There are arguments to support that many older people leave hospital less able to function or mobilise than when they were admitted (de Morton, Keating & Jeffs 2007). This is due to the occurrence of deconditioning, a risk for many elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting. Deconditioning refers to the significant decline in the functional ability of patients, and is generally associated with prolonged bed rest and immobility (Kortebein, 2008). The term is used to describe the physiological changes caused by inactivity, with virtually every body system affected (Eliopoulos, 2010), and it also incorporates functional losses in mental status, ability to accomplish activities of daily living (ADLs) and a decrease in muscle mass and strength (Gillis, MacDonald & MacIsaac 2008). Hospitalisation is often the cause of deconditioning, particularly due to the focus on bed rest in order to recover from illness, or the limited mobility resulting from surgery.
Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness Nurs 440 May 27, 2013 Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness There are many types of vulnerable populations in today’s society that are vulnerable to certain illnesses or diseases. One of the most common vulnerable populations is the elderly. As the age increases most often it also corresponds with cognitive changes, specifically dementia. Chronic illnesses in the elderly increase their vulnerability and begin to be more dependent on others for assistance. Upon growing older there many choices to be made and one of the most difficult is having to place the elder person in a nursing home when he/she is no longer capable of being independent.
The Joint Commission (2012) defines risk management in healthcare as “the clinical and administrative acts undertaken to identify and evaluate the risk of injury to staff, patients and visitors and the risk to loss of the organization itself”. Studies have shown that the litigation against nursing homes is on the rise; thus making risk management very important in day to day care. Malpractice insurance premiums for nursing homes are also on the rise; this contributes to bankruptcy and forces many facilities to operate without malpractice coverage (Weinburg M.D & Levine, 2008). This threatens quality of care and access to healthcare for ill elderly people that need round the clock care. Effective risk management in a nursing home requires one to accurately
Only 17 meet the criteria, and one more was excluded due to a quality appraisal. Therefore 16 studies were accepted for the systematic review. Key Elements Stress in the nursing profession is clearly a problem and contributes to many areas which need improvement in nursing. Galbraith & Brown clearly stated the need for future studies and the lack of studies in this area (2011), as they reviewed many research studies from multiple discipline areas related to stress management and interventions in nurses and students. According to Galbraith and Brown there are several areas of stress in a nurses or students life which may lead to sickness, absence and attrition (2011).
My topic proposal is the overuse of the emergency department. It’s an issue that every hospital in America is grappling with. Emergency room visits nationwide are on the rise, even as the total number of emergency rooms is falling. Add this to the fact that, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recent publication, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary, only 15.9 million out of 119 million visits to the emergency room in 2006 was urgent or emergent. Going to an emergency room instead of scheduling a doctor's appointment has become a trend in this country.
The rate of infection did decrease substantially in the shaved patients if the shaving was done at the time of surgery rather than the customary day prior. Each of the article cited years’ worth of data collection in studies around the world with thousands of patient’s total. In all of the articles they noted that the resistance to changing this procedure is due to custom and practice (Prevention of Surgical Site Infections n.d.). 4. Based upon a review of the literature, if the practice of shaving was eliminated in totality or at least substituted with clipping in more hospitals, the incidence of
Smart Pumps: The smart choice for medicine Medication errors are extremely dangerous and potentially deadly to patients. According to a recent release of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report, preventing medication errors, they found that medication mistakes injure more than 1.5 million patients each year. Also, that hospitalized patients are at risk for at least one medication error per patient day (IOM, 2006). Traditional infusion devices make it easy for clinicians to commit these errors. There are no safeguards in place and the infusion devices are often shared between many patients with extremely different infusion needs throughout the day.
Ageism; Often elderly people are labelled as useless, unable to cope and diseased. Often younger generations can make them feel most vulnerable as they tend to see them as if they have already finished their lives. Elderly people may feel that they are going to be treated with dignity in hospital or any care settings. Culture, religion and beliefs; Often, because of religion, beliefs and your culture this will influence on how you are as an elderly person. For example, someone who is very ill may still have a big positive view on life, whereas some may feel depressed and extremely unhappy.
The statistics of medication error consistently increases in health care sector. A 1999 IOM (Institute of Medicine) estimated that “Medication errors” accounted for 7,000 deaths per year (Phillips et al.2001). According to Malaysia, static show that 10 percent of medication errors occurs by the nurses’ carelessness and not seriously follow the rules in their practice, during drug administration stage (www.straight dope Nov 2007). We mite be think, 10 percent is not a high percentage in medication error but that was the root cause of medication error, were started by the nurses in health care sectors. All errors result in potentially negative outcomes for the client, including a near or actual death.
Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Falls are a problem for most of the elderly population in the home, acute care setting, and long term care setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC;2013), there is one out of three people over the age of 65 who have fallen and suffered serious injuries and even death. This has become a problem for patients, families, and healthcare facilities that can be prevented through education and awareness of surroundings. Falls can be devastating to patients due to increased hospital stay and decreased mobility. The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies.