Healthcare systems function as collaborative settings where the effectiveness of leadership impacts the nursing staffs performance, which ultimately translates to patient outcomes. In such a manner, to ensure that the quality of care is sufficient, nursing leaders should work toward employee advocacy to facilitate their work opportunities. This paper explores the particularities of nurse leaders advocacy for nurses and its consecutive impact on patient outcomes to claim that both individual and team-based needs of the nursing staff must be met through advocacy.
Discussion
Leaders in the healthcare setting are the drivers of change in the workplace. In this regard, their roles as employees advocates are manifested through addressing teams and individual performance and needs related to care. Indeed, at the individual level, nurse leaders advocate for their employees to operationalize CDC guidelines and support, protect, educate, and empower staff (Stamps et al., 2021, p. 159). Moreover, nurse leaders advocacy entails the protection of resources that are significant to staff, including education assistance, shared governance, and staffing models to ensure a favorable work environment and culture (Bergstedt & Wei, 2020, p. 50). At the team level, leaders should promote employee rights and ensure their opportunities by advocating for organizational values in teams and proper patient outcomes.
Conclusion
In such a manner, it is evident that advocacy for employees enables nursing staff to perform in better-equipped, safer, and more professionally engaging environments, which allows for providing a higher quality of care to patients. Through advocacy efforts, leaders promote essential values, performance excellence, and reliability of a healthcare facility as a collaborative entity. Ultimately, engagement, support, and striving for excellence enable the implementation of high-standard care for the served populations of patients.
References
Bergstedt, K., & Wei, H. (2020). Leadership strategies to promote frontline nursing staff engagement. Nursing Management, 51(2), 48-53.
Stamps, D. C., Foley, S. M., Gales, J., Lovetro, C., Alley, R., Opett, K., Glessner, T., & Faggiano, S. (2021). Nurse leaders advocate for nurses across a health care system: COVID-19. Nurse Leader, 19(2), 159-164.
The fundamental point in achieving the best patient care outcomes is to address the patients needs as much as possible. In this context, anticipating and knowing all the needs will not be achievable without acknowledging cultural diversity the common focal point of contemporary care issues. Therefore, healthcare professionals, especially nurses, have to be culturally sensitive, that is, be aware of cultural peculiarities and their potential effect on the choice of treatment and care (American Nurses Association, 2021). Cultural sensitivity and awareness fall under the concept of diversity consciousness (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). Consequently, a nurses cultural competence can be evaluated based on how well the nurse applies diversity consciousness in her practice.
Discussion
In practice, the development of diversity consciousness is an infinite process. There are six areas for diversity consciousness development: self-analyzing, analyzing other people, exceeding personal boundaries, analyzing social inequality, self-criticizing, and applying what was learned (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). Self-analysis is a critical starting point in the process of consciousness development. Above everything else, it provides a perfect reference point for all consequent research and analysis (Marion et al., 2016). Since every individual has their own vision and understanding, an attempt to expand the knowledge about that serves as a good second step in the development. The third step implies working on empathy not only learning about others but also trying to see things from their perspective (Ong-Flaherty, 2015). As a result, certain features of social inequality will become evident; thus, they must also be considered. As people dive into external analysis, they tend to forget about self-reflection and proper implementation of acquired knowledge. This tendency might significantly impede the development process and must be addressed accordingly.
In my practice, I had a case with a patient who was a devoted Christian. I, in turn, do not particularly associate myself with any religious preference, preferring not to question myself with beliefs in a greater spiritual deity or a possibility of an afterlife. Consequently, at first, the patient doubted my ability to provide him with the proper type of care he expected. As soon as I realized his concerns, I conducted some research on the analogical cases when a difference in worldviews became the cause for concern to the patient and nurse. I learned that the most culturally competent response in my case would be to hold my personal vision in check and to show attention to the patients wants and needs without prejudice toward him. Thus, when the patient approached the topic of Christianity with me, I showed respect for what he had to say. At the same time, I kept in mind that I did not have to agree with everything. In particular, it was necessary to establish professional boundaries, which included the clarification of what can be discussed and what questions are not subject to it.
Conclusion
I believe that in this scenario, nursing cultural competence can be best demonstrated by the nurse being attentive, making appropriate inquiries, and learning how much the patients beliefs can influence his decisions regarding healthcare. According to the Doctors of Nursing Practice (2021), when patients see genuine interest from the nurses side in their values, beliefs, and vision, it becomes easier for them to relax and stop worrying. However, in order for the nurses not to be stressed as well, it is important to remember that they do not have to change their own beliefs to take care of the patient properly. The resulting dialogue should be viewed as a healthy sharing of knowledge relevant to the future course of action beneficial for both the patient and healthcare provider. In my case, we were eventually able to come to an agreement and managed to establish proper communication throughout the treatment process.
