MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 1 Discussion
DQ1 Importance of Genetics and Genomics in Nursing Practice
Genetics and genomics are becoming an increasingly more common and important aspect of modern medical care. It is vital that nurses have the appropriate level of knowledge and skills to be able to tackle modern approaches to care.
In your initial post, complete the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
What are the two most important knowledge or skill areas for nurses related to genetics and genomics?
Why are these areas so important?
What evidence (articles, best practices, professional competencies, et cetera) illustrate the importance of these areas?
Evaluate your level of knowledge and skills with regard to the two areas you presented.
Provide examples from your studies or practice that illustrate your competence and success in the two areas.
Explain potential ways in which you could improve your knowledge and skills with regard to the two areas.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest an additional key area of knowledge or skill for nurses related to genetics and genomics. Explain to your peer why this additional area is important.
Suggest at least one resource that is relevant to your peer’s explanation of how they could improve their knowledge and skills in the areas they discussed.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Describe important knowledge or skill areas related to genetics and genomics evidence-based practice.
Self-assess knowledge or skill areas related to genetics and genomics evidence-based practice.
DQ2 Genetic and Genomic Health Problems Across the Lifespan
For this discussion, you will select a genetic disorder and discuss its effect across a patient’s lifespan. Additionally, you will discuss any relevant population health implications for your chosen disorder. Feel free to use one of the disorders presented in your readings for this unit, or select a genetic disorder that is of interest or relevance to you.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Provide an overview of the genetic disorder:
Pathophysiology (origination, genetic mutation, et cetera).
Onset.
Symptoms.
Treatments.
Analyze the effects of your chosen genetic disorder across a patient’s lifespan.
In other words, what challenges and threats does the disorder pose at different points of a patient’s life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age)?
Based on its prevalence and its genetic and genomic components, what are the important population health considerations of the disorder?
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest an additional challenge or threat that your peer’s chosen disorder presents to a patient, and explain how a nurse could help the patient address the challenge or threat.
Suggest an additional population health consideration for your peer’s chosen disorder and explain why you believe it is an important consideration.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Clearly explain the effects of a health disorder across a patient’s lifespan or within a population.
Explain population health considerations.
Apply APA formatting.
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 2 Discussion
DQ1 Analyzing Health Issues Within a Population
This discussion will be based on the Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations presentation. It will focus on conducting a deeper analysis of one of the vignettes presented in the media piece.
For your initial discussion post, choose one of the vignettes and address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Summarize your chosen vignette by describing the population and the health issue that is affecting the population.
Analyze the health issue’s effect on the population. Consider the following in your analysis:
How does the health issue impact the daily lives of members of the population?
How does the care environment presented impact both the population and the level of care related to the health issue?
What are the biggest challenges that you would need to overcome to improve the outcomes for the population related to the health issue?
Response Guidelines
Respond to others who selected the same vignette as you did and address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Compare and contrast your analysis to that of your peer.
What are the main similarities and differences in your analyses?
What parts of your peer’s analysis would you want to incorporate into your own analysis?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Analyze the effect of a specific health issue on a vulnerable population.
Identify a vulnerable target population.
Use evidence to support claims.
Communicate at a level that is appropriate for the audience.
DQ2 Annotated Bibliography of a Specific Health Concern
An annotated bibliography can be a useful tool to organize and catalog relevant sources of evidence to support a specific topic or position. For guidance on how to create an annotated bibliography, see the Resources for information that you may find helpful.
For this discussion, you will compile an annotated bibliography, which will contain a minimum of two resources that are focused on improving the outcomes for a population of your choice regarding a specific health concern. The concern you choose to address could be taken from one of the readings in this unit or from the Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations presentation, or you can use an appropriate relevant health concern that is of interest to you. You may wish to think ahead to the health concern and target population you plan to address in your Unit 3 assignment and use that as the basis for this discussion post.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Briefly describe the key aspects of your chosen health concern and the population on which you are focusing.
