Each student will develop a patient teaching brochure for a patient with COPD ( Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that the student has cared for in the clinical setting or an experience you had with a patient in the past. The patient teaching content should be based upon evidence but also include the considerations included in the patient teaching module related to culture, age, and reading level. You will write the information on the discussion board and attach the brochure to it.

The assignment will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• Cultural considerations                                                           
• Age considerations & accommodations                               
• Reading level calculations & considerations                        
• Effective use of technology and creativity                          
• Logical presentation and organization  

Case Study 1: Revitalizing a Brand

Read the case study titled “Revitalizing a Brand”, located in the online course shell. Use the Internet or Strayer databases to research the branding and communication strategies of one (1) health services organization that is similar to the health services organizations mentioned in the case study.

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

1. Describe the current marketing communication, identity, and brand position of Plaza Home Health Services.
2. Conduct a Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis associated with the current marketing communication, identity, and brand position of Plaza Home Health Services.
3. Assess the importance of benchmarking in Plaza Home Health Services’ development and implementation of an effective brand strategy (marketing communication, identity, and brand position).
4. Compare branding and communication strategies of a similar health services organization with that of Plaza Home Health Services. Determine whether or not Plaza Home Health Services should apply additional best practices into its current branding and communication strategies. Provide a rationale and support for your response.
5. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources. 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Examine the marketing research process and market segmentation strategies in the health care industry.
• Analyze business planning based on an analysis of domestic and global operating environments, market dynamics (supply and demand), commercialization, and product-market expansion.
• Explain how branding strategies apply to the health care market for existing and new products.
• Determine the marketing communications strategy used in health care services.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services strategic marketing.
• Write clearly and concisely about health services strategic marketing using proper writing mechanics.

Comment1

I will say that spiritual care is providing the spiritual or religious needs of a patient as he/she is dealing with  an illness, whether it is assisting them with physical or emotional healing.  Being raised a Disciple of Christ, I was taught that the spiritual care we provide others needed to be less reminiscent of a country club and more like a soup kitchen. Providing spiritual care to others doesn’t always occur at a convenient time or place, rather, it’s the Holy Spirit working through us to help others connect to God. “The goal of Christian spirituality is not to merely know ourselves, it is to offer ourselves to God, to empty ourselves to Almighty, so that we may be available to hear God’s call and to respond” (Spirituality, n.d.). When we approach others in a humble and loving manner, like the soup kitchen philosophy, we can nurture more than an individual’s body, but their heart, soul and mind. Professionally, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO, 1998) clearly stipulates that, “Patients have a fundamental right to considerate care that safeguards their personal beliefs”.

Comment2

Spiritual care is caring for the patient and their family members, holistically. It involves doing a complete assessment of the patient’s cultural and spiritual needs.  We, as
nurses, should understand that a person’s identity and decisions are based on their cultural and spiritual beliefs and an understanding of this allows us to provide appropriate interventions that are sensitive to their needs and desires for a positive outcome.  This outcome may be to help them die peacefully, according to their spiritual beliefs or cope with the unknown process of a disease.   Understanding, respecting and providing spiritual care also helps reduce the patient’s anxiety and stress related to
disease processes and sometimes provides the hope they need to recover or improve their quality of life. Meilaender (2013) contends that spirituality can be as important, if not more important than physical care, which I agree with wholeheartedly.  When I understand my patients spirituality and their needs, I am able to take better care of my patients based on their moral values and ethics and allow them to make decisions based on their interpretation and meaning of life.

Comment 1

My definition of spiritual care is being there for my patients beyond their physical needs, to care for their whole person, not only their physical body. It includes listening to their struggles, worries, or concerns they might feel the need to share as well as coordinating a chaplain and respecting their own religious or personal beliefs. 

My definition is similar to the one offered in the readings in that it involves caring for the whole person: listening, praying, being present, etc. (Meilaender, 2013).

My definition differs from the description given by Meilaender in a couple ways. One, I left out that it is an integral piece of the assessment, which Meilaender states at the beginning of the discussion on spiritual care. It is not something that should only occur when we “have time”, and it should not need to be private or undocumented either (Meilaender, 2013).

Meilaender (2013) also defines spiritual care as, “facilitating a person’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ.” (p.264). It also included that spiritual care is a way of bringing people closer to God through compassion, listening, prayer, etc. This is not something that I included in my definition. 

I very much appreciated that Meilaender (2013) included that spiritual care is never rude or coercive, and if patients have other belief systems, that we must be respectful of their preferences. I believe this is very important also because judging people generally tends to push them away and make them disconnect from the person passing judgment as opposed to make them feel loved and comfortable. 

Comment 2

From a nursing perspective, spiritual care is meeting the spiritual need(s) of your patient whenever it is required. This can be accomplished through active listening, prayer, or offering of religious services (i.e. chaplain). My definition and understanding of spiritual care is similar to the description offered in the topic readings. According to Shelly and Miller (2009), spiritual care is defined as “putting people in touch with God through compassionate presence, active listening, witness, prayer, Bible reading and partnering with the body of Christ (the church community and the clergy). It is never coercive or rude” (p. 265). 

Compassionate presence is described as providing assistance at the moment it is needed and constantly nudging patients toward the goals that God has for them (Shelly & Miller, 2009, p. 265). “Active listening includes hearing what a person is not saying as well as the actual thoughts and feelings articulated” (Shelly & Miller, 2009, p. 266). Witness involves sharing a story or providing scripture that may be helpful toward patient healing. It is important to remember that “our witness should not be self-righteous or manipulative, but it can be bold” (Shelly & Miller, 2009, p. 268). Prayer is communicating with God in whichever manner the patient feels is helpful. Bible reading allows the patient to search for scripture that “can be a deep source of comfort and strength to the believer” (Shelly & Miller, 2009, p. 271). Remaining in touch with the church community and the clergy allows the patient to have a larger support base and helps the nurse further meet their patient’s spiritual needs.