References
American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (4th ed.). American Nurses Association.
Doctors of Nursing Practice. (2021). Understanding the true importance of cultural diversity in nursing. Regis College. Web.
Florence Nightingale is a philanthropist, reformer, and creator of modern nursing. She is an aristocrat who left the bohemian world to help ordinary people. Nightingale became widely known for writing textbooks for nurses, as well as doing charity. Her name has become a household name for a kind and selfless person. Florence decided to give up the joys of aristocratic life in favor of charity. She made a choice to become a nurse and start working in a hospital for low-income segments of the population (Green 182). She studied in Italy, Egypt, and Greece (Green 181). Florences initiative was met with rejection from her parents. However, despite the disapproval from the family, the girl began to learn how to care for sick people.
Florence was engaged not only in nursing, but also in science. Even in her youth, she kept diaries in which she recorded her own conclusions and statements of other people. In addition, she wrote long letters to her sister, in which she described her professional experience. When Nightingale started teaching, she wrote her first book. The work was called Care Notes and was based on Florences curriculum (Green 181). The book has become incredibly popular among the London public (Green 183). Using modern terminology, we can say that F. Nightingale laid the foundations of management in nursing.
Medical deontology (medical bioethics in the modern interpretation) has its own history. One example of selfless service to people is the Florence Nightingale Pledge for nurses. Florence Nightingales oath forms the ethical code of a nurse. In her pledge, Florence Nightingale encourages future nurses to make a commitment to the Lord and in the presence of their colleagues. Medical workers should lead a righteous life worthy of their noble profession. Thus, Florence Nightingale calls for increasing the prestige of the nursing profession, in which during her time mainly girls of dubious origin were engaged (Ozcan 1). They should avoid any actions that may harm the patient and lead to their death, for example, prescribe harmful medicine. Florence Nightingales oath refers to the non-disclosure of personal data of the patient and the preservation of medical secrecy.
In my nursing career, I will be guided by the Nightingale Pledge. I will base my work on the universal principles of morality presented by her in the oath. The ethical criteria of professionalism that Florence Nightingale outlined will determine my relationship with all participants in the treatment and diagnostic process. I will be guided by them when communicating with the patient, their relatives and friends, the attending physician, other doctors, fellow nurses, and junior medical staff.
Florence Nightingales Pledge is based on the recognition as the main values in the work of a nurse of virtue, humanity, and honesty, which I will develop in myself. My professional duties as a nurse will follow from this oath. For example, I will not cause harm by actions or inaction, since the behavior of a nurse should be subordinated to the goal of the patients recovery. I need to be a competent employee, have the necessary stock of knowledge and strive to increase it. I should be sympathetic to the peculiarities of my profession, try to alleviate the condition of patients, and not aggravate the suffering of other people. I will keep secret the information that has become known to me due to the performance of my professional duties, since the disclosure of such information violates the rights and interests of patients. Thus, from the Pledge, I identified the main behavioral rules and principles on which my relationships with colleagues and patients should be based.
Works Cited
Green, Cheryl. Applying the Nightingale Pledge in Reducing Health Disparities: A Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury Case Study. Advances in Skin & Wound Care, vol. 35, no. 3, 2022, pp. 180-183.
Ozcan, Sadiye. The Relationship Between Nurses Conscientious Intelligence Levels and Care Behaviors: A Cross-sectional Study. Clinical Ethics, vol. 0, no. 0, 2021, pp. 1-8.
The initial stage in the planning phase was to conduct an investigation into comparable facilities so that I could have a concept of what the facility should appear like before commencing with the new healthcare plan. I outlined several units that must be incorporated before finishing the design and regions of the health care plan. I considered all spaces where patients would be presented, such as testing and waiting spaces.
The capacity of the testing space is also significant due to its potential to accommodate patients waiting for their appointments. Since they will be used most often, standard patient consultation spaces must have variable sizes for scalability and convenience (Smith, 2020). They will be utilized for follow-up visits and consultations and remain active during the clinics opening time.