For each of the two resources you find, provide the APA citation and write two paragraphs that address the following:
Paragraph 1:
Brief summary of the author’s credentials (why they are qualified to be a valid source) and the main points of the article or resource.
Paragraph 2:
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the information presented in the article or resource.
Evaluate the methods used and the way in which the information was presented.
Present a brief syntheses of the two articles in which you:
Explain the relevance of the resources to your chosen health concern and population.
Explain how the resources would help you to improve outcomes within the population for your chosen health concern.
Reflect on any other relevance or usefulness to practice.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Find an additional resource that is credible and relevant to the topic and objectives that your peer presented in their initial post.
Offer a 1–2 sentence summary of the content in the resource you are presenting.
Offer a 1–2 sentence explanation about how the resource you are presenting would add to those of your peer.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 3 Discussion
Using Evidence and Position Papers to Form a Foundation of Treatment
Position papers are an important way in which individuals, groups, and organizations can put forth their views around a specific issue. In health care, position papers can address a wide range of topics, from policies to best practices and approaches to care. Drawing upon previously published position papers can help you understand the evidence that supports and contradicts your own position on a specific topic,
You may wish to address an addiction or mental health issue drawn from one or more of this unit’s readings and resources, or you may wish to focus in on the health concern and population that you plan to use as the basis for your Unit 3 assignment. Either approach is acceptable.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Present a preliminary position on a topic related to a specific health issue in your target population.
Locate one position paper that supports your preliminary position. For this position paper:
Identify similarities between your preliminary position and that of the position paper.
Explain the relevant evidence that supports your preliminary position.
Explain how the evidence from the position paper could help you to form a treatment plan for your chosen health issue.
Locate one position paper that contradicts your preliminary position. For this position paper:
Identify the main areas of difference between your preliminary position and that of the position paper.
Explain if any of the differences should be incorporated into your position.
Explain how you would respond to any irreconcilable differences in such a way as to encourage buy-in for your position from those opposed.
Be sure that you use appropriate APA style to cite the position papers you reference.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Provide a constructive critique of your peer’s preliminary position, as well as how they related their review of the position papers to their position.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Propose a position related to a specific issue within a target population.
Explain the weaknesses in evidence that is contradictory to a specific position.
Identify strategies to respond to opposing viewpoints.
Analyze the strengths of evidence or an argument to support a specific assertion.
Analyze the weaknesses of evidence or an argument to support a specific assertion.
Communicate at a level that is appropriate for the audience.
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
Use evidence to support claims.
Identify contemporary evidence (from within the last five years) relevant to a specific topic.
Apply APA formatting.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 4 Discussion
DQ1 Genomic Influence on Complex Health Problems
Many common chronic diseases are influenced by genomic factors. For this discussion you will examine the ways in which genomic factors influence a specific health problem. Examples of complex health problems you might consider for your discussion post are types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and psychiatric or behavioral disorders.
For your initial post, select one chronic health problem that is influenced by genetic and genomic factors and address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Summarize the pathophysiology as well as the signs and symptoms of your chosen chronic condition.
Analyze the ways in which genetic and genomic factors influence the following:
Rate of occurrence of the condition.
Severity and presentation of symptoms or complications related to the condition.
Diagnosis, detection, and treatment of the identified chronic condition.
Explain a way that the genetic and genomic factors could potentially be used to more effectively assess groups that are at risk for the condition.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Comment on your peer’s analysis of the genetic and genomic influences on their chosen condition. ;
Suggest one aspect of your peer’s potential assessment approach that you believe would be effective.
Suggest one additional consideration for your peer to factor in to their assessment approach.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Explain how genetic and genomic factors can be used to identify at risk groups for specific conditions.
Relate genetic and genomic factors to the presentation, detection, and treatment of a condition or disease.
DQ2 Population Health Approaches to Managing Complex Diseases
Complex diseases can be challenging to manage. Effective disease management involves incorporating a patient-centered approach to care. Patients and families are encouraged to be an active part of developing, implementing, and evaluating the plan of care. When detection, diagnosis, and treatment moves from the individual to population management, care can become exponentially more complicated, and often requires a different and more comprehensive approach.
