This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment.

In your CLC group, create a PowerPoint presentation of 10-15 slides in which you compare the pros and cons of continuing nursing education related to the following:

1. Impact on competency.
2. Impact on knowledge and attitudes.
3. Relationship to professional certification.
4. Relationship to ANA Scope and Standards of Practice.
5. Relationship to ANA Code of Ethics.

Take a position with your CLC group: Should continuing nursing education be mandatory for all nurses? Support your position with rationale.

A minimum of three scholarly sources are required for this assignment.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

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

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

1. In the last century, what historical, social, political, and economic trends and issues have influenced today’s health-care system? 

2. What is the purpose and process of evaluating the three aspects of health care: structure, process, and outcome? 

3. How does technology improve patient outcomes and the health-care system?

4. How can you intervene to improve quality of care and safety within the health-care system and at the bedside? 

2. Select one nonprofit organization or one government agencies that influences and advocates for quality improvement in the health-care system. Explore the Web site for your selected organization/agency and answer the following questions: •

What does the organization/agency do that supports the hallmarks of quality? • 

What have been the results of their efforts for patients, facilities, the health-care delivery system, or the nursing profession? •

How has the organization/agency affected facilities where you are practicing and your own professional practice?

Essentials of Nursing Leadership & Management
6th Edition

Sally A. Weiss  MSN, EdD, RN, CNE, ANEFRuth M. Tappen  EdD, RN, FAAN

ISBN-13: 978-0-8036-3663-7

•  Marietta, Ga
• From the first e-Activity, analyze the measures your state and local community have in place to prepare hospitals for two (2) different types of threats to public health. Question whether the design of these measures allows for the sufficient protection of the population in the face of an imminent threat. Justify your response.
• From the second e-Activity, examine two to three (2-3) changes to the preparedness policies of your chosen state and federal government agencies. Determine the significant social, political, or environmental factors that have influenced these changes. Provide support for your rationale.

Comment 1

A colleague recently was diagnosed with breast cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has an easy website to navigate for information. There is a search bar for questions that may be posed. One can begin with cancer from A to Z. Breast cancer has many headers such as about, risk and prevention, early diagnosis and prevention, understanding the diagnosis, treating, reconstruction surgery, living as a survivor, and non-cancerous breast conditions. A patient can even find easy reading for those with breast cancer. They have downloadable information under pdfs with similar headings. Related topics, news and stories, and more resources are available. Their site has a handy tool bar and toll-free phone number for those who prefer to use that resource. At the end of their page is another way to approach subjects. For example, to find information about rides to treatment one can just navigate to the bottom of the page, rather than using the search bar. Reach to Recovery is a phenomenal resource, allowing you to speak with a person that has survived breast cancer (Cancer Caregiver Support, n.d.).

Factors that are associated with cancer risk are tobacco use and secondhand smoke, inactivity, obesity, nutrition and diet, alcohol, ultraviolet light, and cancer-associated infections such as HPV. Six infections are listed. I live in Connecticut and it is estimated that there will be 21,240 new cases diagnosed and 6,590 deaths this year. In my state, there is a partnership with Center for Disease Control (CDC). State specific cancer issues are identified and a plan has been developed with goals and strategies for improvement. For example, at St. Francis Hospital, Men’s Health Institute has the goal of providing free services to the underinsured or uninsured and to address the disparities affecting African-Americans. I feel that research and medication and treatment trials will make an enormous impact in the future. The ACS is always trying to raise not only awareness but funding for further research. I think that statistics will change to percentages rather than number of people in diagnosis and mortality because we are living longer. I believe there will be some cures that will decrease certain kinds of cancers in the future as well as people being more aware.

ACS conducts Palliative Care Research. It has come to mean pain relief with treatments and management of side effects; it is not only specific to terminal cancers. According to the website, the ACS is funding more than $26 million for survivorship and quality of life research. Included is the improvement of lives of children with cancer and studies of survivors. The research has the goal of relieving cancer pain and managing side effects. I would imagine a person newly diagnosed would be most worried about prognosis and pain. This research is tantamount to cancer patients (American Cancer Society, 2018).

Comment 2

It was fascinating to learn of “liquid biopsy” as an emerging technology. I learned from the National Cancer Institute that liquid biopsy is “A test done on a sample of blood to look for cancer cells from a tumor that are circulating in the blood or for pieces of DNA from tumor cells that are in the blood. A liquid biopsy may be used to help find cancer at an early stage. It may also be used to help plan treatment or to find out how well treatment is working or if cancer has come back” (NCI, 2018). It is technically known as rapid plasma genotyping, and has a plausable rate of accuracy, according to researches from the study at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, where the study took place. According to the website from Dana Farber Cancer Institute, they are working on not only this technology, but target cancer therapy technology, where they pinpoint the origin of cancer, and create a tumor profile. 

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010. Many of the provisions of the law directly affect health care providers. Review the following topic materials:

1. “About the Affordable Care Act”
2. “Health Care Transformation: The Affordable Care Act and More”

What are the most important elements of the Affordable Care Act in relation to community and public health? What is the role of the nurse in implementing this law?