Considerations and Challenges
I subsequently acknowledged other spaces where patients and caregivers might be required to conduct their basic responsibilities and provide healthcare services. Consultation spaces, health care workstations, maintenance and storage spaces, and operation spaces are illustrations of these spaces. The placement of the operation and consultation spaces was a limitation I encountered while planning the design layout. I intended to be mindful of client confidentiality, so I avoided placing them very close to one another.
I also had to remember the communal workstations where the healthcare workers would have their intervals and meals. This was critical for me to ensure those units were isolated, too, featuring a personal lavatory independent from patient access.
Administrative spaces served as a venue for physicians to undertake management operations such as amending records with remarks or making confidential patient conversations (Smith, 2020). The arrangement of workstations in the layout design is based on the number of physicians hired at this health center.
Facility Plan.
Conclusion
In order for the healthcare facility to work properly, quality of service, availability, care coordination, and surveillance must all be addressed. The fundamental design and creation of the healthcare facility are determined by the budgeted cost, which is implemented.
Nevertheless, because this layout design is currently in its initial phases, it is vital to establish the space required to deliver the healthcare assistance patients require. It is additionally essential to plan for continued expansion and spatial versatility.
Reference
Smith, R. D. (2020). Strategic planning for public relations (6th ed.). Routledge.
It is widely believed that any countrys healthcare system should work to increase patient access, care quality, and affordability. However, there is a severe physician shortage and maldistribution problem in the United States, especially among primary care physicians (PCPs) and mental health specialists in the countryside and low-income metropolitan regions (Mongelli et al., 2020). Large populations, particularly those who belong to minority groups and residents of rural areas, are underserved due to the spatial inequality caused by the concentration of doctors in urban areas. The geographical maldistribution might also be caused by the early retirement of doctors and demographic shifts.
Many factors might explain an imbalance between primary and specialty care in the United States. The common reason is that PCPs are switching to an internal medicine specialization or abandoning their practice in the middle of their careers out of unhappiness. The development of new medical technologies is what gave rise to specialty care. Moreover, specialty care providers earn more money than the average PCP. Unlike PCPs, they can also work flexible hours (Devi et al., 2021). Most students might find it appealing as most healthcare education in the US focuses on cutting-edge technologies, complex procedures, and tertiary service settings.
Both imbalance and maldistribution problems can be resolved by boosting physician remuneration as residents and fully qualified clinicians, not by current initiatives to expand the number of doctors who go through a broken system. Higher resident remuneration will lessen the significant economic burden that medical students currently carry. Residents avoid primary care because of the high debt load and limited ability to pay it off, which adds to its shortage. Higher remuneration for PCPs and those working in poor areas can also help to address the imbalance in the distribution of physicians. Increased PCP compensation will be more crucial as efforts to provide universal health insurance continue.
References
Devi, R., Goodman, C., Dalkin, S., Bate, A., Wright, J., Jones, L., & Spilsbury, K. (2021). Attracting, recruiting and retaining nurses and care workers working in care homes: The need for a nuanced understanding informed by evidence and theory. Age and Ageing, 50(1), 65-67.
Mongelli, F., Georgakopoulos, P., & Pato, M. T. (2020). Challenges and opportunities to meet the mental health needs of underserved and disenfranchised populations in the United States. Focus, 18(1), 16-24.
Mannion (2012) defines a quality system as a kite mark instigated within a service entity to benchmark the service values, ideals, and principles. The CQC published a report on the RUH Bath Trust, registering that the infirmary had annulled several surgical treatments and stalled patients scheduled for therapies. The CQC identified incident reporting, staffing levels and GP surgeries as the pivotal areas for improvement (Care Quality Commission 2014). This paper seeks to determine if indeed the CQC findings are valid and outlines three approaches to executing efficient quality systems.
Body
Care Quality Commission Reports: To What Extent are Statements within an Investigation True?
CQC divulged that RUHs GP surgeries and clinical audits were below average. Griffiths (2011, p. 10) endorses CQCs reports remarking that the agencys statements record substantial information on commendable care amenities for public benefit. Unit 23(1) of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 grants the Commission the jurisdiction to effect hospital inspections, assign warning notices, and fines (Greenfield & Braithwaite 2008). CQCs reports strive to uphold patients rights and ensure they receive optimum medical care and welfare (Mannion 2012). All the same, critics disapprove of CQCs statements, claiming that the data publication on medics is crude and misleading (Furness 2009). Opponents assert that very few surgical errors induce patient deaths, instead attributing institutional failings to the high mortality rates. With reference to Griffiths (2011, p. 12), I regard that the boards assessments are eligible as the councils culture is susceptible, considerate, and easily reachable.