In the context of a biopsychosocial approach, health care providers are tasked with implementing collaborative and interdisciplinary strategies to care. The effective and efficient management of population health means collaborating with community entities and includes patients, families, health care organizations, community organizations, and associations. In addition, a biopsychosocial approach to care includes incorporating evidence-based practice and standards as well as the regulatory and national health care initiatives as considerations in care planning.
For your initial post, select a population and a complex disease (this could be the health issue and population you wrote about in your Unit 3 assignment, the disease you chose for the first discussion of this unit, or another appropriate disease and population) and address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Briefly describe your chosen disease and population.
Analyze best-practice population health approaches to disease prevention and interventions.
Reference benchmarking data (if available), national or regulatory guidelines, or standards identified by a professional association.
Cite two standards or best practices that are most relevant and applicable to your chosen disease and population.
Cite a minimum of one current reference (within the last five years) to support initial post.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Comment on one of the best practices your peer presented and explain why you agree that it would be relevant and appropriate to their chosen disease and population.
Suggest one additional best practice for your peer to consider regarding a population health approach to their chosen disease and population.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Describe relevant best practices to improve outcomes and quality of care for a specific issue within a target population.
Identify appropriate benchmarks or standards of care.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 5 Discussion
DQ1 Leveraging Technology to Identify Population Health Concerns and Relevant Policies
Technology is a vital tool in collecting and analyzing health care data. In the realm of population health, data is gathered and analyzed to identify potential and actual health care trends and issues. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has numerous resources for data distribution and reporting that can be useful. Additionally, there are standards and relevant policies that prescribe how data can be gathered and used, and what technology is appropriate for specific contexts. A clear understanding of regulations and best practices will assist the health care provider to ensure that data and information collection meets current standards to effectively manage chronic diseases, and to promote health and wellness in individuals, communities, and populations.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Select a population that is of interest to you or relevant to your current practice.
Identify at least two aspects of technology that could be used to collect or analyze population health data.
Explain how the technology could be leveraged to help identify health concerns in your selected population.
Discuss any policies that are relevant (or need to be created) and that must be taken into account for working with your identified technology or chosen population in the practice environment where you work or with which you are most familiar.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest an additional piece of technology and explain how it could be leveraged to identify health concerns in your peer’s select population.
Comment on your peer’s discussion of policies. Are the policies relevant? What other policies might they want to consider?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Explain how technology could be leveraged to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of care.
Use evidence to support claims.
Identify technology that can be leveraged to improve the quality of population health care.
Explain how existing health policies impact the implementation or use of health care technology.
DQ2 Influence of Health Policies on Access to Services
Policies serve a number of purposes in health care, and they can have wide-ranging effect on what care can be offered and how it is carried out.
In this discussion you will research health policies and analyze their influence on the way and degree to which populations have access to health care.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Identify a minimum of two health care policies that have an influence on access to services. Examples of Web sites to use include the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, The Joint Commission, et cetera.
For each health care policy you identified, complete the following:
Explain how the policy influences the way in which care is accessed.
Explain how the policy influences the amount of access that is available.
Suggest one way in which the policy could be adjusted to improve access.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Comment on your peer’s explanation of how one of their chosen policies influences access.
Which areas of their explanation do you agree with?
Are there any additional considerations that you think your peer should take into account?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Explain how a policy influences the amount and means of access for specific populations.
Identify policies that influence access to services.
Explain reasons that new or revised policies are needed to improve access for one or more populations.
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 6 Discussion
Finding Evidence to Help Create Health Policy Proposals
When developing proposals of any type, it is important to support them with relevant and valuable evidence. For your Unit 6 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal assignment you will be creating a health policy proposal that seeks to improve the outcomes for a chosen population for a specific health care issue.
Before you complete your discussion post, think about what population and health care issue you would like to write about for your assignment. You can use this discussion to help pre-write and plan aspects of your assignment if you use the same population and issue.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Define a population and a health care issue related to high-quality outcomes and care.
