Students are required to submit weekly reflective narratives throughout the course that will culminate in a final, course-long reflective journal due in Topic 10. The narratives help students integrate leadership and inquiry into current practice.

This reflection journal also allows students to outline what they have discovered about their professional practice, personal strengths and weaknesses, and additional resources that could be introduced in a given situation to influence optimal outcomes. Each week students should also explain how they met a course competency or course objective(s).

In each week’s entry, students should reflect on the personal knowledge and skills gained throughout the course. Journal entries should address one or more of the areas stated below.  In the Topic 10 graded submission, each of the areas below should be addressed as part of the summary submission.

2. The role of technology in improving health care outcomes

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA), also known as the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, has dramatically improved the quality of care in the nursing home over the last twenty years by setting forth federal standards of how care should be provided to residents. 

This Act is interpreted with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (42 CFR Part 483). Such improvements include less use of antipsychotic drugs, a reduction in chemical and physical restraint use, and a reduction in inappropriate use of indwelling urinary catheters.

Mandates

The quality of care mandates contained within OBRA, and the regulations, require that a nursing home must provide services and activities to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident in accordance with a written plan of care. 

In order to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, nursing homes must be in compliance with the federal requirements for nursing homes.

The mandates of OBRA are regarded in the nursing home setting to represent minimum accepted standards of care. The failure of a nursing home to comply with the OBRA quality of care mandates in caring for a resident represents a failure to exercise the degree of reasonable care and skill that should be expected.

Penalties

The Indiana State Department of Health is responsible for ensuring that nursing homes follow these mandates through the state survey process. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the states may apply penalties against nursing homes for failure to meet the minimum standard of care as defined in the OBRA regulations. 

Such penalties may include fines, appointment of administrative consultants to run the nursing home while deficiencies are remedied, and even closure of a nursing home.

• Residents must be assessed to identify their medical problems and their abilities to perform basic self-care activities. The DHHS established a uniform data set, referred to as the minimum data set (MDS), to document this assessment.
• The nursing home is responsible for the safety of each resident. This includes being responsible for orders written by the resident’s primary physician or other medical provider. If the physician writes an order that does not comply with the federal regulations, the nursing home is responsible for making sure the physician changes such order. The mere presence of a physician’s inappropriately written order does not absolve the nursing home of responsibility in providing safe care.
• Provide services that will enhance each resident’s quality of life to its fullest (42 CFR §483.15).
• Maintain the dignity and respect of each resident (42 CFR §483.15).
• Develop a comprehensive care plan for each resident (42 CFR §483.20).
• Conduct a comprehensive and accurate assessment of each resident’s overall health upon admission and at each required interval (42 CFR §483.20).
• Prevent a decline in activity of daily living (ADL) activities, including the ability to eat, toilet, bathe and walk. Staff must provide for ADL care when necessary (42 CFR §483.25).
• Prevent the development of pressure sores, and if a resident has pressure sores, provide the necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection, and prevent new sores from developing (42 CFR §483.25).
• Provide appropriate care to those who have urinary incontinence and restore bladder function if possible. This also includes only using urinary catheters when appropriate as outlined in the regulations to prevent adverse consequences related to such use (42 CFR §483.25).
• Prevent accidents, including falls, accidental poisonings and other incidents that could cause injuries (42 CFR §483.25).
• Maintain adequate nutrition to prevent unnecessary weight loss (42 CFR §483.25).
• Provide each resident with sufficient fluid intake to prevent dehydration (42 CFR §483.25).
• Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors (42 CFR §483.25).
• Have sufficient nursing staff (42 CFR §483.30).
• Ensure that each resident’s rights to choose activities, schedules, and health care are maintained (42 CFR §483.40).
• Provide pharmaceutical (medication) services to appropriately meet the physical and psychological needs of each resident (42 CFR §483.60).
• Maintain accurate, complete, and easily accessible clinical records for each resident (42 CFR §483.75).

CASE STUDY: Mrs. J is repeatedly asking for a nurse; other patients are complaining, and you simply cannot be available to Mrs. J for long periods.  Considering the setting and the OBRA guidelines, what would you do to manage the situation? 

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to other students. 

 Respond to the following in a minimum of 190 words: 

Should all practice be based in theory? Explain your rationale, and cite at least one source as evidence.

Explain the planning process of community health improvement. Choose one of the models / tools for community health planning discussed in your book and explain it. (Please, mention which model / tool you chose). 

At least 350 words.

   All answers or discussions comments submitted must be in APA format according to Publication Manual American Psychological Association (APA) (6th ed.) 2009 ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5

·      Minimum of two references, not older than 2015.

 * APA 7, Scholarly references 2017-2021 only 

5 pages only

Follow instructions and rubric

Visit the following site http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/it (Links to an external site.)  

Preparing the paper

1. The FierceEMR and FierceHealthIT Current/Popular Topic of the Week assignment must be a professional, scholarly prepared paper. See the guidelines for writing a professional, scholarly paper. The professional paper will have an introduction, body of paper to explain what you are doing, summary/conclusion, and at least three scholarly references.

2. Required texts may be used as references, but a minimum of three sources must be from outside of course readings.

3. All aspects of the paper must be in APA format as expressed in the current edition.

4. The paper (excluding the title page, introduction and reference page) is 4-6 pages in length.

5. Ideas and information from professional sources must be cited correctly.

6. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and citations are consistent with formal academic writing.