Abstract The ban on marijuana in the United States began in 1937 with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act and continued under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. The latter delivered a huge blow to the medical field as marijuana was prohibited for medical usage. This paper argues that the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana will help the United States financially and medically, as well as help provide a cleaner environment and more efficient products.
From the Paper "Marijuana helps relieve nausea, vomiting and stimulate appetites for patients dealing with AIDS and cancer. A research at the Medical School at Harvard published research in the New England Journal of Medicine that cannabis is the most efficient anti-nausea medicine available (ctd. in Goddard). Marijuana has also been shown to help control both the spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, as well as seizures from seizure disorders."
Abstract Doctors and patients alike are faced with ethical dilemmas with regard to several aspects of the cosmetic surgery industry. This paper explores several of these ethical issues, namely, factors in the decision to have elective surgery, deceptive marketing strategies, and bartering professional services for publicity. The analysis for each topic includes research from the professional societies, the general public, and the author's own subjective opinion.
From the Paper "Plastic surgery has a very long history. As early as 1000 B.C.E., the first plastic surgery was reported in India, where a person's nose might be cut off as a form of punishment or, in the case of an adulterous Hindu wife, bitten off by the wronged husband. Procedures, which displayed remarkable similarity to present rhinoplasties, were developed to reconstruct the noses of such errant individuals (Davis 14). Plastic surgery appeared much later on the European continent. In the early fifteenth century, physicians began doing nose surgeries, by using skin flaps taken from the arm. Other forms of plastic surgery began to appear around the early sixteenth century. With the invention of ether and antisepsis, plastic surgery was able to emerge as a full-fledged medical specialty (Davis 15). In the first part of the century, nearly all plastic surgeries were done to alleviate deformities due to disease, birth or mishap; however, in the second half of the century this was no longer the case."
Abstract In his book, "Fast Food Nation", Eric Schlosser shows his distaste for America's fast-food culture, but perhaps more so for the business practices that have allowed fast food to become a way of life. This paper presents examples from Shlosser's book, which highlight the author's point that the fast food industry is wreaking moral, social, and medical havoc in the U.S. and the world. It also examines the author's use of logos and pathos throughout his book.
From the Paper "Schlosser does not use the health effects of food to convince readers that there is something wrong with the food industry, except at the end of the book when he discusses diseases caused by germs in the food, rather than the food itself. But failure to mention such things as the fact that cholesterol found in super-sized burgers can cause heart disease could be considered a rhetorical device. Schlosser assumes that his readers don?t want heart disease, and he assumes they have heard that eating beef tallow might well produce heart disease. In this respect, he is also using ethos: as an award-winning writer for the Atlantic Monthly, he can bank on his reputation in subjects like this one."
Abstract Schlosser's book, "Fast Food Nation", argues that the institution of fast food, originally trumpeted as one of the successes of modern capitalism, was really a triumph of American advertising. It was dependant upon the exploitation of low-paid American workers, usually for part-time and non-benefit-conferring hours, and seduced children into making poor food choices that take them away from wholesome family meals. The paper shows how Schlosser's main point in his book is that fast food was a uniquely American institution, but became something that pulled America apart. The paper also examines Schlosser's use of rhetoric, logic, and pathos in his book.
From the Paper "Schlosser has some respect for the founders of fast food. Like our nation's founding fathers, Schlosser admits Kroc had a vision. Kroc deployed capitalism and freedom to realize that vision in an energetic and individualistic fashion. However, the consequences of untrammeled capitalism and advertising that was attractive to American ideals of convenience, sameness, and product loyalty also created a nightmare for many individuals, particularly those whose health was damaged by the sanitary procedures common at many fast food establishments. Kroc's individualism and enterprise also put many "mom and pop" businesses, out of business."
Abstract The paper explains that some of the critical issues facing Faith Community Hospital, which the hospital needs to address, are basic financial problems; the conflict between the organization's spiritual heritage and values and the ethics of the medical profession; non-compliance with government, managed care, insurance regulations, and non-adherence to hospital operational policies. The author points out that Faith Community Hospital has an organizational management problem, which needs to be thoroughly analyzed rather than tyring to solve the various problems piecemeal. The paper states that, although the mission statement of Faith Community Hospital implies a broad goal of promoting the health and well-being of the people it serves within a framework of spiritual values, it can be inferred that the organization suffers from an absence of clear-cut policies and goals that are specific, measurable, targeted, and time-specific.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Identifying the Key Issues
Organizational Mission, Culture and Processes
Organizational Goals
Defining the Problem
The Mission Statement
The Absence of Clearly Defined Organizational Goals
Alternative Strategies
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Recommendation
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Affinity Diagram
Appendix 2: Fishbone Diagram
From the Paper "The mission statement plays a critical role in setting direction and laying the foundation for the culture and goals of any organization. Indeed, this is clearly expressed in Hyrum Smith's model of instructive goal setting, which is commonly referred to as Smith's ?Success Triangle.? This model places an organization's governing values at the base of the goal setting process and recommends that goals must be linked to specific governing values in order to be meaningful and to help the organization achieve its mission (Parker, 2003). The mission statement of Faith Community Hospital appears to adhere to the strategic principles inherent in Smith's "Success Triangle" to the extent that it clearly emphasizes the organization's commitment to promoting the health and well-being of the people in the communities it serves, using its spiritual heritage and values as the foundation. However, since spiritual values can vary vastly across religions and individual beliefs, Faith's mission statement has led to broad individual interpretations that have, in turn, led to an organizational culture, which allows too much leeway for individual decision-making. This is evident in the anecdotal cases cited by the CEO of doctors independently deciding to either treat patients pro bono or insisting on insurance coverage prior to commencement of treatment; the pharmacist filling prescriptions for uninsured patients; and the inconsistency in adhering to hospital policy in areas such as "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) decisions."