Briefly propose (in 2–3 sentences) a health care policy that could improve outcomes for your chosen population and health care issue.
Identify, and explain the relevance of, at least two pieces of scholarly or professional evidence that could be used to support the approach to, the need for, or the value of your brief proposal.
Be sure that you use appropriate APA style to cite your references.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Provide a constructive critique of your peer’s brief proposal, as well as how the evidence they presented supports their proposal.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Describe a new policy to improve outcomes for a specific population.
Explain how a new policy will help improve outcomes for a specific population.
Identify contemporary evidence (from within the last five years) relevant to a specific topic.
Use evidence to support claims.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 7 Discussion
DQ1 Applying Levels of Prevention to a Population-Based Health Issue
The ultimate goal in population-based health care is to improve the health of the client—whether that client is an individual or an entire community. The best way to decrease or omit the impact a health issue may have upon a client is to keep the client healthy, but this is not always possible. Even if the client’s health is already compromised, a health care provider can introduce ways to lessen the problem’s impact. Through the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention, a health provider can design interventions that have the best chances to keep the client as healthy as possible.
For this discussion, use the health issue and population for which you developed your policy proposal in your Unit 6 assignment and address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Explain how you would apply a primary level of prevention.
What would be the benefits and challenges of applying this level to your health issue and target population?
Explain how you would apply a secondary level of prevention.
What would be the benefits and challenges of applying this level to your health issue and target population?
Explain how you would apply a tertiary level of prevention.
What would be the benefits and challenges of applying this level to your health issue and target population?
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Which level of prevention presented by your peer will have the biggest positive impact on their chosen health issue and target population? Explain why you think this.
Review the challenges acknowledged by your peer, and provide a potential solution for one of them.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
Explain the benefits of applying a level of prevention to improving outcomes for a specific health care issue or population.
Identify levels of prevention relevant to a specific health care issue or population.
Use evidence to support claims.
DQ2 Leveraging Health Policies to Support Prevention
Some of the most effective interventions and prevention programs utilized the development of health policies as stepping stones to achieving their goals. For example, secondhand smoke was shown to be very detrimental to lung health. It was linked to cancer development and to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Through the development of policies, such as prohibiting smoking inside restaurants, the rate of exposure to secondhand smoke dropped dramatically, thereby reducing lung cancer, and other related health issues.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Propose a new health care policy (or summarize an existing one) that could support one or more of the levels of prevention that you wrote about in your first discussion post for this unit.
Analyze the ways in which the health policy could be leveraged to support the levels of prevention that are relevant to it.
Explain the potential benefits and challenges to leveraging the health policy.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest one or more additional ways that your peer’s health care policy could be leveraged to support the levels of prevention they are writing about.
Review the challenges acknowledged by your peer, and provide a potential solution for one of them.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Analyze how leveraging health care policies to support levels of prevention leads to improvements in care.
Apply APA formatting.
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
Explain how a health care policy supports one or more levels of intervention.
Identify contemporary evidence (from within the last five years) relevant to a specific topic.
Use evidence to support claims.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 8 Discussion
DQ1 Finding Evidence to Support Population-Based Health Interventions
As previously stated, relevant and valuable evidence is a key building block for any new health care initiative or approach in the modern care environment. For this discussion, you will search for evidence that could support a population-based health initiative related to the population and policy you wrote about in your Unit 6 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Present a population-based health initiative related to the population and policy you wrote about in your Unit 6 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal.
Locate at least two pieces of evidence that you think would support the development or implementation of your population-based health initiative. For each piece of evidence:
Explain the relevant aspects of the evidence that supports your initiative.
Explain how the evidence you have located could help you overcome challenges or create buy-in for your initiative.
Be sure that you use appropriate APA style to cite the evidence you reference.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest an additional piece of evidence that would help support your peer’s proposed initiative. Explain to your peer how you believe this piece of evidence would be relevant and supportive.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Explain how evidence and best practices support the implementation of a new policy.
Explain the need for a new policy with regard to a specific population-based health initiative.
Identify contemporary evidence (from within the last five years) relevant to a specific topic.
Identify evidence that supports the need for a newly developed policy.
Use evidence to support claims.
Resources
DQ2 Using Evidence to Support Policy Advocacy
Advocating for new policies is an important aspect of the master’s-prepared nurse’s role. Being able to advocate for the policy you proposed in your Unit 6 assignment could be a useful skill and exercise to take back to your current practice environment.
Your initial post will use the population and policy you proposed in your Unit 6 assignment to address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Propose two potential strategies that you could use to advocate for your policy proposal. For each potential strategy, address the following:
Explain how the strategy would help you advocate for your policy proposal.
Present at least one piece of evidence that would support the benefits of your proposed policy, and explain how it supports your policy.
Present at least one piece of evidence that supports the advocacy strategy and explain how it supports the strategy.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Suggest an additional piece of evidence that would support one or both of your peer’s proposed advocacy strategies. Explain to your peer why this piece of evidence is relevant and supportive.
Suggest an additional advocacy strategy for your peer’s policy proposal. Explain how the strategy would help to create acceptance and buy-in.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Explain how an advocacy strategy would help create buy-in for a policy proposal.
Identify strategies for effectively advocating for new policies.
Use evidence to support claims.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 9 Discussion
Analysis of Policy Advocacy in Previous Scholarly Writings
To help you prepare for this week’s assignment, Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy, this discussion will provide you with an opportunity to discover and analyze previous scholarly submissions that advocate for specific policies. You may find one that actually addresses your concerns.
Locate two pieces of scholarly writing that advocate for a specific health policy. The writings should be found in peer-reviewed journals, but do not have to be from nursing journals. While it would be helpful for you to find writings that address the subject matter you have chosen for this course, it is not required.
In your initial post, complete the following for each piece. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
Analyze what the piece did well with regard to advocating for the specific policy consideration.
How could you apply these strategies to your Unit 9 assignment submission to make your advocacy more persuasive and compelling?
Analyze what the piece did poorly with regard to advocating for the specific policy consideration.
How will you work to avoid similar weakness in your assignment submission?
Be sure that you use appropriate APA style to cite the writings you reference.
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
Provide a constructive critique of your peer’s analysis of one of the two pieces they discussed.
Suggest additional ways your peer could leverage the piece to ensure they are advocating for their policy effectively.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Analyze strategies for advocacy.
Analyze the existing quality of care and outcomes for a specific issue and population.
Concisely explain complicated subject matter to a specific audience.
Describe the current state of policy advocacy.
Identify contemporary evidence (from within the last five years) relevant to a specific topic.
Use evidence to support claims
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 10 Discussion
DQ1 Course Reflection
For this discussion, please reflect on your experiences and learning throughout this course, considering the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
What have been the most useful and interesting skills you have obtained or content you have learned about?
How do you envision (or have you already begun) applying aspects of your course work in your practice?
Finally, comment on one area of the course for which you wish there had been more content or instruction.
How do you think this would have contributed to your learning and experience in this course?
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
How were your course experiences similar or different?
Compare your plan for applying your learning in this course to your practice with that of your peer. How are your plans similar or different
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Reflect on knowledge and skills learned throughout the course.
DQ2 Program Journey Progress Reflection
The MSN Program Journey media piece helps you track your progress and growth as you progress through the MSN program.
In your initial post, address the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).
In what areas of your professional practice and academic knowledge have you experienced the most growth since the beginning of your program?
In what areas of professional practice and academic knowledge do you feel you need the most growth to be successful?
If you set goals for yourself at the beginning of the program, how have you progressed toward achieving these goals?
What do you plan to do in order to stay on track to achieve your goals?
Response Guidelines
In your response post, address one or more of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the FEM.
How have your program experiences been similar or different?
Provide one or more constructive suggestions for resources or strategies to help your peer stay on track to improve in their professional practice and academic knowledge or to achieve their goals.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Reflect on personal progress through the MSN program.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 3 Assignment
Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations
Professional Context
Position papers are a way for individuals, groups, and organizations to express their views and intentions toward a specific issue. In health care, many position papers address specific policies, regulations, or other approaches to care. As a master’s-prepared nurse, you should feel empowered to express and advocate for your own views on policy and care matters. This is especially important when it comes to populations you or your organization cares for that are not receiving the quality, type, or amount of care that they require.
