By day 2 (Tuesday) post a brief description of how epidemiology can be used to evaluate health services. Then describe an example of an epidemiological study that has been used to evaluate a screening program, include the methodological issues that an epidemiologist may face while conducting these epidemiological studies. Your post must be written in APA format.

   APA Format.

-Introduction or abstract page  

-Summary or Conclusion page  

 -Four pages minimum, no including Introduction or abstract,  summary or conclusion, and Bibliography pages  

 -It is completely unacceptable to Copy and Paste from the Internet, or other resources  

 -Bibliography has to be in APA Format, minimum 3, no more than 3 years old.

APA format 3 peer review references 1 page long 

 

Geriatrics 

Aging is a normal part of life and every person plays the course a little differently. As an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) it is important to understand the aging process and how each body system changes throughout that time. Older individuals process drug therapy differently and it is important to note the changes that may need to be made to their medication regimen as a patient gets older (Arcangelo, Peterson, Wilbur, & Reinhold, 2017, p. 73). 

Older adults have numerous barriers that they need to overcome, such as multiple medications due to several medical problems. A lag in memory may lead to improper medication administration. Furthermore, a long list of medications could lead to adverse mediation reactions (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 73). 

Cardiovascular Patients

When looking at the cardiovascular system you are considering the make-up of the vascular system and the heart muscle. The blood flow to each of the body’s organs is vital for its survival. Furthermore, medications you give for heart conditions can change the way the heart pumps, how fast it pumps, and how much pressure is within the heart. Each of these factors is extremely important as medications are dosed and determined. 

Response to Drug Therapy

Older adults typically have a delayed response to gastric emptying, therefore, this will delay medication absorption. There is also a decreased amount of gastric secretions which will affect mediation absorption (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 74). 

Older adults naturally have a lower amount of albumin, which is a protein that aids in mediation metabolism. For example, some medications, like propranolol, bind to protein sites. Propranolol is often given for high blood pressure, chest pain, or atrial fibrillation. When the patient takes up less binding sites, the medications takes up more sites and toxicity can occur in the patient. For a patient taking Propranolol, his or her blood pressure may drop more than needed is the dose isn’t adjusted with age (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 74). 

A drop in lean body mass and an increase in total fat also often occur. This is important to note because some medications are absorbed better by lean body mass and the medication will stay in the elderly patient’s body longer because they don’t have much for lean body mass (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 74-75). 

The liver metabolizes most of the drugs in the body. In the elderly patients, you see less blood flow and a smaller liver. Again, smaller medication dosages may be needed to prevent hepatic toxicity (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 75)

Drug excretion typically happens in the kidneys. Blood flow in the kidneys decreases after the age of 40, so it when giving medications you may have to leave more time between doses to ensure proper clearance (Arcangelo et al., 2017, p. 75). 

Drug Therapy

When treating a medical condition like hypertension, the patient will often be prescribed two medications from different classes to fix the problem. This can be beneficial for the patient because less of each medication is being asked to be metabolized through the body. There is a smaller risk the patient will have toxicity of the drug (Huether & McCance, 2017, p. 604).  

Furthermore, there are disadvantages for patients taking multiple medications. For example, they are more likely to have a medication reaction. Polypharmacy is a probing problem for older adults, and it cause confusion for these individuals. By keeping there mediations regimen small, compliance is more likely to occur (Agbonjinmi, 2017). 

Agbonjinmi, L. A. (2017). Polypharmacy: Inappropriate median use in elderly and its associated 

effects. West African Journal Of Nursing, 28(1), 56-65.

Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V. &  Reinhold, J. A.  (Eds.). 

(2017). Pharmacotherapeutics  for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). 

Ambler, PA:  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2017). Understanding  pathophysiology (6th ed.). St. Louis, 

MO: Mosby.

Concept Synthesis Paper on Personal Nursing Philosophy

Your Concept Synthesis Paper is due this week. By the due date assigned, submit your scholarly paper, in which you have identified, described, researched and applied the concepts that underlie your personal philosophy for professional nursing practice.

Your paper should include:

• Nursing Autobiography: A brief (1 page) discussion of your background in nursing.
• The Four Metaparadigms: Identification, discussion, and documentation from the literature of your perspective on the four metaparadigms of patient, nurse, health, and environment.
• Two Practice-Specific Concepts: Identification, discussion, and documentation from the literature of your perspective on at least two concepts specific to your own practice.
• List of Propositions: A numbered list of at least five propositions or assumption statements that clearly connect the concepts described.

Your paper should integrate these discrete elements and reflect your personal nursing philosophy.

The paper should be thoroughly researched and well documented, with relevant material from the nursing theorists presented incorporated into the paper. The current APA Manual is to be used throughout the paper. Sources should focus on references from nursing theory but may also include conceptual and theoretical material from other professional domains. The paper, excluding references or appendices, is to be limited to 4-6 pages. Writing should be succinct and well organized, as it is impossible for the facilitator to evaluate form and content separately.

Your philosophy/framework is to be given a title that is appropriate to its content and emphasis.

Download the Concept Synthesis Template.

 

Disaster Preparedness Essay

Objective: Examine disaster preparedness concepts in healthcare organizations.

Introduction

In the healthcare field, personnel are often responsible for the safety and survival of others, especially in crisis or disaster settings. To ensure appropriate care and response, proper training of healthcare service providers to respond efficiently and effectively to the needs of the injured during a disaster is critical. Healthcare organizations must also prepare management to handle a crisis situation by ensuring that a complete crisis management plan is ready for any emergency situation. You will write an essay that describes the nature of crises management in healthcare.

Deliverable

The essay for this lesson is required to be a minimum of 750 words that clearly demonstrate your understanding of the activity. Essays should have a clear introduction, thesis statement and conclusion, written in APA format (APAstyle.org). A minimum of three sources must be cited in-text and in the Reference list.

Activity Details

Step 1: Read the following questions and use what you have learned about this lesson’s objective to summarize your responses. It is highly recommended that you use these questions/prompts as level 1 subheadings in your essay.

• -What are the different types of disasters that may occur and require the response of a healthcare organization?
• -What government organizations help healthcare organizations prepare for disasters? What assistance does each provide?
• -What are the common elements of healthcare disaster preparedness? Include a description of an emergency response plan, communication plan, incident command center, personnel resources, community and governmental roles and resources.

Step 2: Write a paper that incorporates your answers to the questions in Step 1.