Research the different nursing care facilities in your community. Discuss the pros and cons of the facility in terms of what they offer. Provide a brief report with the following questions:

• What is the basic rate for room, board, and services (it’s a good idea to get this information in writing)?
• What services are covered by this rate?
• Are there other services available and how much do they cost?
• What are the payment policies?
• What is the refund policy if someone leaves before the end of a month?
• What is the policy for rate increases?
• How long has the current administration been in place?
• Is there enough staff available to meet my needs?
• Is there frequent staff turnover?
• Is some level of nursing care provided (RN, LPN, Nursing
• Assistant)? How often is it available?
• Who will help me with medications if I need it (e.g. reminding me to take them, opening the bottle)?
• Can someone administer medications to me if I can’t take them myself (e.g. applying medication to my skin, putting a pill in my mouth)?
• Can someone help me if I need special care (e.g. caring for a wound)?
• What happens if I have an emergency? Can I get help right away?
• Are staffs suitably dressed, personable, and outgoing?
• Do the staff members treat residents with respect and dignity?
• Do staff members treat each other in a professional manner?
• What language does most of the staff speak?
• What type of help with personal care is available (e.g. bathing, dressing)?
• How flexible is the schedule for receiving help with personal care?
• What, if any, transportation services are available? (e.g. medical appointments, shopping, religious services).
• Will staff arrange for activities (e.g. hair appointment, concert)?
• How does the home support and accommodate personal hobbies?
• Are there regularly planned activities that I will enjoy?
• Will I be able to attend religious services of my choice?
• Can I bring my pet with me when I move?
• When can I have visitors?
• Are there shops, a library, a park, or other amenities within walking distance?
• Is the home close to activities I enjoy?
• Is the home on a bus line?
• Is there an outside area to sit, walk, or garden?
• Are there shops, a library, a park, or other amenities within walking distance?
• Is the home close to activities I enjoy?
• Is the home on a bus line?
• Is there an outside area to sit, walk, or garden?
• Is the floor plan easy to follow?
• Are doorways, hallways, and rooms accommodating to wheelchairs and walkers?
• Are there hand rails to help with walking and in the bathroom?
• Are cupboards and shelves easy to reach?
• Are there nonskid floors and firm carpets to assist walking?
• Does the home have good natural and artificial lighting?
• Is the home clean, free of odors, and well heated and cooled?
• Does the home meet my standards of cleanliness?
• Is the home free from obvious environmental hazards?
• Are the home’s rooms clean, safe, and adequate for my needs?
• Will I have free use of common areas, such as the kitchen, activity rooms, toilet facilities, dining room, or grounds?
• Can I smoke in my room or in common areas?
• What furniture is provided?
• Can I bring along some of my furniture or other personal items?
• Can I adjust the temperature of my room?
• Is there a sit-down shower?
• Can I have my own personal phone line or internet connection?
• Are emergency procedures clearly posted?
• Am I able to lock my room and/or are there locked areas in each room for personal valuables?
• Is the food pleasing, nutritious, adequate, and attractively served?
• What if I don’t like what is being served?
• Can I cook in my room?
• Are snacks available?
• Are there specific meal times or are they flexible?
• Is there a refrigerator available to store my personal food?
• Will the home meet my dietary or cultural food preferences?
• Can I request special foods?
• Do other residents socialize with each other and appear happy and comfortable?
• Do residents speak favorably of the facility?
• Do the residents look like people I want to live with?
• How are room changes and roommate concerns addressed?
• Is there a resident group that meets?
• Do any of the other residents have a history of violent or other problem behaviors? How are these situations handled by staff?

 Week 1

For 6 years I worked with whom I consider the best nurse leader I could ever had. Participative (Democratic) style describes exactly how she was. She always took into consideration the staff’s opinions before making any decision, she was humble enough to tell us “hey, great idea! thanks for helping me with your opinion to get to a final determination”. On this theory, everyone is given the opportunity to participate, ideas are exchanged freely, and discussion is encouraged. While the democratic process tends to focus on group equality and the free flow of ideas, the leader of the group is still there to offer guidance and control. The democratic leader is charged with deciding who is in the group and who gets to contribute to the decisions that are made (Kendra Cherry, 2014)

How has your experience been with the nurse leader? Provide a description of your interactions with him or her?

As I mention in the question above, I consider this nurse the best nurse leader I could ever had, besides being an excellent leader she was a great mentor for my professional growth, when I moved from Colombia as a Paramedic to Miami I met her at the first job I had for 6 years, it was a clinical research company and I had no idea this even existed, I just wanted a job, I was recently married and this job was looking for people with experience in the medical field to draw blood, admit patients, etc. I got my EMT but I wanted more, I wanted to go to school for something else, but I was kind of lost in regards to which school should I go? can I rollover some classes from Paramedic school? how can I start?  and this great nurse leader had faith on me, she DROVE me to Miami Dade College, she stayed there for almost 3 hours with me waiting for an advisor to help me get the information needed and during the entire program she never let me drop out even though sometimes that’s all I wanted to do, I started nursing school with a 3 month old and it was extremely hard to keep up with home, baby, full time job and school; but this leader was always there. She thought me throughout those years that being a great leader is not synonym of being a selfish leader, work wise she always had the best from me, and research have found that the democratic leadership style is one of the most effective types and leads to higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale and this is EXACTLY what she obtained from me. Now, I’m the charge nurse at the GI center where I work and I consider myself to be a democratic leader as well since I totally understood this was the best way to get the whole team involved and to receive their best production.

What is the role of health care reform in shifting the focus from a disease-oriented health care system toward one of wellness and prevention, and how does nursing fit into this shift?

create a disaster plan for the following

House fire

wildfire

earthquake

tornado

ice storm

go to www.redcross.org and use the template for each disaster

each plan has to include 4 adults

The US Legal System

The US society is grounded on the rule of law administered through  the US legal system. There are many important features and principles of  the US legal system. In order to study public health policy, you need  to relate the laws with public health policies.

On the basis of your understanding of the topic and knowledge gained from this week’s readings, answer the following questions:

• What is the purpose of having a body of enforceable laws in our society?
• What are two key roles of laws in our society?
• What might be the result if these laws were not in place?
• Explain the four primary legal sources of laws—constitutions, statutes, administrative regulations, and common laws.
• Compare and contrast between a public health policy and a law.
• Do you think that public health policy is dependent upon the laws? Why and how?