Identify Quality Systems for Measuring Quality: The Best Approach for the Royal United Hospital (RUH)
Enumerated below are performance systems instrumental in estimating the quality of RUHs services (Greenfield & Braithwaite 2008, p. 177).
Consumer Surveys. CQC uses surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to evaluate patients experience, feedback, and public contentment.
Third-Party Assessments. Examples include peer review, accreditation, and ISO Standards that evaluate conformity to the international yardstick for quality marks.
Statistical Indicators. The impact data involved features league tables that function to foster hospital progress, public interest, transparency, and patient empowerment.
Analyze Three Approaches Used to Implement these Quality Systems
Patient Charters. The UK government publishes patient-themed concessions that execute health education, complaint mechanisms, and care persistence to acquaint patients of their medical rights (Greenfield & Braithwaite 2008, p. 180).
Audit Monitoring. Certified Public Accountants should implement accreditation programs in hospitals to grade their adherence to the promulgated standard processes. Griffiths (2011) affirms that the balancing of ISO Standards, certification, and peer review revamp hospital performance, institutional development, and professional self-assessment.
Stakeholder Engagement. The participant stakeholders should contribute to the publication of the trusts activities as grounds for calculated statistical indicators, to incorporate quality improvement and performance management (Care Quality Commission 2014).
Identify the Benefits and Consequences of Implementing these Approaches
The following points illuminate the benefits and consequences of implementing the systems above (Mannion 2012).
Benefits
Improved Services. Quality systems secure a continuum of recommendatory services and map priority areas for performance improvement.
Budget Ratification. Performance structures ratify the value for money and investments to commissioners.
Credibility. Quality frameworks elevate stakeholder credibility by way of demonstrating positive outcomes.
Dysfunctional Consequences
Tunnel Vision. The desire to implement quality may deflect attention from other unmeasured, yet essential areas including prenatal mortalities.
Public Trust Disintegration. Exposing poor NHS performance corrodes peoples confidence in zero-star hospitals and clinics.
Staff Intimidation. The management may turn to hassle and threaten the employees to meet performance foci.
Conclusion
National Health Service trust corporations require quality assurance and control to deliver premium health and social treatment services. As for RUH Bath trust, the Care Quality Commissions report on the poor performance encountered is befitting, seeing that the board exercised fair regulations in the study (Griffiths 2011). The best approach for RUH is to enforce audit monitoring and stakeholder engagement to suffice patients requirements.
References
Care Quality Commission 2014, Royal United Hospital NHS Trust, media release, Web.
Furness, S 2009, A hindrance or a help? The contribution of inspection to the quality of care in homes for older people, British Journal of Social Work, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 488-505.
Greenfield, D & Braithwaite, J 2008, Health sector accreditation research: a systematic review, International Journal Quality Health Care, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 172-183.
Griffiths, A 2011, The quality and risk profiles of the Care Quality Commission, Risk & Regulation, vol. 22, pp. 10-14.
Mannion, R 2012, Measuring hospital quality and performance, The Quarterly, Web.
Cervical cancer is a significant health problem for women worldwide. Diagnosing and treating this type of cancer can considerably affect a patients physical, mental, and social well-being. Therefore, it is essential to create effective nursing practices to improve the lives of those with cervical cancer. Roys Adaptation Model (RAM) is a sound theoretical system that can direct the creation of nursing interventions for those with chronic illnesses. This paper intends to evaluate a study that applied RAM to create a nursing care plan and assess the efficacy of the nursing care plan in elevating the quality of life for patients.
Methods
The research Enhancing quality of life for those with cervical cancer by applying Roys Adaptation Model was conducted in two hospitals in Taiwan. The participants of the research were 60 female patients with cervical cancer receiving radiation treatment, with an average age of 50 (Mathew & Seeta, 2016). The nursing care plan was designed based on RAM and encompassed four elements: assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and appraisal. The nursing interventions included handling symptoms, emotional assistance, and patient education. The plan was administered by competent nurses who followed a predetermined procedure. The degree of patient satisfaction was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervix (FACT-Cx) questionnaire, which gauged physical, functional, emotional, and social well-being. The questionnaire was administered to the patients after the radiation therapy began and again after four weeks. The distress, anxiety, and depression of the patients were also determined using standardized assessments.