An important skill in creating a position paper or policy proposal is the ability to analyze and synthesize others’ views about the population or issue of interest to you. By synthesizing the positive and negative views of an issue, you can become better equipped to strengthen your own arguments and to respond to opposing views in an informed and convincing way.
Scenario
For this assignment, pretend you are a member of an interprofessional team that is attempting to improve the quality of health care and the outcomes in a vulnerable population. For the first step in your team’s work, you have decided to conduct an analysis of current position papers that address the issue and population you are considering.
In your analysis you will note the team’s initial views on the issue in the population as well as the views across a variety of relevant position papers. You have been tasked with finding the most current standard of care or evidenced-based practice and evaluating both the pros and cons of the issue. For the opposing viewpoints, it is important to discuss how the team could respond to encourage support. This paper will be presented to a committee of relevant stakeholders from your care setting and the community. If it receives enough support, you will be asked to create a new policy that could be enacted to improve the outcomes related to your chosen issue and target population.
The care setting, population, and health care issue that you use for this assignment will be used in the other assignments in this course. Consider your choice carefully. There are two main approaches for you to take in selecting the scenario for this assignment:
You may use one of the issues and populations presented in the Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations and Vila Health: Resources for Topical Research media pieces. For this approach, you may consider the population in the context of the Vila Health care setting, or translate it into the context in which you currently practice or have had recent experience.
You may select a population and issue that is of interest to you and set them in the context of your current or desired future care setting. While you are free to choose any population of interest, the issue you choose should fall within one of the following broad categories:
Genetics and genomics.
Sickle cell, asthma, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis.
Immunity.
Type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), congenital neutropenia syndrome.
Chronicity.
Arthritis, any type of cancer or lung or heart disease, obesity.
Addiction.
Abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, illegal substances.
Emotion and mental health.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, psychosis.
Note: If you choose the second option, contact your instructor to make sure that your chosen issue and population will fit within the topic areas for this course.
Instructions
For this assignment you will develop a position summary and an analysis of relevant position papers on a health care issue in a chosen population. The bullet points below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your assignment submission addresses all of them. You may also want to read the Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations Scoring Guide and Guiding Questions: Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations to better understand how each grading criterion will be assessed.
Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population.
Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.
Submission Requirements
Length of submission: 3–5 double-spaced, typed pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your plan should be succinct yet substantive. No abstract is required.
Number of references: Cite a minimum of 3–5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that supports your initial position on the issue, as well as a minimum of 2–3 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that express contrary views or opinions. Resources should be no more than five years old.
APA formatting: Use the APA Style Paper Template linked in the Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided to help you in writing and formatting your analysis.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 6 Assignment
Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal
Professional Context
As a master’s-prepared nurse, you have a valuable viewpoint and voice with which to advocate for policy developments. As a nurse leader and health Âcare practitioner, often on the front lines of helping individuals and populations, you are able to articulate and advocate for the patient more than any other professional group in health Âcare. This is especially true of populations that may be underserved, underrepresented, or are otherwise lacking a voice. By advocating for and developing policies, you are able to help drive improvements in outcomes for specific populations. The policies you advocate for could be internal ones (just within a specific department or health care setting) that ensure quality care and compliance. Or they could be external policies (local, state, or federal) that may have more wide-ranging effects on best practices and regulations.
Scenario
The analysis of position papers that your interprofessional team presented to the committee has convinced them that it would be worth the time and effort to develop a new policy to address your specific issue in the target population. To that end, your interprofessional team has been asked to submit a policy proposal that outlines a specific approach to improving the outcomes for your target population. This proposal should be supported by evidence and best practices that illustrate why the specific approaches are likely to be successful. Additionally, you have been asked to address the ways in which applying your policy to interprofessional teams could lead to efficiency or effectiveness gains.
