Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing Evidence-Based Fall Risk Assessment To Improve Identifying Home Fall Risks, Jade M. Oakley, Ellie Youngblood

Scholars Week

This evidence-based practice project addresses the significant risk of falls among home hospice patients by proposing the implementation of a standardized, multifactorial assessment tool. The project advocates for replacing subjective nursing judgment and the inadequate Morse Fall Risk Assessment with the validated Missouri Alliance for Home Care (MAHC-10) tool, accompanied by a new Fall Prevention Protocol and comprehensive staff education. Utilizing the MAHC-10 will ensure consistent, evidence-based assessment, allowing nurses to proactively implement fall prevention interventions and thereby improve patient safety and quality of life at home.

Patient-Centered End-Of-Life Care: Balancing Ethics, Communication, And Quality Of Life, Alexis N. Courtney

Integrated Studies

Abstract

End-of-life care is not just a medical treatment, but can be the turning point in someone’s life to end unnecessary suffering and honor their wishes to have quality over quantity in life. This paper will discuss end-of-life care from the perspectives of patient autonomy, communication, ethical decision making, and system influences. It will explore the impact of honoring patient preference. Not to mention how speaking honestly and compassionately may affect enhancing the quality of life of patients experiencing terminal or life-limiting illnesses.

One of the key aspects of this paper is the significance of communication in end-of-life care. Specifically, …

Planning For Prevention: Implementing Pressure Injury Bundles In Hospice Settings, Ellie M. Martin, Mckenzie Pool

Scholars Week

There is an increased prevalence of pressure-related injuries in the hospice setting. This can be due to age, diagnosis, comorbidities, inadequate nutrition or hydration, lack of mobility, or inadequate care due to lack of education. Prevention bundles and policies are at every facility, but are not as effective as needed. This looks at the theoretical framework and ways to prevent pressure injuries as effectively as possible. Pulling information from multiple other research studies to put the best care bundle together to decrease the amount of pressure injuries.

Barriers To Elderly Accessibility To Healthcare In Rural Areas, Keith Fox

Integrated Studies

Abstract

Seniors in rural areas in the United States have many barriers and hurdles to overcome, when attempting to obtain quality medical care. The disadvantages are stark in these communities compared to the metropolitan counterparts. The smaller the community the larger the deficit of accessibility to reputable and dependable health services. Many different sources were examined and consulted to bring about and prove the validity of the issue researched. These include but are not limited to, Journal Articles, Peer Reviews, and Independent Authors Sources. These resources fully examine and provide statistical proof of the very issue researched. There is a …

Risks Vs. Benefits Of Animal-Assisted Interventions For Icu Induced Psychosis, Cecily Christie, Hadley Mayes

Scholars Week

For our senior Nursing Evidence-based practice project, we conducted our own research to evaluate the risks and benefits of animal-assisted intervention (AAI's) being used in intensive care units, in the hopes to encourage nurses and healthcare staff to implement these in patient care facilities.

Past And Present: Important Women In Leadership Roles, Robyn Stevenson

Integrated Studies

Women as leaders is not a new concept. History shows us how many women accomplished wonderful things; current day news shows us how many women are still accomplishing wonderful things. With the past and the present, we should expect our future to be even more dominated by women. This paper takes a look at the women that have showed up for the world in many different ways, and gives a brief look into their lives. Some of the women are very well known, some have stayed under the radar and not as recognized. But the one thing that they all …

Lessons Taught By Others, Gillian Gattenby

Integrated Studies

The making of the piece you are about to read is deeply personal to me. It took time and love to develop the bonds being placed on display on paper. With it also comes the experience that was learned from these encounters. Each person referred to is unique and provided a lesson to me for my life.

I have very limited professional writing experience and had only written in journals before deciding to take some writing-based English classes in the spring and fall of 2021. My time writing in class brought a lot of insight on how to fine-tune my …

Is America Ready For Universal Healthcare, Heather Early

Integrated Studies

The American healthcare system noted by politicians, medical professions, American citizens, and health care insurance companies is very complicated. With medical professions complaining of not receiving payment for provided procedures from either patient are insurance companies. American citizens were complaining they cannot afford health insurance or pay for procedures, making citizens not go to medical providers for care.

