For this Discussion, you create and post a graphic model depicting your theoretical foundation for research. Your colleagues will offer interpretations of your model to help you identify sources of confusion that need to be addressed.

To prepare

• Review the elements you have been developing throughout this course. Consider the following:
  • How would you show the relationships between and among major concepts? For example, how would you illustrate antecedents and consequences?
  • Is there some aspect of the existing framework/theory you selected in Week 6 that you would like to incorporate in your graphic model? If so, what modifications would you make for it to be appropriate for your research purposes?
  • How would you use your graphic model to support and/or express your research questions or hypotheses?
• Create a graphic model of the theoretical foundation for your research. Your model may include pictures, symbols, and words or short phrases.

Note: Per the Assignment instructions, you may include narrative to accompany your graphic model in your Theoretical Foundation for Research Paper (which is due by Day 7 of Week 10). However, for this Discussion, share only your graphic representation. Your colleagues should view your graphic model without the narrative and share their interpretations of your visual representation to help you identify potential sources of confusion.

By Day 3

Post your graphic model.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two of your colleagues, conveying your interpretation of each colleague’s model. (Respond to at least one colleague who has not yet received a response.)

By Day 7

Respond to each interpretation of your model by clarifying misconceptions and expanding upon the graphic presented. (For the Assignment, you should make adjustments to your model to address these misconceptions.)

A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically read an investigative study. For this assignment, choose a research article related to nursing or medicine to critique.

• Articles used for one assignment can’t be used for the other assignments (students should find new research articles for each assignment).
• The selected articles should be original research articles. Review articles, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis, and systemic review should not be used.
• Mixed-methods studies should not be used.

Your critique should include the following:

Research Problem/Purpose

• State the problem clearly as it is presented in the report.
• Have the investigators placed the study problem within the context of existing knowledge?
• Will the study solve a problem relevant to nursing?
• State the purpose of the research.

Review of the Literature

• Identify the concepts explored in the literature review.
• Were the references current? If not, what do you think the reasons are?

Theoretical Framework

• Are the theoretical concepts defined and related to the research?
• Does the research draw solely on nursing theory or does it draw on theory from other disciplines?
• Is a theoretical framework stated in this research piece?
• If not, suggest one that might be suitable for the study.

Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions

• What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
• Are the operational definitions of the variables given? If so, are they concrete and measurable?
• Is the research question or the hypothesis stated? What is it?

Methodology

• What type of design (quantitative, qualitative, and type) was used in this study?
• Was inductive or deductive reasoning used in this study?
• State the sample size and study population, sampling method, and study setting.
• Did the investigator choose a probability or non-probability sample?
• State the type of reliability and the validity of the measurement tools.
• Were ethical considerations addressed?

Data Analysis

• What data analysis tool was used?
• How were the results presented in the study?
• Identify at least one (1) finding.

Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations

• What are the strengths and limitations of the study?
• In terms of the findings, can the researcher generalize to other populations? Explain.
• Evaluate the findings and conclusions as to their significance for nursing.

The body of your paper should be 4–6 double-spaced pages plus a cover page and a reference page. The critique must be attached to the article and follow APA guidelines.

Describe two external stressors that are unique to adolescents. 

Discuss what risk-taking behaviors may result from the external stressors and what support or coping mechanism can be introduced.

Research the range of contemporary issues teenagers face today. In a 500-750-word paper, choose one issue (besides teen pregnancy) and discuss its effect on adolescent behavior and overall well-being. Include the following in your submission:

1. Describe the contemporary issue and explain what external stressors are associated with this issue.
2. Outline assessment strategies to screen for this issue and external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent patient. Describe what additional assessment questions you would need to ask and define the ethical parameters regarding what you can and cannot share with the parent or guardian.
3. Discuss support options for adolescents encountering external stressors. Include specific support options for the contemporary issue you presented. 

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. 

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Assignment:

Your submission should be a minimum of 2000 words (maximum 2500 words) in length and should completely answer the proposed questions/items as listed under “Overview”. You should have a minimum of three (3) references. APA formatting is required and all responses should be combined into a single document for submission

Overview

In this module, you will complete a full assessment of your own community. 

Defining the Community

Your community can be any geographically defined county, city, or town. Clearly delineate the following dimensions before starting the process of community assessment:

• Describe the population that is being assessed?
• What is/are the race(s) of this population within the community?
• Are there boundaries of this group? If so, what are they?
• Does this community exist within a certain city or county?
• Are there general characteristics that separate this group from others?
• Education levels, birth/death rates, age of deaths, insured/uninsured?
• Where is this group located geographically…? Urban/rural?
• Why is a community assessment being performed? What purpose will it serve?
• How will information for the community assessment be collected?

