In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making. A critical component of any policy design is evaluation of the results. How comfortable are you with the thought of becoming involved with such matters?

Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation. The preference may be to focus on the care and well-being of their patients; some nurses may feel ill-equipped to enter the realm of policy and political activities. However, as you have examined previously, who better to advocate for patients and effective programs and polices than nurses? Already patient advocates in interactions with doctors and leadership, why not with government and regulatory agencies?

In this Discussion, you will reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.

To Prepare:

• In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making.
• Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.

Post an explanation of at least two opportunities that currently exist for RNs and APRNs to actively participate in policy review. Explain some of the challenges that these opportunities may present and describe how you might overcome these challenges. Finally, recommend two strategies you might make to better advocate for or communicate the existence of these opportunities. Be specific and provide examples.

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Health Information Systems–Recommendation for the Acquisition, Implementation, and Support of a Health Information System
PowerPoint Presentation: Health Information Technology to Address the Continuum of Care

Scenario:

Long-Term Care

Bethany Place is a 40-bed independent long-term care facility in the Pacific Northwest. They have existed for over 50 years having come from a faith-based background. With good investments and sound financial management, Bethany place has grown and is executing a capital strategic plan. They are expanding their 40-bed facility to purchase a nearby resident facility and expand into rehabilitative care, adding another 30 beds. They are approximately six months away from receiving the appropriate certificates and regulatory approvals as a rehabilitative care facility for both chronic care patients and recovery of acute head injury. The rehabilitation facility and renovations to the independent long-term care facility are scheduled to begin in the next six months and be executed over an 18-month period. Currently Bethany place has no electronic medical record. There is a third-party service that is used to scan and send automated claims to Medicare and private insurers. A local desktop IT services company was recently contracted to provide managed services to Bethany place and provides the website email and local desktop applications for staff. As part of this initiative a robust new IT network design was implemented for both Bethany place and the anticipated rehabilitation facility. The lack of an electronic health record at Bethany place has created quality issues and risk management issues particularly related to medication reconciliation with patient transfers. The board and senior leadership have asked the Bethany place management to evaluate information technology options in the form of an electronic medical record, and patient management application(s) for both Bethany place and the rehabilitation extension facility as part of executing the strategic plan. 

Read the scenario from the Learning Resources you will develop a PowerPoint presentation to provide an overview of how information technology will address issues in that organization(s)/setting. You understand that for such an expensive and complex recommendation, in-depth research must be conducted along with a high level leadership plan as to how you would recommend approaching the initiative along the Systems Development Lifecycle steps: 1) Acquire; 2) Plan for; 3) Implement; and 4) Support the technology solution.
In a 15- to 20-slide PowerPoint presentation, including extensive speaker notes and 5–6 peer reviewed references applied using APA Format:

Analyze the problems and opportunities that the technology is aimed to address in this organization(s)/setting
Critique any legal and/or regulatory concerns related to using technology in this organizations(s)/setting
Acquisition: Explain your recommended steps in the systematic evaluation and acquisition of the technology

SWOT summary
Vendor partner recommendations
Process to evaluate vendors

Planning: Develop a Project Charter for how you would plan for implementing this technology.

Scope of the project/program
Key stakeholders
Risks and mitigation plans
Financial justification

Implementation:

Change Management Strategy
Security and Privacy Plan
Data sharing, systems integration needs
Use of cost reducing emerging technology platforms

Support and sustainability:

Financial sustainment plan
End user technical support plan
Potential fit with emerging industry technologies

Briefly address any competitive advantage that this technology might provide for the selected organization(s)

Question Description

To prepare:

• Select a health topic of interest to you that is relevant to your current area of practice. The topic may be your Course Portfolio Project or a different topic of your choice.
• Using the Walden Library, locate two articles in scholarly journals that deal with your portfolio topic: 1) Select one article that utilizes a quantitative research design and 2) select a second article that utilizes either a qualitative OR a mixed methods design. These need to be single studies not systematic or integrative reviews (including meta-analysis and metasynthesis). You may use research articles from your reference list. If you cannot find these two types of research on your portfolio topic, you may choose another topic.
• Locate the following documents in this week’s Learning Resources to access the appropriate templates, which will guide your critique of each article:
  • Critique Template for a Qualitative Study
  • Critique Template for a Quantitative Study
  • Critique Template for a Mixed-Methods Study
• Consider the fields in the templates as you review the information in each article. Begin to draft a paper in which you analyze the two research approaches as indicated below. Reflect on the overall value of both quantitative and qualitative research. If someone were to say to you, “Qualitative research is not real science,” how would you respond?

To complete this Assignment:

• Complete the two critiques using the appropriate templates.
• Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:
• Contrast the types of information that you gained from examining the two different research approaches in the articles that you selected.
  • Describe the general advantages and disadvantages of the two research approaches featured in the articles. Use examples from the articles for support.
  • Formulate a response to the claim that qualitative research is not real science. Highlight the general insights that both quantitative and qualitative studies can provide to researchers. Support your response with references to the Learning Resources and other credible sources.
• As you complete this Assignment, remember to:
• Submit your paper to Grammarly and SafeAssign through the Walden Writing Center. Based on the Grammarly and SafeAssign reports, revise your paper as necessary.
• Reminder: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The School of Nursing Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available from the Walden University website found in this week’s Learning Resources). All papers submitted must use this formatting.
• Combine all three parts of this assignment into one Word document including both critique templates and the narrative with your references. Submit this combined document.

Nursing Theory Reflection 3

Complete this week’s assigned readings, chapters 25 & 26.  After completing the readings, post a short reflection, approximately 1 paragraph in length, discussing your thoughts, opinions, questions or concerns about one or several of the specific theories covered in the readings.

As a reminder, no scholarly sources are required and students do not have to reply to a classmate’s original post. This post does not have an end date but please make an effort to complete your post before next week’s discussion post is posted and/or due in order to avoid falling behind.