Post your week 8 discussion questions here.

People of Haitian Heritage

People of Iranian Heritage

Read chapter 15 and 32 of the class textbook and review the attached PowerPoint presentations.  Read content chapter 32 Davis Plus Online Website.  Once done present a 800 words essay discussing the Haitian and Iranian Heritages.  The essay must contained the following;

-Geographical localization and topography

-Politic and economy

-Health care beliefs and the relationship with their religious beliefs

-How they view the health, illness and death concepts

You must used at least two evidence-based references (excluding) the class textbook. 

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.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed into legislation in March of 2010. Identify the impact of this legislation on your nursing practice by choosing two key nursing provisions outlined in the topic material “Nursing and Health Reform.” Discuss how these two provisions have impacted, or will impact, your current practice of nursing.

  Additionally, you are expected to reply to two other students and include a reference that justifies your post.  Your reply must be at least 3 paragraphs. 

the following answer is the post to another student that I have to reply to. 

Question 1

            I am a doctor’s nurse at a local clinic where I meet Alex who, while the M.D. examining his genitalia and me as the provider’s assistant nurse, informs us that he is HIV positive. I counsel Alex to inform his sex partner Ann so that she can also get to know her HIV status. Twelve months later, Ann is expecting a baby in three months.

            Clearly, Alex is yet to inform Ann of his status yet steps needed to be taken to know the status of Ann and the unborn baby so that necessary treatment can commence. Alex threatens that if his status is disclosed to Ann without his consent, he would stop coming for treatment. I found myself in a dilemma on whether to inform Ann of Alex status or hid to Alex words.

            To utilize critical thinking, I ought to refer to paragraph 53 of the GMC guidelines on confidentiality. The principle explains that disclosure of confidential information is justified when the failure to do so exposes a third party to risk of death or serious harm (Dolan, 2004).

Question 2

            Patients can avoid medical errors to ensure their safety taking their medication as prescribed, communicating effectively with their caregivers and clinicians and lowering infection rates. Patients must also keep the health care team involved and learning more about their conditions (Keohane & Bates, 2008).

            Family caregivers need to have adequate training on how to handle the patient and ensure adequate communication between the patient and the clinician to ensure patient safety. The family should also ensure that the patient is free from household hazards. Clinicians can promote safety and reduce errors by adhering to procedures, listening to patients and effectively communicating with the health care team (Keohane & Bates, 2008).

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            The healthcare team should embrace teamwork to eliminate issues of burnouts that may lead to medical errors. The team should also work together to solve problems that may lead to medical errors. The system can improve communication skills among members of staff in the facility, develop team strategies and develop safety culture in the hospital setting to ensure safety and reduce errors.

Question 3

            Patient involvement is a core factor in creating the culture of safety. Clinicians must involve patients in decisions pertaining to their treatment and discharge plans (Clancy, Farquhar & Sharp, 2005). Such practices allow patients know much about their care to avoid misunderstanding.

            Teamwork also creates a culture of safety. The skills generated in interprofessional communication encourage safety culture. Teamwork is critical during transitions in care.

            Access to accurate information is another factor that creates a culture of safety. Access patient records, evidence-based-practice protocol and lab reports enhance the culture of safety in health care. The formation required must be accurate and received in good time.

References

Clancy, C. M., Farquhar, M. B., & Sharp, B. A. C. (2005). Patient safety in nursing           practice. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 20(3), 193-197.

Dolan, B. (2004). Medical records: Disclosing confidential clinical information. Psychiatric             Bulletin, 28(2), 53-56.

Keohane, C. A., & Bates, D. W. (2008). Medication safety. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America, 35(1), 37-52.