This assignment will build upon your Unit 3 Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations assignment. If, for some reason, you wish to change your specific issue or target population, contact your instructor for approval.
Instructions
For this assignment you will develop a policy proposal that seeks to improve the outcomes for your chosen health care issue and target population. The bullet points below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your assignment submission addresses all of them. You may also want to read the Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal Scoring Guide and Guiding Questions: Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal to better understand how each grading criterion will be assessed.
Propose a policy and guidelines that will lead to improved outcomes and quality of care for a specific issue in a target population.
Advocate the need for a proposed policy in the context of current outcomes and quality of care for a specific issue in a target population.
Analyze the potential for an interprofessional approach to implementing a proposed policy to increase the efficiency or effectiveness of the care setting to achieve high-quality outcomes.
Communicate proposal in a professional and persuasive manner, writing content clearly and logically with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.
Submission Requirements
Length of proposal: 2–4 double-spaced, typed pages, not including title page or reference list. Your proposal should be succinct yet substantive. No abstract is required.
Number of references: Cite a minimum of 3–5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that supports the relevance of or need for your policy, as well as interprofessional considerations. Resources should be no more than five years old.
APA formatting: Use the APA Style Paper Template linked in the Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided to help you in writing and formatting your proposal.
MSN6026 – Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice II
Unit 9 Assignment
Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy
Professional Context
Nurses have the opportunity to use their skills and develop programs to keep individuals and communities healthy. Health is complex however, and the nurse needs to possess strong advocacy skills to successfully support a cause or interest. The American Nurses Association’s (2015) code of ethics describes the responsibility of a nurse to include working through and with appropriate stakeholders to advocate for the health of people in and out of the work environment. To be an effective advocate, there are several important abilities a nurse must possess, including problem solving, communication, and influencing others. One way a nurse can advocate to a broader population is through effective letter writing, both to legislators and through the media, such as with editorials and research articles.
Reference
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics-For-Nurses.html
Scenario
Throughout this course, you have focused on a specific health issue occurring within a specific population. You researched position papers regarding this health concern, and you developed a health policy proposal to positively impact the health of the affected individuals. It is now time to reach a greater audience regarding your policy proposal.
You are going to write a letter to the editor of a peer-reviewed nursing journal. Choose from one of the journals in the Ultimate List of Nursing Journals (linked in the Resources) and go to the journal’s Web site to find out the requirements for submitting and editorial, such as format requirements, topics, and word counts. Make sure you select a nursing journal that covers the topic about which you are going to write. If you want to use another journal that is not on this list, please make sure the journal does address health care, because this is the purpose of the assignment.
Instructions
For this assignment, you will write a letter to the editor of a scholarly journal. Your goal is to be informative about the policy that you developed for your Unit 6 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal assignment, while also being persuasive about the need for and benefit of similar policies in other health care settings. The bullet points below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your assignment submission addresses all of them. You may also want to read the Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy Scoring Guide and Guiding Questions: Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy to better understand how each grading criterion will be assessed.
Evaluate the current state of the quality of care and outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
Look back to the data or scenario you used in your Unit 3 assignment to address this criterion.
Analyze how the current state of the quality of care and outcomes for a specific issue in a target population necessitates health policy development and advocacy.
Justify why the developed policy will be vital in improving the quality of care and outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
Advocate for policy development in other care settings with regard to a specific issue in a target population.
Analyze the ways in which interprofessional aspects of the policy will support efficient and effective achievement of desired outcomes for the target population.
Communicate in a professional and persuasive manner, writing content clearly and logically with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style (or the journal’s preferred style).
Submission Requirements
The submission requirements for your editorial will depend on the journal you choose. To find out the requirements, go to the journal’s Web site. There should be a section regarding submissions that will address how to format letters to the editor, and whether there is a word count limit (there usually is a limit).
If the journal does not have submission guidelines for the number of resources required, use 3–5 sources.
To be sure that your instructor knows the submission and formatting requirements for your letter, include the journal’s guidelines on a separate page at the end of the document you submit for this assessment.