UNE BSN 2022

Month: January 2021

Course Description and Objectives

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course explores the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings that inform
nursing knowledge relevant to the role of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse. Emphasis is placed on use of the
best available evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences to improve healthcare quality.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Apply knowledge from the art and science of nursing, the natural/behavioral sciences and humanities to
    nursing education, practice and research.
  2. Utilize theoretical frameworks as a basis for nursing and interprofessional practice, research, and
    education.
  3. Examine the assumptions and conceptual frameworks inherent in nursing’s core values that influence
    the quality of health care for individuals and families.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge and skill in utilizing research evidence for nursing practice.
  5. Recognize the important leadership contributions that each nurse can make to implement EBP to
    promote quality and safety.
  6. Explore the use of theory and evidence based knowledge to guide a systematic approach to nursing care.
  7. Analyze and evaluate selected nursing theories for translation into practice, research and nursing
    education.

Planning the Journey

I see my team being able to collaborate to form an exceptional final paper. When beginning to choose a topic, I think it will take some time for each of us to research topics that could interest us. Once, we each find a couple of topics that we want to learn more about, we will then bounce the ideas off each other. The key to agreeing on a topic is open mindedness of all team members.  This will have to carry over throughout the whole paper. Everyone should be open to hearing the ideas of others, while also being accountable for their assigned part.

The communication plan will begin right from the start. This communication is essential to build a good foundation for our paper. We will assign different parts of the paper to each team member. Although we will all have our own parts, we will be able to work as a team if someone needs help. I think that within the group we should have due dates for when we want certain parts done yet. It is also essential that we look at the sections of our other group members and give some feedback.  

The plan for conflict management should simply be just addressing the situation. It should be addressed earlier rather than later so that it does not get worse and affect our grade. If we face the situation head on and go directly to the individual who is not putting in their best effort, then it will be easier to solve. Being able to address this situation both efficiently and respectfully, then the team is more apt to have a successful paper.

Although I do not anticipate any barriers with my team, one that could occur would be people of the group not doing their job and not responding to any critiques made my other team members. Another barrier could be the flow of the paper because we all have different writing techniques so it could create a choppy sounding paper. Benefits of working as a group is the amount of work that everyone would have to do would decrease. Also, it will be interesting to get different points of view and input from each person of the group.

This project will be useful in my future nursing practice. Collaborative work is the core of health care. In my practice, I will be a part of an interprofessional health care team. This team will consist of people who all have different roles, but their main goal is focused around the patient. Similarly, during this paper we will all have different parts of the project to do but our main goal is to create a scholarly essay for our final paper. The ability to work with others in critical in the nursing world, so working on this project with a team will help me practice doing that. I will take skills that I learn throughout creating the final paper with me throughout my nursing career.  

Stigma & Mental Health

The stigma associated with mental health has the greatest contribution from the media. Media portrays those with a mental illness as erratic, dangerous, unpredictable, and incapable. Because the media portrays mental illness in this manner, it causes people to begin to associate these characteristics with any mentally ill patient. It complicates the lives those who suffer greatly. Although media plays a huge role in the stigma behind mental illness, I also believe that a lack of understanding can also contribute to the association. The misleading portrayl of patients with mental illness in TV shows or movies causes the public to believe exactly what they are seeing. The picture that society paints of a mentally ill patient causes the world to discriminate against them and blame them for their illness. The public stigma that society has created associated with mental illness causes those who suffer to experience self- stigma. Self- stigma is when the patient internalizes the negative stereotypes surrounding mental illness. The stereotypes surrounding mental illness causes these patients to be misunderstood. This misunderstanding makes everything harder for them. For example, employers may not hire them,  landlords may not rent to them, and health care workers may not care to their best ability. These actions of society destroys the self esteem of the individual. It makes them feel unworthy and they apply the negativity associated with mental illness to themselves. Sterotypes associate with mental illness has a ripple effect. It begins with the negative portrayl of a mentally ill individual, leading to public stigma, then progressing to self-stigma. Self- stigma has many harmful effects in recovery of those with mental illness and will steer them away from treatment. 

A person’s culture can greatly impact their response to mental illness. There are different views on mental illness and how to cope with it based on culture. There is something called the cultural idiom of distress which is a term used to describe the suffering within a cultural group based on cultural explanations. For example, Hispanic individuals use the word “nervios” as the cause for a variety of symptoms including headache, irritability, nervousness, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms could also be seen in mentally ill patients but is masked by a cultural belief. Additionally, there are some cultures who create a stigma around seeking health care, specifically African Americans and Hispanics. They will only visit health care professionals if all other resources have been used, which will delay recovery. Also, there are cultures who refuse to believe that mental illness exists. The Asian cultures has a tradition of disguising or denying the presence of mental illness and shame those who are treated for it. Belief and spirituality may also impact an individuals response to mental illness. Different religious beliefs will approach mental illness differently. Some may seek direct help, while some believe that a greater being will heal them. Understanding the patients religious beliefs and spiritualities will help to find a common course of treatment for the patient. 

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