Comment 1

Meilaender begins with the definitions and clarification of the differences between procreation as it was labeled in the earlier years.  He uses Leon Kass’ work to help describe it as “The pre-modern Christian English speaking world, impressed with the world as given by a Creator, used the term “pro-creation. “We, impressed with the machine and the gross national product (our own work of creation), employ a metaphor of the factory, “re-production.” (Kass, 2014).  As he states that pro-creation is the natural way to form life and reproduction is a non-natural way to create life, this can be defined differently today.

Begotten he defines as a child that is created naturally vs being made, but also discusses that regardless this child was created for a man and woman that loved each other (Meilaender, 2013).  My belief is that if God did not want children to be created, whether naturally or through assistance, then he would have not placed the knowledge into the brains of the discovery of such.  This advancement in technology has been able to create children for those that are unable to conceive and that can give a great and loving life to that child.  There are those parents that should not be allowed to procreate, but then the world would not be as diversified as it is today.  I think the language that Meilaender uses to describe in chapter is relevant, but agreeing I am not 100%.  I think today, verbiage that is used to describe something as special as conceiving a child should not be distinguished between natural vs. unnatural.

comment2

Reflecting on Meilaender’s reading his distinction between procreation and reproduction is described as, procreation referring to the world as designed or given by the Creator, whereas Meilaender defines reproduction as the work of humans to, “master and reshape our world”  (2013). This could be a little confusing to some people, as the phrase begotten is used,“only begotten Son” occurs in John 3:16, which reads in the King James Version as, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The phrase “only begotten” translates the Greek word monogenes. This word is variously translated into English as “only,” “one and only,” and “only begotten.” Meilaneder basically states the same thing that “The Father gives all that he is and has to the son. He begets him” he gives all he has to his one and only son. I am unsure how I feel about these topics to be truthful, I’ve never really thought of it… any thoughts classmates?

The Nurse as Advocate

Whether nurses are advocating for their patients, health care, and/or policies that improve people’s lives, the advocacy processes have commonalities that transcend the subject of their advocacy. There are also differences, although these differences may be more nuanced than obvious.

Tasks:

Write a 5-page brief to answer the following questions. Be sure to use APA guidelines for writing style, spelling and grammar, and citation of sources.

Read the following chapters from your course textbook:

• Taking Action: Nurse, Educator, and Legislator: My Journey to the Delaware Senate
• Taking Action: A Nurse in the Board Room

Answer the below questions:

• Describe what you believe to be the drivers for each of the individuals? What factors led them to become advocates?
• Discuss the challenges that each of them identified in their writings.
• Analyze these drivers and challenges and compare them with your own experience to date as an advocate. In what ways do you believe that you can expand your advocacy skills within the next five years?

Submission Details:

• Submit your response in a 5-page Microsoft Word document.
• Name your document SU_NSG4068_W5_Project_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.
• Submit your document to the Submissions area by the due date assigned.
• Cite sources in the APA format on a separate page.

Discussion: Creating, Developing, and Leading Effective Teams

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
—Henry Ford

A critical skill for all nurse managers is the ability to create, develop, and lead effective teams. When people are part of an effective and well-functioning team, they are more productive and have a stronger commitment to the organization. Nurse managers have a responsibility to create teams that fulfill functional needs within their units or departments. These can include leadership teams, ad hoc project teams, or primary work teams.

As a nurse manager, there is a variety of ways that you can enhance team functioning. The first step is developing the structural elements of the team and then designing the team with the appropriate membership. Just as you must critically examine each application during the employment process, so will you critically examine the skills and attributes of each employee before appointing him or her to a collective team.

In this week’s Discussion, you lay the groundwork for creating and developing a team for your unit, department, or health care setting. You also identify leadership strategies that you could employ to increase the team’s organizational effectiveness.

To prepare

• Review Chapter 5, “The Art of Effectively Facilitating Processes” from the course text, From Management to Leadership: Strategies for Transforming Health Care. Carefully examine the section, “Essential Elements of a Team” to identify the six steps of creating an effective team.
• Consider a team you might create for your current organization or one with which you are familiar. For example, is there a project to be accomplished or a problem to be solved? Perhaps there is a need for a leadership team within your unit or department?
• Identify the purpose or goal for your team. Then, reflect on the following questions:
  • What type of team would you create (leadership, ad hoc, or primary work team) to accomplish this purpose or goal? What are the benefits or disadvantages of creating this type of team?
  • What staff members would you want on this team? Why? How could their skill sets and positions make them effective team members?
• Explore this week’s Learning Resources to identify leadership strategies you might employ before, during, and after the team-building phase. For example, what leadership strategies might influence synergy among team members while also increasing the effectiveness of the team?

Post a description of the team you would create, including the purpose or goal the team would serve, the team type, and the specific skills each member would contribute as well as their job positions. Describe at least two leadership strategies you could implement to help this team effectively achieve its purpose or goal.