Results
The research found that implementing the nursing care plan created using RAM successfully elevates the quality of life of individuals with cervical cancer. Patients who received the care plan had a significantly higher quality of life score than those who received regular care. Moreover, the nursing care plan effectively lessened symptom distress, anxiety, and depression (Mathew & Seeta, 2016). These outcomes reveal that RAM-instructed nursing care planning positively influences the physical, mental, and social well-being of those with cervical cancer. On top of that, the study reported that people who received the nursing care plan had a higher level of satisfaction with their treatment when compared to those who got standard care. It means using RAM can also improve patient experience and satisfaction with respect.
Discussion
Using RAM in creating a nursing plan for people with cervical cancer offers various advantages. First, it furnishes a comprehensive approach to patient care, considering patients physical, psychological, and social requirements. This strategy allows for a more thorough comprehension of patients needs and encourages improved patient results. It promotes patient-focused care by engaging patients in the care-planning process. This method helps patients to feel more capable and involved in their care, resulting in better patient contentment and outcomes (Mathew & Seeta, 2016). Furthermore, this method allows nurses to recognize and tackle potential problems before they become significant difficulties. By considering all aspects of patient care, nurses can predict issues and intercede early to prevent them from becoming severe. Using RAM in nursing care planning can enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction and create a more effective and efficient health care system.
Despite RAMs benefits, utilizing the model in a clinical setting is challenging due to its complexity and the extensive training and theoretical knowledge required to use it correctly. These factors could present a challenge in specific locations or for nurses needing to be adequately trained in RAM. Additionally, RAM may only be suitable for some patient groups, as it was developed based on the experiences of people with chronic diseases. It is unsuitable for those with acute illnesses or different cultural backgrounds. Nonetheless, the advantages of utilizing RAM in nursing care planning outdo the potential issues, and nurses can confront these difficulties with the proper training and education.
Further research is required to assess the usefulness of RAM in elevating the quality of life for patients with other types of cancer. While this research centered on cervical cancer, employing RAM in nursing care and planning may also benefit different cancer types. Extra studies can determine which interventions are most helpful for cancer types and which patients would reap the most from RAM-based care plans. Furthermore, research is necessary to ascertain the most effective methods of implementing RAM in clinical practice and to recognize potential obstacles to its implementation. This could ensure that RAM-based care plans are available and beneficial to all patients, no matter their care setting or the nurses level of training. By continuing to investigate and refine RAM-based care planning, nurses can provide better and more comprehensive care to their patients.
Conclusion
To conclude, the research indicates that using RAM in designing a nursing care plan for cervical cancer patients can enhance their quality of life. The nursing care plan developed with RAM was successful in diminishing symptom distress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improving physical, functional, emotional, and social well-being. In spite of the potential challenges, the application of RAM in nursing care planning has the potential to provide a patient-centered, holistic approach to care that addresses the complex needs of cancer patients. Nevertheless, further exploration is necessary to determine the best techniques for implementing RAM in clinical care and to recognize potential hindrances to its implementation.
The Azores is a magnificent archipelago in Portugal, comprised of fishing villages, unique landscapes, and green pastures. The regions extensive and rich resources allow it to produce high quality bio milk that it exports to other parts of the globe. Recently, the Azores Bio Milk Company embarked on an initiative to reach more consumers in the UAE and enhance its products appeal and value to available customers. The following proposal details the recommendations for new packaging based on UAE consumer needs and preferences.
Target Audience
The Azores bio milk is safe for consumption and a favorite for many individuals in the UAE and nations around its borders. However, its primary target market includes pregnant and lactating mothers, children, environmentally conscious people, and health-oriented individuals.
Pregnant women and lactating mothers
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are more likely to dig deeper into their pockets for Azores Bio milk because of its proven health benefits. Most other milk and cheese products have artificial additives and preservatives to increase their life span (Javed et al., 2018). However, Azores Bio Milk is purely organic and effective for growth and development. Therefore, occasional shoppers, primarily mothers and pregnant women, will constitute a significant consumer base.
Children
Children are the most valued and cherished target market because of the frequency by which they consume milk and milk products. Natural milk is effective for healthy growth and bone development due to its high nutrient capacity. Therefore, parents are willing to spend more on products that ensure their children are in good shape (Cheikh Ismail et al., 2022). Notably, children these days are given the opportunity to choose what they like from the shelves. Thus, creating awareness of the products quality through its appeal to this target group is a reasonable strategy.