Furthermore, insurance companies do not get payments for insurance policies from citizens and payout payments to medical providers at a high procedure rate. Politicians have tried to fix the issues by mandating all American citizens have health insurance; they are employer-provided or …

How Covid-19 Is Affecting Ltc Facilities, Rachael M. Simcox, Rachael Simcox

Integrated Studies

Historically, viruses have had major impact on society. Some viruses are relatively harmless, while other are a death sentence. We are currently facing a highly communicable virus that is vigorously making its way around the globe, having a devastating impact on the management and delivery of everyday care in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF’s). In December 2019, a new coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan China. While rapidly spreading in China, it only took a month to make its way to the United States, resulting in the Trump Administration declaring a national emergency, only two months later, on March 13, 2020. Shortly …

Understanding Drugs, Michelle Rustin

Integrated Studies

Abstract

The first time someone drinks alcohol or takes a drug, it is a voluntary choice. At some point during use, brain flips a switch and use is no longer voluntary. The drug, rerouting its reward circuit, hijacks the brain. Anyone can become addicted to drugs. After the initial exposure to drugs, no one chooses how their brain will react. Addiction is not a choice, a moral failing, a character flaw, or something that only bad people do. Scientists and experts agree that it is a disease caused by biology, environment, and other factors. Understanding drugs and their harmful effects …

Influence Of Work Values On Rural-Practice Intentions Among American Students Attending A Rural University, Nicholas Best

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Rural areas in the United States frequently face difficulties regarding the prevalence of healthcare-related professionals. To better address this issue, it is important to understand how various demographic factors as well as individual work values influence the workplace setting decisions of future "helping" professionals. Previous research has studied the impact of various work values and how they relate to working with underserved populations (Aviram & Katan, 1991; Krous & Nauta, 2005). The current study aimed to compare various demographic factors and work value's ability to predict intentions to work in rural areas among students attending Murray State University (N …

Healthcare Progression In The United States Background And Strategy For A Universal Healthcare System, Sean Arthur Niloff

Integrated Studies

The purpose of this research is to focus on the feasibility and implementation of a universal healthcare system in the United States. The research is focused on the areas of historical data, healthcare in foreign countries, political forces, financial assessments, insurance, current healthcare systems, and strategies for developing and implementing a universal healthcare system in the United States.

There are many forces at work in the healthcare industry. Political and financial interests are two of the main roadblocks to a successful universal healthcare system and health reform. The research discussed in this piece will provide information and strategies on how …

Elderly Abuse, Jessica Morris

Integrated Studies

The aim of this paper is to inform individuals about the rising issues of Elder abuse. The different types abuse includes mental, physical, emotional and exploitation. Each state has their own regulation surrounding abuse. 1993 All states enacted laws addressing elder abuse. The laws are very diverse with many sections. (Domestic Elder Abuse and the Law

Gerald J. Jogerst, Jeanette M. Daly, Margaret F. Brinig, Jeffrey D. Dawson, Gretchen A. Schmuch, Jerry G. Ingram).

Elder abuse effects many lives across the United States. The lives that it affects are forever changed. Elder abuse …

Medicaid Fraud, Abuse And Waste, Anna Ellis

Integrated Studies

The following information has been collected and reviewed over a four-month period surrounding the efforts to better control insurance fraud, particularly involving federally funded programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and TRICARE. The information allows for a better understanding of how healthcare programs came to be, teaches the history and effects of the Affordable Care Act and reflects on Medicaid eligibility and reimbursement factors.

In this document, several cases of medical insurance fraud will be examined. Forms of prosecutions as well as the analyzing of white-collar crime will be discussed. The education of fraudulent activity across health care is to be …

Care For Care-Givers - The Importance Of Caregivers And The Role They Play, Hannah Jo Black

Integrated Studies

Many times, the incredibly difficult role of becoming a caregiver falls onto close family and friends. There is little training for the responsibilities that come along with becoming a caregiver and there is not always support for them outside family or friends. After much research and interviews with others who had been handed the role as caregiver, it is believed that while there are certain types of communication between caregivers and support groups, there should be better communication of where caregivers can turn to in order to find support. The interviews conducted for the sake of this research showed that …

The Impact Of Patient Safety On Healthcare Delivery, Kaitlin Blakemore

Integrated Studies

This paper goes into focus on the different types of patient safety. I am writing this paper to give viewers a better understanding of the safety and concerns that do appear when a patient is in our care. Patient safety is a training that emphasizes safety in a healthcare setting through reporting, prevention, and reduction, as well as analysis of the medical error that does lead to different adverse effects. The main concern and focus is how we as healthcare workers can make new approaches, as well as trying to limit the amount of errors with paper training.

