Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker

The term “knowledge worker” was first coined by management consultant and author Peter Drucker in his book, The Landmarks of Tomorrow (1959). Drucker defined knowledge workers as high-level workers who apply theoretical and analytical knowledge, acquired through formal training, to develop products and services. Does this sound familiar?

Nurses are very much knowledge workers. What has changed since Drucker’s time are the ways that knowledge can be acquired. The volume of data that can now be generated and the tools used to access this data have evolved significantly in recent years and helped healthcare professionals (among many others) to assume the role of knowledge worker in new and powerful ways.

In this Assignment, you will consider the evolving role of the nurse leader and how this evolution has led nurse leaders to assume the role of knowledge worker. You will prepare a PowerPoint presentation with an infographic (graphic that visually represents information, data, or knowledge. Infographics are intended to present information quickly and clearly.) to educate others on the role of nurse as knowledge worker.

Reference: Drucker, P. (1959). The landmarks of tomorrow. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
To Prepare:

Review the concepts of informatics as presented in the Resources.
Reflect on the role of a nurse leader as a knowledge worker.
Consider how knowledge may be informed by data that is collected/accessed.
The Assignment:

Explain the concept of a knowledge worker.
Define and explain nursing informatics and highlight the role of a nurse leader as a knowledge worker.
Develop a simple infographic to help explain these concepts.

NOTE: For guidance on infographics, including how to create one in PowerPoint, see “How to Make an Infographic in PowerPoint” presented in the Resources.

Your PowerPoint should Include the hypothetical scenario you originally shared in the Discussion Forum. Include your examination of the data that you could use, how the data might be accessed/collected, and what knowledge might be derived from that data. Be sure to incorporate feedback received from your colleagues’ responses.

CASE STUDY: Severely underweight 12-year-old Hispanic girl with underweight parents who has been bullied in school just recently

 

 

When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.

Not only do these diagnostic tests affect adults, body measurements can provide a general picture of whether a child is receiving adequate nutrition or is at risk for health issues. These data, however, are just one aspect to be considered. Lifestyle, family history, and culture—among other factors—are also relevant. That said, gathering and communicating this information can be a delicate process.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Hero Images

For this Assignment, you will consider the validity and reliability of different assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You will explore issues such as sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. You will also consider examples of children with various weight issues. You will explore how you could effectively gather information and encourage parents and caregivers to be proactive about their children’s health and weight.

To Prepare

• Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider factors that impact the validity and reliability of various assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You also will review examples of pediatric patients and their families as it relates to BMI.
• By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned to one of the following Assignment options by your Instructor: Adult Assessment Tools or Diagnostic Tests (option 1), or Child Health Case (Option 2). Note: Please see the “Course Announcements” section of the classroom for your assignments from your Instructor.
• Search the Walden Library and credible sources for resources explaining the tool or test you were assigned. What is its purpose, how is it conducted, and what information does it gather?
• Also, as you search the Walden library and credible sources, consider what the literature discusses regarding the validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, ethical dilemmas, and controversies related to the test or tool.
• If you are assigned Assignment Option 2 (Child), consider what health issues and risks may be relevant to the child in the health example.
  • Based on the risks you identified, consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
  • Consider how you could encourage parents or caregivers to be proactive toward the child’s health.

The Assignment

Assignment (3–4 pages, not including title and reference pages):

Assignment Option 1: Adult Assessment Tools or Diagnostic Tests:
Include the following:

• A description of how the assessment tool or diagnostic test you were assigned is used in healthcare.
  • What is its purpose?
  • How is it conducted?
  • What information does it gather?
• Based on your research, evaluate the test or the tool’s validity and reliability, and explain any issues with sensitivity, reliability, and predictive values. Include references in appropriate APA formatting.

Assignment Option 2: Child Health Case:
Include the following:

• An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned.
• Describe additional information you would need in order to further assess his or her weight-related health.
• Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
• Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information.
• Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO CASE STUDY

5 REFERENCES NOT MORE THAN 5YEARS

ZERO PLAGIARISM

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a health care risk management program.

Conduct research on approaches to risk management processes, policies, and concerns in your current or anticipated professional arena to find an example of a risk management plan. Look for a plan with sufficient content to be able to complete this assignment successfully. In a 950‐1000-word paper, provide an analysis of the risk management plan that includes the following:

1. Summary of the type of risk management plan you selected (new employee, specific audience, community‐focused, etc.) and your rationale for selecting that example. Describe the health care organization to which the plan applies and the role risk management plays in that setting.
2. Description of the standard administrative steps and processes in a typical health care organization’s risk management program compared to the administrative steps and processes you identify in your selected example plan. (Note: For standard risk management policies and procedures, look up the MIPPA-approved accrediting body that regulates the risk management standards in your chosen health care sector, and consider federal, state, and local statutes as well.)
3. Analysis of the key agencies and organizations that regulate the administration of safe health care in your area of concentration and an evaluation of the roles each one plays in the risk management oversight process.
4. Evaluation of your selected risk management plan’s compliance with the standards of its corresponding MIPPA-approved accrediting body relevant to privacy, health care worker safety, and patient safety.
5. Proposed recommendations or changes you would implement in your risk management program example to enhance, improve, or secure the aforementioned compliance standards.

