In Preparation For Your Assignment This Week Brainstorm Two

In Preparation For Your Assignment This Week Brainstorm Two To Three

In preparation for your assignment this week, brainstorm two to three clinical practice problems or issues you can develop into a nursing practice change. What indicates these as clinical issues in nursing practice? Support your discussion with two peer-reviewed journal articles. Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be words and include one reference. Refer to "RN-BSN DQ Rubric" and "RN-BSN Participation Rubric," located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.

Paper For Above instruction

In the dynamic environment of nursing practice, identifying clinical issues that warrant change is essential for improving patient outcomes, enhancing safety, and optimizing healthcare delivery. This discussion explores three potential clinical practice problems that could be developed into significant nursing practice changes, analyzing their indicators as clinical issues supported by current scholarly literature.

Firstly, medication administration errors remain a persistent challenge in healthcare settings. Such errors can lead to adverse drug events, increased hospital stays, and even mortality. The Clinical Safety and Quality Improvement Report (IOM, 2011) highlights medication errors as a leading cause of preventable harm in hospitals. Indicators of this issue include medication discrepancies, inconsistent administration protocols, and staff workload pressures. Addressing this problem requires implementing standardized protocols, utilizing barcode medication administration (BCMA) systems, and providing ongoing staff education. Evidence indicates that BCMA systems significantly reduce medication errors by verifying patient identity and medication details (Kora et al., 2020). This clinical issue demands a systematic change to embed safety practices within everyday nursing routines, emphasizing the importance of technology and continuous training.

Secondly, patient falls in hospital settings remain a critical concern. Falls can cause fractures, lacerations, and even death, especially among elderly populations. Indicators such as frequent fall incidents, unassessed fall risk, and inadequate communication about patient mobility status signal the need for intervention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017), falls are preventable with targeted strategies such as patient education, environmental modifications, and staff training on fall risk assessment tools like the Morse Fall Scale. Implementing comprehensive fall prevention programs can decrease fall rates significantly. Evidence-based interventions such as hourly rounding and use of bed alarms have demonstrated reductions in falls (Dykes et al., 2010). Recognizing falls as a clinical issue enables healthcare providers to develop preventative protocols that are crucial for patient safety and quality care.

The third clinical issue pertains to patient readmission rates, particularly among chronic disease populations such as heart failure or diabetes. High readmission rates often indicate problems with discharge planning, patient education, or outpatient follow-up. Clinical indicators include frequent readmissions within 30 days of discharge, poor medication adherence, and inadequate patient understanding of self-care instructions. Literature emphasizes the importance of transitional care programs, including comprehensive discharge planning and follow-up calls, to reduce readmission rates (Naylor et al., 2011). Addressing this issue involves restructuring care coordination efforts, enhancing patient education, and utilizing community health resources. Recognizing high readmission rates as a clinical problem pushes nursing practice toward more proactive, patient-centered discharge procedures and collaborative post-discharge support.

In conclusion, identifying clinical practice issues such as medication errors, patient falls, and high readmission rates is fundamental for implementing practice changes that improve safety and quality of care. Each issue is supported by multiple indicators and scholarly evidence, emphasizing the need for systematic interventions. Nursing professionals play a vital role in advocating for, designing, and implementing these changes, ultimately promoting healthier outcomes for diverse patient populations.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Important facts about falls. https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
• Dykes, P. C., Casey, M., Coughlin, J. F., et al. (2010). Fall prevention in hospitals: An innovative approach. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(13-14), 1844-1854.
• Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. National Academies Press.
• Kora, K. M., Malas, N., & Jolly, A. (2020). Effectiveness of barcode medication administration systems in reducing medication errors: A systematic review. Journal of Patient Safety, 16(2), 92-98.
• Naylor, M. D., Aiken, L. H., Kurtzman, E. T., et al. (2011). The Care span: Transition of care as a critical component of high-quality, safe health care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 26(2), 196-204.