The concerns …

Patient Safety Internship, Holly Wells

Integrated Studies

As a Murray State University student seeking my Bachelor’s in Integrated Studies (Healthcare Administration), I completed a fifteen-week internship at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. This internship is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the BIS 437 project. As part of the internship requirements, I was required to intern two eight-hour days every week for fifteen weeks in the Patient Safety/Infection Control Department. Throughout this internship, I would gain the skills and knowledge of what a Patient Safety Coordinator is responsible for in the daily routine. Although, the skills and knowledge were important, the experience that I received during …

Rural Attitudes Toward Government Benefit Programs, Mary Laidlaw, Peter A. Kindle, Teresa M. Thomas, Melissa Fellows, Jennifer Reeves

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study explores rural Midwestern attitudes (N = 126) toward 21 government benefit programs. Findings indicated that there were substantial differences between male and female respondents with male respondents believing that means-tested government benefits were too generous by almost a full standard deviation (d = .90) in comparison with female respondents. Entitlement programs were also deemed too generous, but by a lesser effect (d = .67). No gender differences were noted for farm programs. Linear regression explained 23.3% of the variance in attitudes toward mean-tested programs, 20.8% for entitlement programs, but only 8.1% for farm-related programs. Findings …

Self-Care Among Social Workers Employed In Rural Settings: A Cross-Sectional Investigation, Diane N. Loeffler, J. Jay Miller, Theresia M. Pachner

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Despite growing recognition about the importance of self-care for social work professionals, research related to the topic has not kept pace with the changing landscape of the profession. Particularly, self-care practices among rural social work professionals have been overlooked in the research. Rural social work practice is, in many ways, decidedly different from practice in more urban areas. Thus, the primary aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the personal and professional self-care practices of rural social workers. Specifically, the study sough to better understand how often social workers engage in self-care and whether or not there are associations …

An Assessment Of The Strengths And Needs Of Rural Social Workers In The Northwestern United States, Jon William Talebreza-May, Rachel Jensen, Nathan Shay

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Although rural social work continues to be on the fringe of social work practice in the United States, a committed group of practitioners work to update and expand upon current knowledge (Lohmann & Lohmann, 2005). Studies have been carried out across the country as to the state of rural social work practice, the unique barriers and strengths that come from this line of work, as well as the problems that lead social work to be necessary in rural areas (Daley, 2015; Lohman & Lohmann, 2005; Mackie et al., 2016). Though well-researched in the United States, examination of rural social work …

Growing Old In America, Where Do We Go From Here?, Holly Trevino

Integrated Studies

We at times find ourselves with an elderly grandparent, parent, sibling, partner or friend and we not sure what the next step is for them concerning their healthcare of everyday living and how to obtain it. This paper will help you explore the different options of care from home care to skilled nursing facilities and everything in-between. It will also give you information to help relieve stress worry if the decision you have made is the best fit for your loved one.

A Guide For Understanding And Coping With Grief: A Christian's Perspective, Charles Reynolds

Integrated Studies

Abstract

Grief and loss touches the life of every single person during their lifetime, however few are prepared to cope with the effects of their grief and the grief of others. People generally are ill- informed and unprepared to face grief and its effects because they don’t feel comfortable talking or reading about death and loss. Most literature concerning grief is scholarly and heard to understand and few counselors and clergy are trained in grief work. Terms relating to grief and the grieving process are defined and put into context. The theories and therapies associated with grief and bereavement are …

The Effect Of Critical Access Hospitals And Healthcare Requirements On Small Communities, Maegan Edmonds

Integrated Studies

This paper explores various articles about how critical access hospitals are an important part of the community they reside in, along with the effects of healthcare requirements to these hospitals and their patients. We will discuss pros and cons of critical access hospitals in rural communities versus urban city hospitals. This paper will discuss ethics, reimbursement, profit versus not-for-profit facilities, revenue cycle, outsourcing versus in house billing, how the government effects healthcare, ethical values of the hospital and its staff, and overall education about critical access hospitals including just what it takes to keep them going that will help patients …

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 21, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 19, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 15, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 14, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 13, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 7, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 5, 2016, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.