Genetically Modified Foods

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“Genetic Manipulation”. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons –  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Genetic_Manipulation.png#mediaviewer/File:Genetic_Manipulation.png (Links to an external site.)

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Genetically modifed (GM) food products have gained a lot of attention in the media.  In 2013, Washington state voters narrowly voted down an initiative to require labeling of genetically modified foods.  A genetically modified organism (GMO) is simply an organism that has had a gene artificially inserted into its DNA by scientists.  This definition distinguishes GM foods from foods that have been altered over millenia through selective breeding of plants and animals to enhance desirable characteristics.

CLICK HERE (Links to an external site.) for a brief description and some examples of artificial selection. (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_30)

Nathanael Johnson is a journalist who writes about food for the environmental news site grist.org (Links to an external site.).  In 2013, Nathanael decided to tackle the GM food controversy head on.  Over several months, he posted a series of blogs that attempt to tease out fact from fiction in this very heated argument.

For this week’s discussion, I want you to read  at least  these two entries:

The genetically-modified food debate:  Where do we begin? (Links to an external site.)

(http://grist.org/food/the-genetically-modified-food-debate-where-do-we-begin/)

This is the first post in the series.  It introduces the project and gives an overview of the controversy.

20 GMO Questions: Animal, vegetable, controversy? (Links to an external site.)

(http://grist.org/food/20-gmo-questions-animal-vegetable-controversy/)

This is the final post in the series.  It summarizes what the author learned while researching his posts and gives numerous links to posts and other websites that contain more information.

Feel free to explore the links from 20 GMO Questions as you think about the potentials and perils of GM foods.

If you would like to read the entire series from Grist, go here:   Panic-Free GMOs (Links to an external site.)

(http://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/)

When you’re ready, answer the questions below in your post:

1. What did you learn about GMOs in reading through these posts?  Anything surprising?

2. Given what you’ve learned, would you personally purchase genetically modified foods for you and  your family to consume?  Explain why or why not.

3. Do you think all genetic modification of food products should be banned completely?  Explain why or why not.

Overview

Create a 10–15 slide PowerPoint presentation that compares how different communities respond to crises, describes obstacles to providing health care services related to community crises, and explains current practices for providing health care services related to community crises. Recommend an evidence-based nursing response for providing health care services related to community crises.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following

Competency 1: Explain the factors that affect the health of communities.

Explain how a crisis situation affects community health.

Competency 3: Develop an evidence-based nursing response for providing health care services related to community crises.

Compare different approaches for responding to a community crisis.

Describe obstacles to providing health care services related to a community crisis.

Recommend an evidence-based nursing response for providing health care services related to community crises.

Explain current practices for providing health care services related to community crises.

Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations of a nursing professional.

Write content clearly and logically with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

Correctly format citations and references, using current APA style.

Context

As in acute nursing, emergencies do arise in the community/public health arena. These emergencies can take the form of manmade or natural disasters. Health care professionals have had to increase their awareness of their duty to care during these situations. The need for planning and preparing for these possible events is being reinforced (Tomczyk, et al., 2008). Public health nurses bring specific skills to disaster response. Their roles can range from first responders to policy developers.

Reference

Tomczyk, D., Alvarez, D., Borgman, P., Cartier, M., Caulum, L., Galloway, C., … Meske, D. (2008). Caring for those who care: The role of the occupational health nurse in disasters. AAOHN Journal, 56(6), 243–250.

Questions to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

What would you do in the event of a disaster?

What information would be critical to have, to ensure appropriate care for your loved ones?

Toggle Drawer

Resources

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

Jakeway, C. C., LaRosa, G., Cary, A., & Schoenfisch, S. (2008). The role of public health nurses in emergency preparedness and response: A position paper of the Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing. Public Health Nursing, 25(4), 353–361.

Kagan, P. N. (2011). Catastrophe and response: Expanding the notion of self to mobilize nurses’ attention to policy and activism. Nursing Science Quarterly, 24(1), 71–78.

Kane-Urrabazo, C. (2007). Duty in a time of disaster: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 42(2), 56–64.

Rebmann, T., Carrico, R., & English, J. F. (2008). Lessons public health professionals learned from past disasters. Public Health Nursing, 25(4), 344–352.

Rokkas, P., Cornell, V., & Steenkamp, M. (2014). Disaster preparedness and response: Challenges for Australian public health nurses—A literature review. Nursing & Health Sciences, 16(1), 60–66.

VanVactor, J. D. (2011). Health care logistics: Who has the ball during disaster? Emerging Health Threats, 41, 1–7.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have either been granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2008, January). Emergency support function #8 – Public health and medical services annex (ESF #8). Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-esf-08.pdf

Lee, C. H. (2010). Disaster and mass casualty triage. American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, 12(6), 466–470. Retrieved from http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2010/06/cprl1-1006.html

Columbia University Medical Center. (n.d.). National center for disaster preparedness. Retrieved from http://ncdp.columbia.edu/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Emergency preparedness and response: Preparation and planning. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/planning/

Ward, J. (2012, November 28). Guidelines for nurses: How to prepare for a natural disaster. Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/guidelines-nurses-how-prepare-natural-disaster

Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2013). Community/public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: W. B. Saunders.

Chapter 22.

Assessment Instructions

Preparation

Suppose you have been invited to participate in a roundtable discussion meeting on the development of a community response to crises. To prepare for this discussion, you have been asked to research ways that other communities have provided health care services during crisis situations, identify best practices, and develop a nursing response for providing health care services. You would be presenting your research and nursing response to the roundtable panel during the meeting.

Select two communities that have suffered a crisis of some kind within ten years of each other. For example, you might choose to look at New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina in comparison to New Jersey and Hurricane Sandy. You might address the 2011 tornado outbreak and compare the response of Joplin, Missouri with the response of Birmingham, Alabama. Or, you might choose to look at the responses to volcano eruptions in Hawaii as compared to Washington State. You are not limited to natural disasters; feel free to explore environmental disasters and outbreaks of disease. Try to choose the type of crisis situation that could occur within your own community.

Once you have selected your two communities and their comparable crisis situations, look on the Internet for scholarly journal articles on how health care professionals responded to the crises.

Requirements

For this assessment, create a PowerPoint presentation that examines provision of health care services related to community crises, from a nursing perspective. In your PowerPoint, address the following:

Compare the different approaches of two communities for responding to a community crisis.

Explain how the crisis situation in each community affected the overall health of the community.

Describe potential obstacles in your own community to providing health care services related to community crises.

Explain current practices in your own community for providing health care services related to community crises.

Recommend an evidence-based nursing response for providing health care services related to community crises.

Your nursing response does not need to be overly detailed. In real life, a nursing response would be the work of a committee or another group, based on the research and recommendations of others.

Your nursing response should provide foundational research and recommendations based on evidence. Consider things such as triage points, communication methods, caring for staff, providing basic necessities such as food and water, use of other organizations for shelter, and so on.

Use the Notes section of each PowerPoint slide to expand your points and provide supporting evidence.

Additional Requirements

Complete your assessment using the following specifications:

Include a title slide and reference slide.

Number of slides: 10–15.

At least 3 current scholarly or professional resources.

APA format for in-text citations and references.

Be creative. Consider your target audience.