In addition to your textbook, you are required to support your analysis with a minimum of three peer‐reviewed references.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

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

Intermountain Healthcare is a high-performing integrated health system with facilities in Utah and Idaho. The health system has a long-standing clinical integration structure that encourages professional collaboration. Despite this, in 1999, many physicians at Intermountain Healthcare found it difficult to fulfill the needs of patients with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions. To efficiently and effectively address this issue, Intermountain Healthcare adopted a mental health integration model in many of its primary care facilities, as well as some of its specialty clinics and partner clinics. The team-based approach has improved the coordination of services, resulting in higher quality care at a savings of cost.

Consider the example above. What advantages does integration afford Intermountain Healthcare? Do other integrated health systems experience similar benefits? Are there disadvantages to integration? If so, what are they?

To prepare for this Assignment, review the information related to vertical and horizontal integration presented in the Learning Resources.

Select one of the following horizontally integrated health systems:

·         DaVita

·         Apria

·         Sunrise Senior Living

·         Labcorp

·         Quest Diagnostics

Also select one of the following vertically integrated health systems:

·         Kaiser Permanente

·         Mayo Clinic

·         Cleveland Clinic

·         MedStar Health

·         Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Houston

As an alternative, you may use Becker’s Hospital Review resource to identify a vertically integrated health system.

Using the Walden Library and credible sources on the Internet, research your selected health systems. Investigate the rationale for pursuing integration and the strategies each health system has used to achieve integration. Note information related to the size of each health system, settings/locations, and types of services it provides.

Based on your research, consider the ways in which the two health systems are similar to and/or different from one another.

Assess the business and health care-related implications of horizontal and vertical integration of your selected health systems. How does integration impact the management of your selected organizations and the patients/consumers they serve, especially in terms of cost, quality, and access?

Consider any applicable insights you have gained through the Discussion for this module.

The Assignment

Write a 3- to 4-page paper in which you:

·         Compare the horizontally integrated health system and the vertically integrated health system you have selected (e.g., size, settings/locations, and types of services).

·         Explain each health system’s rationale for pursuing integration and the strategies it has used to achieve integration.

·         Assess the business and health care-related implications of integration for your selected health systems, including how integration impacts the patients/consumers the organization serves.

Your Assignment must be written in standard edited English. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this module’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate.

 

 

 

Resources

 

Readings

·         Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2015). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

o    Chapter 9, “Managed Care and Integrated Organizations” (pp. 361–368)

·         Cohen, A., Klein, S., & McCarthy, D. (2014). Hill Physicians Medical Group: A market-driven approach to accountable care for commercially insured patients. Retrieved fromhttp://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/case-study/2014/oct/1770_cohen_hill_physicians_aco_case_study.pdf

·         Cutler, D. M., & Morton, F. S. (2013). Special communication: Hospitals, market share, and consolidation. JAMA, 310(18), 1964–1970.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

·         Sanford, K. D. (2013). Integration requires new roles and responsibilities. Healthcare Financial Management, 67(3), 56–60.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

·         Summer, L. (2014). Research insights: Integration, concentration, and competition in the provider marketplace. Retrieved fromhttp://www.academyhealth.org/files/publications/AH_R_Integration%20FINAL2.pdf

Use the following resources to select integrated health systems on which to focus for your Assignment. You may also use this list to develop background information as you research health systems in your area for the Discussion.

·         Rodak, S. (2013). 100 integrated health systems to know. Retrieved fromhttp://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/100-integrated-health-systems-to-know.html

Vertically Integrated Health Systems

·         Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://my.clevelandclinic.org

·         Kaiser Permanente. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://kp.kaiserpermanente.org/

·         Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org

·         MedStar Health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from https://www.medstarhealth.org/

·         Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Houston. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, fromhttp://www.memorialhermann.org

Horizontally Integrated Health Systems

·         Apria. (n.d). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from www.apria.com

·         DaVita. (n.d). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from www.davita.com

·         Labcorp. (2014). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from https://www.labcorp.com/

·         Quest Diagnostics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.questdiagnostics.com/

·         Sunrise Senior Living. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/

Benchmark – Community Teaching Plan: Community Presentation

The benchmark assesses the following competencies:

3.3 Provide individualized education to diverse patient populations in a variety of health care settings.

The RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University meets the requirements for clinical competencies as defined by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), using nontraditional experiences for practicing nurses. These experiences come in the form of direct and indirect care experiences in which licensed nursing students engage in learning within the context of their hospital organization, specific care discipline, and local communities.

Based on the feedback offered by the provider, identify the best approach for teaching. Prepare a presentation based on the Teaching Work Plan and present the information to your community.

Options for Delivery

Select one of the following options for delivery and prepare the applicable presentation:

1. PowerPoint presentation – no more than 30 minutes
2. Pamphlet presentation – 1 to 2 pages
3. Poster presentation

Selection of Community Setting

These are considered appropriate community settings. Choose one of the following:

1. Public health clinic
2. Community health center
3. Long-term care facility
4. Transitional care facility
5. Home health center
6. University/School health center
7. Church community
8. Adult/Child care center

Community Teaching Experience Approval Form

Before presenting information to the community, seek approval from an agency administrator or representative using the “Community Teaching Experience Approval Form.” Submit this form as directed in the Community Teaching Experience Approval assignment drop box.

General Requirements

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting 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.

RUBRIC