 

Required Readings

Manion, J. (2011). From management to leadership: Strategies for transforming health care (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Chapter 5, “The Art of Effectively Facilitating Processes” (pp. 179–242)This chapter describes the many components that make up the facilitating process. Some of these elements include empowerment, authority, resolutions, and negotiation.

Chapter 6, “Getting Results” (pp. 243–282)The main points of this chapter are the components that contribute to effective teamwork. The author lists the benefits and pitfalls of proactive behavior, group decision making, and problem solving.

Beeson, J. (2011). Build a strong team. Leadership Excellence, 28(2), 15.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Beeson’s article focuses on the importance of building a structured team. He provides five steps that leaders can implement in the workplace to create a strong team that benefits the whole workplace.

Calendrillo, T. (2009). Team building for a healthy work environment. Nursing Management, 40(12), 9–12.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, Calendrillo states that skilled communication is the foundation for strong team building in clinical settings. When skilled communication has been mastered and used, quality patient care and healthy work environments are among the many results.

Pentland, A. (2012). The new science of building great teams. Harvard Business Review, 90(4), 60–70.  Retrieved from https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/pl/76756181/76756183/15ba87a24642f03cb8854352b1d046fc

This article addresses how communication is a key to team efficiency. The author provides three communication dynamics that were used by the teams that were most communicative.

Develop a 4–6-page proposal for executive leadership that addresses  changes you would like to see within your organization that would  advance the field of nursing.

Nursing is in the midst of many changes. In this assessment you  will consider how you can be a driving force to bring about needed  change within the field of nursing.

Collaborative interprofessional groups are at the heart of resolving  contemporary nursing issues. The work of groups and teams is based on  strong decision-making and problem-solving skills, led by effective and  engaged leaders. Nurses leading collaborative teams are critical for  resolving a number of issues such as errors in medications, accidents  involving patients, and unsafe shortcuts.

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Nurses truly are expert problem-solvers. Tucker and Edmondson  (2002) found that nurses utilized problem-solving skills so often that  it had become a routine aspect of a nurse’s day. However, nurses must be  able to maximize their problem-solving skills in order to lead health  care teams in addressing challenges, identifying evidence-based  solutions, and implementing those solutions.

Reference

Tucker, A. L., & Edmondson, A. C. (2002). Managing routine exceptions: A model of nurse problem solving behavior. Advances in Health Care Management, 3, 87–113.

Preparation

To prepare for this assessment, you will need to think about  changes you feel are needed to address a problem either within nursing  as a professional field or within the organization where you work.  Narrow down your options by considering which change would best be  undertaken by an interprofessional team. Some examples for you to  consider might include:

• The use of mobile and portable technology to support patients.
• Using evidence-based practice (EBP) to improve patient care.
• Increasing patient safety and quality of care.
• The use of medical technology such as genes and stem cells, or robots in the OR.
• Addressing the nursing shortage now and into the future.
• Improving the work environment (providing calm, supportive spaces  for nurses; improved dialog between health care professionals).
• Better safety for nurses at work (violence, spreading diseases, physical injury).
• Substance abuse by health care professionals.

Or you can narrow the scope to an issue within your own organization:

• Developing a mobility program for an inpatient unit.
• Implementing “smart” technology to assist in patient monitoring.
• Creating a mentoring program to attract and retain nurses.
• Implementing protocols for infection control and/or treatment of an epidemic.
• Developing a plan to eliminate physical violence and verbal abuse in the workplace.
• Other.

Once you have selected an issue to address, look for scholarly and  professional articles that focus on the problem, the needed change, and  how interprofessional teams can work together to drive change.

Requirements

Lately you have noticed the need for changes within your  organization that would advance the field of nursing. You have decided  to develop a proposal and submit it to executive leadership. Format this  assessment as a professional proposal. You may want to look at how  proposals are drafted within your organization and follow that format.  You will still need a references page; follow APA guidelines for in-text  citations and references.

Address the following in your proposal:

• Briefly describe the problem and how it impacts the organization, patients, and/or the nursing profession.
• Describe possible evidence-based interventions for the problem.
• Analyze potential barriers and resistance to change that might come from the organization, patients, and/or colleagues.
• Describe strategies to overcome barriers and resistance to change.
• Develop a plan to implement evidence-based interventions. What steps would you take? What resources might you need?
• Identify other health care professionals to enlist as team members to help drive change in the organization.

Your completed assessment should be 4–6 pages in length, not  including title page and references page. Support your statements and  intervention plan with references to and citations for at least four  scholarly or professional resources.

Additional Requirements

• Include a title page and references page.
• Reference at least four current scholarly or professional resources.
• Use APA format for citations and references.
• Use Times New Roman font, 12 point.
• Double space.