Assessment

After the community has been defined, the next phase is assessment. The following items describe several resources and methods that can be used to gather and generate data. These items serve as a starting point for data collection. This is not an all-inclusive list of resources and methods that may be used when a community assessment is conducted.

The time frame for completion of the assessment may influence which methods are used. Nonetheless, these items should be reviewed to determine what information will be useful to collect about the community that is being assessed. It is not necessary to use all of these resources and methods; however, use of a variety of methods is helpful when one is exploring the needs of a community.

Data Gathering (collecting information that already exists)

Demographics of the Community

• When demographic data are collected, it is useful to collect data from a variety of levels so comparisons can be made.
• If the population that is being assessed is located within a specific setting, it may be best to contact that agency to retrieve specific information about that population.
• The following resources provide a broad overview of the demographics of a city, county, or state:
• State and County Quick Facts—Easy access to facts about people, business, and geography, based on U.S. Census data: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219
• Obtain information about a specific city or county on these useful websites: www.epodunk.com and www.city-data.com

Information from Government Agencies

• Healthy People 2020—this resource is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It identifies health improvement goals and objectives for the country to be reached by the year 2020: http://www.healthypeople.gov/
• National Center for Health Statistics—this agency is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; this website provides statistical information about the health of Americans: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm
• National Vital Statistics System: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—The CDC website contains a large amount of information related to the health of the American population. The search engine within this website can be used to find relevant information: http://www.cdc.gov
• Federal agencies with statistical programs: http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies
• Every state in the United States has its own specific health improvement plan and goals that are based on the Healthy People 2020 document. This information may be available on the state health department website.
• State and local health departments provide information related to vital statistics for the community.

Other Data Sources

• America’s Health Rankings—this website provides information about various health indicators for each state: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/
• Other relevant data sources may be found by conducting an Internet search related to the topic that is being examined through the community assessment.

After data are collected from various sources, it is important to review the information and to identify assets and areas for improvement in the community by comparing local data (if available) versus state and national data. This will facilitate organization of the information that has already been obtained and will provide direction for the next step of the process.

Data Generation (data are developed that do not already exist):

Windshield Surveys

With the use of public transportation or by driving a vehicle around the community, one can observe common characteristics of the community.

Examples of key observations to make when one is assessing the community through a windshield survey include the following:

• Age of the homes in the community
• Location of parks and other recreational areas
• Amount of space between homes and businesses
• Neighborhood hangouts
• Transportation in the community
• Quality and safety of streets and sidewalks
• Stores and other businesses
• People out in the community
• Cleanliness of the community
• Billboards or other media displays
• Places of worship
• Healthcare facilities

Participant Observation

Spend time observing the population that is being assessed. Through observation of interactions among group members, much can be learned about the community, including the following:

• Developmental level of the population
• Effectiveness of peer-to-peer interactions
• Respect for peers and others
• Safety in the environment
• Economic status

Informant Interviews

Informants could be people who are familiar with and interact with the population on a regular basis.

Examples of questions that may be asked of key informants include the following:

• Strengths/assets of the community
• Areas of improvement for the community
• Concerns of community members
• Access to health care
• Emergency plans for natural or man-made disasters

Focus Groups

Focus groups (usually small groups of 6-12 people) can be helpful when one is gathering information about specific areas of concern within the population. Use of a focus group involves open dialogue about the population, whereas an interview or survey yields only individual responses.

• Focus groups may be effective for assessing the following:
• Satisfaction with services provided
• Community resources used
• Transportation issues within the community
• Safety within the community
• General concerns of members of the population

Surveys

Surveys may be used to collect data from the community. Selecting a sample of the target population may prove helpful in the collection of data that are easier to analyze. It is important to ensure that the sample is representative of the target population.

A survey should be developed that takes into consideration the developmental level of the group that is being assessed. Questions should be written at the appropriate developmental level, so they are answered in a way that makes the data useful. Surveys might include closed-ended (yes/no), multiple choice (several responses to choose from), Likert scale (Strongly Agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Strongly Disagree), or open-ended (“why”/“how”) questions.

Topics that may be addressed in a survey include the following:

• Demographic information
• Status of employment  
• Safety within community
• Safety in environment
• Personal safety (seatbelts, helmets, etc.)
• Stressors/stress management patterns
• Risky behaviors
• Support systems
• Volunteer/community activities
• Rest patterns
• Nutrition     
• Dental hygiene
• Health promotion activities