page) that addresses the following:

  • Identify a problem, inefficiency, or issue within a specific department/unit.
  • Describe a specific, realistic change that could be made to address the issue.
  • Summarize how the change would align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values as well as relevant professional standards.
  • Identify a change model or strategy to guide your planning for implementing the change. Provide a rationale for your selection.
  • Outline the steps that you and/or others would follow to facilitate the change. Align these steps to your selected change model or strategy.
  • Explain who would be involved in initiating and managing this change. Describe the skills and characteristics that would be necessary to facilitate the change effort.

Reminder: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references

Describe the components of a healing hospital and their relationship to spirituality.

/in /by

Consider how the paradigm of a healing hospital might influence your philosophy of caregiving and write an essay of 500-750 words that addresses the following:

  1. Describe the components of a healing hospital and their relationship to spirituality.
  2. What are the challenges of creating a healing environment in light of the barriers and complexities of the hospital environment?
  3. Include biblical aspects that support the concept of a healing hospital.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

What are some strategies for engaging community members?

/in /by

n its report “The Future of Public Health,” the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (1988) recognizes assessments of community health status and community health needs as a core public health function. The course textbook states that some of the goals of community health assessment are to evaluate health status, identify community health needs, identify strengths and weaknesses of a community’s health systems, recommend strategies to address community health needs, and locate existing or needed resources to meet identified needs.

Read the report and based on it, respond to the following questions in relation to the role of community members:

  • What role or roles should community members have in a community needs assessment? Justify your answer.
  • What are some strategies for engaging community members?

Public health agencies use data to identify health problems, establish and track health objectives, and assess the effectiveness of policies, programs, and services.

Respond to the following questions in relation to community needs assessment:

  • Which key factors are important to consider when gathering and presenting data for a community needs assessment?
  • When presenting data, which strategies would you recommend for creating a strong and compelling statement of need?

no pages required, just answer the question with 100% accuracy.

APA formatted references.

Thank you

Identify a health care issue that interests you and explain why.

/in /by

Write a proposal paper (1,250-1,500 words) for a major change project that you would like to lead.

 

Identify a health care issue that interests you and explain why.

 

Develop a rationale using evidence-based research, including:

1) The background.

2) Statistical findings.

3) Probable stakeholders.

4) Logical conclusions.

 

Design an implementation plan for the project, including:

1) A communications plan.

2) Creation of a design and implementation team by roles.

 

List the strategies you would use to lead the team to success and identify potential obstacles that may be faced, along with plans to deal with them.

 

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

 

Research Question

 

How does PTSD effect our American Soldiers today and what is being done to help these soldiers?

How are your plans for your Practicum Project progressing?

/in /by

How are your plans for your Practicum Project progressing? What additional guidance or information would help you to refine your Practicum Project Plan?

Your Practicum Project Plan is due on or before Day 7 of this week. In preparation for completing the Assignment, you may use this forum to post a draft of your plan and receive support from your colleagues. This Discussion forum provides an opportunity for informal collaboration. It is not required, and you will not receive a grade for your participation.

If you choose to participate, you may integrate useful feedback you receive to strengthen your plan prior to submitting it. Just as importantly, reviewing your colleagues’ proposals may help you to deepen your understanding of the plan components and application of scholarly writing.

(Optional) To prepare:

  • Review the information in the Practicum Project Plan (PPP) Overview document, introduced in Week 3. The overview describes the elements that must be included in your plan.
  • Reflect on the development of your Practicum Project Plan thus far. Address any questions you have and/or identify areas in need of further consideration or improvement.
  • Develop any outstanding components of your Practicum Project Plan. For instance, you may need to continue your review of the literature and create your project timeline. You may wish to review the timeline table you completed on the Professional Practicum Experience Plan and update it as necessary.
  • Review the information on scholarly writing in this week’s Learning Resources, and integrate these principles as you develop your Practicum Project Plan.
  • Create a draft of your Practicum Project Plan (a 4- to 6-page scholarly paper) to share with your colleagues in this optional Discussion forum.