Abstract This paper argues that by glamorizing professional and amateur sports-people and their achievements or abilities, the media directly affects children and encourages performance-enhancing drug use. The paper shows that authorities need to encourage sufficient funding to enable research and provide testing in all regulated sports in order to put fair play back into sports.
From the Paper "According to Tokish, Kocher and Hawkins (2004), there is a "potent marketing influence" on athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs. Whether or not they really work is not important - if there's a possibility that they'll work, that's a good enough reason for many athletes to take them. If by chance they are dangerous to take, and at this point in time the research just does not exist to refute the possibility, that is a chance they will take."
Abstract This paper takes a stand against the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. The paper covers the legal and moral impact of drug use in sports and it also explains the mental and physical health side effects of taking such drugs.
From the Paper "If you turn on any sports show in today's world of media, you are bound to hear something about the illegal drug use in sports. There are many supporters for both sides of this argument. When it comes down to it, which is right? Is the world being too harsh on drug use in sports? Should more be done to help prevent the spreading drug problem in sports? Performance enhancing drugs in sports is not only legally and morally wrong, but it is also very unhealthy."
Abstract This paper explains that the health care field has developed collaborative practice in which each member of various professions within the health care field, including physicians, nurses, ancillary departments, patients and patient families, works together by sharing knowledge and insights on how to deliver high-quality patient care. The author points out that nursing diagnosis is classified as a language for nursing to standardize its practice, which allows nurses to work towards patient care in a uniform pattern by providing the nurse with a plan and interventions. The paper stresses that the primary difference between nursing diagnosis and collaborative care is that nursing diagnosis is intended for the nursing community solely; whereas, all healthcare fields work together in collaborative care.
Table of Content
Case Study
Collaborative Practice
Obstetric Physician and Nurse
Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
Patient and Family
Social Worker
Nursing Diagnoses and Collaborative Problems
Nursing Diagnosis
Collaborative Problems
Potential Barriers to Successful Collaboration
Conclusion
From the Paper "Due to the fact that meconium was noted in the amniotic fluid, the LD nurse will collaborate with the NICU nurse at the onset of delivery. The NICU is extensively experienced with more critical issues concerning newborns. Therefore, the NICU nurse will take the first look at the newborn to make sure there are not any indications requiring more specialized care. If needed, the NICU nurse will transport the newborn quickly to the NICU unit. Even though in this situation the presence of the NICU nurse is more precautionary, her presence is important for the safety of the newborn."
Abstract This paper discusses the current nursing shortage in America and analyzes reasons for this trend. The paper explores some of the reasons nurses are leaving the profession, and the reasons others are not entering it. It looks at what nursing schools and hospitals are doing to attract more nurses and nursing students.
From the Paper "The nursing shortage in the United States and throughout the world is reaching staggering proportions Cooper Statistics show that half the nursing workforce will reach retirement age in years adding to the problem. Between and the average age of registered...."
Abstract This paper explains the multiple factors associated with obesity in American children such as environmental, parental and genetics, influence the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. The author points out that many obese children many have eating disorders. The paper is presented from the point of view of a professional psychologist.
From the Paper "There is a significant increase in the incidence of obesity in the American population according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alarmingly, this problem affects more children each day. There are many reasons for this. Among them are diets high in fat, sugar and calories, combined with a sedentary lifestyle among many Americans including children. Marianne Hurst writing for "Education Week" suggests that many overweight children may have eating disorders. This may be the reason of their abnormal weight gain. One of these eating disorders is ..."
Tags: Childhood obesity, causes, cures, role of parents, schools, communities, government, health factors, causes of compulsive overeating
The paper offers a positive evaluation of an article entitled, "The Effects of Nurse Staffing on Adverse Events, Morbidity, Mortality and Medical Costs."
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, 2005, $ 35.95
Abstract The paper approaches the issue from a variety of research tools: surveys, databases and hospital records. The study concluded that there is a higher rate of adverse events to patients when staffing is just one nurse lower than recommended and this lowers when the wards are overstaffed. The paper contends the article is well written, well researched, and delivers convincing evidence that the issue should be looked into in greater detail.
From the Paper "In 2003, authors Sung-Hyun Cho, Shake Ketefian, Violet H. Barkauskas and Dean G. Smith published an article entitled "The Effects of Nurse Staffing on Adverse Events, Morbidity, Mortality and Medical Costs." The article was published as the result of a project made possible through a research grant given by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The purpose of the project was to determine the effects of the level of nurse staffing, if any, on patient mortality, morbidity, medical costs and adverse events in general. The study sampled data from over 200 hospitals and data on more than 120,000 patients cross-referenced with 20 diagnosis-related groups. The authors then compared the level of nursing against the incidence levels of a variety of adverse events such as falls and injuries, pressure ulcers, adverse drug events, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, wound infection and sepsis."
Abstract This paper contends that conventional economics cannot be applied to the modern day health care system because of the complexity of the payment system that has become so vast throughout time. The paper cites examples of this, and further offers solutions to this problem.
From the Paper "Within the health care payment system there are a wide variety of entities that are considered. Patients, providers, insurance companies, and governmental health insurance all play a significant role in the health care payment system. This complex system, therefore, would be difficult to generalize in economic terms because of the vastness of the elements that affect health care every day. William F. Jessee (2003) describes the health care payment system as "multiple combinations of co-payments and deductibles, multiple coverage policies, multiple billing requirements, multiple coding policies, and multiple fee schedules..." (p. 19). This description can be considered in terms of the patient first. Each patient arrives within the health care system with different financial circumstances. Some patients may have insurance through their employment, or HMOs, and PPOS. Other patients may have government health insurance, such as Medicaid, or Medicare."
Abstract This paper is a profile of Center for Disease Control, and reviews it's mission statement, functions, partnerships and alliances, global vs. national activities, funding and structure. This paper further reviews a grid that was prepared to compare and contrast the differences and inter-dependencies of the three levels of government support: federal, state and local.
From the Paper "The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a federal agency that although portrayed in the media as mostly involved in the diagnosis of rare tropical and deadly diseases, is actually involved in much more far reaching areas of expertise ranging from birth defects and their prevention to on the job safety; all on a national level. This paper will describe the agency, its roles, funding and regulatory issues. Finally, a grid will present the differences and interdependent relationship of the CDC on the federal, state and local levels. While the CDC is a huge organization, performing many important functions with a vast number of sub-organizations and facilities that are administered by the CDC Office of the Director, this paper will only present a high level briefing on the topics mentioned; detailed presentations are considered beyond the scope of this presentation."
Abstract The paper discusses benchmarking as it is applied in the Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care (LHAC). The paper explains how LHAC has experienced several difficulties that can be addressed through benchmarking best practices. The paper relates that its executive management has acquired a consultant on staff to address these strategic solutions. LHAC also opted to partner with a similar institution in order to achieve optimum results.
From the Paper "Root Cause: LHAC has experienced an increased rate of nosocomial infections that is simply not sustainable both from a quality perspective and from a liability perspective. The identified root cause was determined to be inefficient equipment practices within the hospital. Because hospital equipment is exposed to an enormous amount and variety of diseases and environmental pollutants within the context of a medical facility, proper maintenance and procedural care for equipment is essential. The general conclusion from this particular circumstance was determined to be a lack of a proper tracking system for hospital equipment. Such tracking systems are vital at ensuring that equipment is sanitized regularly, is properly situated throughout the hospital and is available when needed by medical staff."
A critique of the article "Assessment of Pain in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: A Comparison of Pain Assessment Tools and their Use by Non-professional Caregivers," by Krulewitch et al.
Abstract This paper analyzes and critiques the article "Assessment of Pain in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: A Comparison of Pain Assessment Tools and their Use by Non-professional Caregivers," by Krulewitch et al., published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. The writer examines each step of the study in detail and discusses its strengths and limitations. The writer concludes that the limitations of this study may guide future researchers in launching similar and more successful studies in this field.
Outline
Research Problem and Purpose
Hypotheses and Research Question
Literature Review
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
Population
Protection of Human Participants
Research Design
Instruments and Strategies for Measurement
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Interpretation of Results
Discussion of Findings
Limitations
Implications
Recommendations
Research Utilization in my Practice
From the Paper "Pain was measured using a standardized pain assessment (Krulewitch et al., 2000, 1612). This assessment was administered to all participants in the study. The researchers used several scales in the study. The MMSE was used to determine dementia, along with documented diagnosis as such. The face pain scale and the nonverbal visual analog pain scale were used to determine moderate to sever pain. The researchers of the study report that one-third of demented subjects were unable to rate pain using any of the tools, but had had a pain assessment during the designated time of the study. Researchers point out those who were assessing the subjects for pain may have been unaware of the degree of pain experienced by the demented individual."
Tags: psychotropic, health care, medication mortality analgesia nurse