•    What are the arguments in support of and in opposition to potential resolutions?

/in /by

The student will write a 5-10 page paper on a current issue in healthcare related to a personal interest area or personal view of a healthcare issue or concern. The paper will consist of

1. Pros and Cons of the issue through a literature search with APA guidelines followed.

2. After pros and cons are stated, you will write  an analysis and synthesis of both and write a summary paragraph (s) on your personal views.

Suggested topics to consider  patient safety concerns, end of life issues, access to care, Affordable Care Act, ethical issues, mental health care, drug use, patient education, delivery of care models, scope of practice etc

Be careful of APA style and form.

Please reference the content within Module 4 titled, “Issues Brief Template” to complete this assignment.

Some Rubric (1)
Criteria    Ratings    Pts
Description of criterion: Pros and Cons
Full Marks
5 pts
No Marks
0 pts

APA
Full Marks
5 pts
No Marks
0 pts

Summarization of Pros and Cons
Full Marks
10 pts
No Marks
0 pts
10 pts

Total Points: 20
Previous

Issues Brief Template
When an issue or problem arises that has impacts outside of an individual unit or manager’s control, writing a briefing paper serves several purposes.  The process of writing a paper forces clarity to the issue and the impacts, allows for explanation of competing viewpoints, and provides a basis for raising the issue for decision or discussion.

Following is a general structure to use when raising issues.  While any particular format is necessarily limiting in its rigor, having a consistent presentation is beneficial when there are many issues to deal with.  Each segment of the general structure includes strategic questions to guide the writer through a thought process.  Not all questions will be applicable or appropriate for every situation and there may be additional questions to consider that are not listed below.

The most critical elements of the structure are clarity, conciseness, and the complete description of all sides of the issue.  Constructing an argument to move in any one direction is relatively simple if potential concerns or opposition are glossed over (or not even recognized).  If options are presented, they should provide a balanced (with all other options) description of the impacts.  In other words, a briefing paper should be used only partially to make a particular case; the broader purpose should be to inform a discussion of an issue and its impacts.

Structure

Issue Statement
•    What problem/issue needs to be resolved?
•    If the remainder of the paper is extensive, an Executive Summary should be included

Discussion/Background
•    Why does the issue exist/how did the issue originate?
•    What is the situation that causes it to surface or be elevated now?
•    What are the impacts of the issue?
•    Who is impacted by it?
•    What is the statewide significance?
•    What are the arguments in support of and in opposition to potential resolutions?
•    What work has been undertaken around the issue and what are the results?
•    What constraints exist that limit the range of alternatives to addressing the issue?
•    What are the risks or ramifications of not resolving the issue?
•    What references exist to inform this issue (i.e. Op Notice, policy, manual, etc.)

Options and/or Recommendations (typically, choose one)
•    What are the proposed options?
o    How do the options address the issue?
o    What are the opposing arguments (whether they’ve been made or could be made)
o    Financial implications?
o    Precedent implications?
o    Political implications?
•    What is the proposed approach to developing options or recommendation?
o    Should a sub-team be developed to explore options and/or develop a recommendation for resolution?
o    Should the issue be delegated or elevated to another leadership team?
o    Other method/approach to develop options or a recommendation?
•    What is the proposed recommendation or solution?
o    How does the proposed recommendation resolve the issue?
o    What are the benefits?
o    What are the risks?
o    What are the opposing arguments (whether they’ve been made or could be made)
o    Financial implications?
o    Precedent implications?
o    Political implications?

Implementation
•    How will the solution be implemented?
•    Who will implement?
•    What are the key steps or deliverables involved?
•    What are the timeframes for implementation?
•    What does “success” look like?
•    How will the recommendation be documented? (i.e. Op Notice, manual changes, policy changes, etc.)

Communication
•    Who needs to approve?
•    Who needs to know?
•    How will the recommendation be communicated?  Is a communication plan needed?