Health-oriented individuals and environmentally conscious people
Azores Bio Milk manufacturers are known for how they treat their cows and the methods they use to produce their milk. Therefore, their products are preferable for environmentally conscious consumers and individuals with a sense of responsibility for the environment (Butti Al Shamsi et al., 2018). Hence, the new packaging should target these individuals and promise them value. Similarly, health-oriented consumers pay attention to milks nutritional values and benefits (Cheikh Ismail et al., 2022). Hence, they can spend more on fresh and high-quality milk that promises to meet their needs.
Competitor Analysis
The UAEs most popular milk production brands are Almarai Milk, Al Ain farms milk, Gulf, Safa low-fat milk, and Al Rawabi Milk Company. Almarai Milk has high mineral content and is an excellent source of Potassium. Moreover, it holds the largest market share and is distinguishable by its logo and packaging (Dijk, 2021). Al Ain farms milk succeeds in market share value and is one of the oldest products in the UAE. It is known for its fresh taste, but it holds an emotional value among UAE locals because it was founded by Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan (Dijk, 2021). Gulf and Safa low is a relatively well-known organization, and Al Rawabi is a popular product with a readily recognizable bottle.
Competing / Complementary Product Analysis
Milk products in the UAE have similar physical attributes because they have a distinct appearance that all organizations have sustained since their inception. However, there is a significant gap in milk packaging among all competitors as all packages are rectangular-shaped cardboard or plastic bottles with just one handle by the side (Poo, 2021). Thus, the new design can use this to make more attractive packaging.
Typography
Most competing products use bold typographies in their labeling, which could be a pro or con. Bold typographies make writings more readable, but children and younger consumers may not find this attractive (Landa, 2018). Altering the typography of the new designs can help achieve these goals by making the bottle recognizable, as the market needs a product that can attract and entice young customers to pick it up as soon as they spot them on shelves.
Use of colors
White and blue are the most dominant colors in the milk and dairy product industry because these shades depict purity and freshness. Subsequently, milk producers in the UAE rarely use other colors resulting in several similarities in their packaged products (Dijk, 2021). Over the past few years, numerous products have saturated the market, calling for diversifying colors to represent milk products for the new generation. Therefore, the new design plans to introduce new colors to gain more attention and attract people in different ways.
Composition
Composition is critical in digital design because it defines the techniques through which elements join to form a whole. The competitor analysis reveals that most companies adopt simple visual elements such as images with dairy products, cows, and milk, thus directly associating the packaging with their milk products. Generally, competitors packaging has evenly spaced elements and readable fonts that occupy a reasonable space. This layout is advantageous because it allows consumers to note the most attractive elements of the product instantly (Landa, 2018). However, children and the youth might not find this appealing and might look for something more interesting.
The Final Packaging Proposal (Two and Three-Dimensional Design)
A thorough competitor analysis encouraged me to adopt a cylindrical-shaped bottle with unique elements to the ones available. The main idea was to superimpose a cows head onto the whole bottle and avoid using blue shades. Therefore, the principal features of the bottle are its middle transparent layer at its front and black patches to the side to represent a cows face, images of hydrangeas flowers covering the bottom of the bottle, and a pink cap to represent the nose. The 0.5L bottle is fully cylindrical, while the 1L bottle has handles that play a functional role of aiding consumers grip but is incorporated to represent the cows ears. The images below show the two and three-dimensional concepts of the new packaging.
Image 1: The final packaging proposal for the 0.5l and 1L design concepts
The Final Packaging Proposal (Written Presentation)
The Azores highlands are well-known for their natural splendor of fauna, flora, and exquisite wildlife species. However, resources such as milk and high-grade cows that thrive in its landscape have earned the region a good reputation and the interest of investors who have raised peoples living standards. Therefore, this endeavor required highlighting the critical aspects of the Azores and the features that contributed to its globally admired status. While exploring the areas vast fauna and flora, I discovered that hydrangeas were the most common and well-known species. Thus, I decided that the new packaging would feature a cow and these flowers.
Although I sought to introduce something new to the packaging design, I a regular bottles shape because of the diverse consumer base. The new packages shape should appeal to children, youth, adults, and seniors. Thus, the rounded shape of an ordinary bottle was preferable because it provided a sense of authenticity and aesthetics (Landa, 2018). However, contrary to other bottles, I thought that it should be easy to hold and provide its users with a firm grip. Children have small hands, and most elderly individuals are diagnosed with arthritis, which results in weak bones (Cheikh Ismail et al., 2022). Thus, the handles are intended for these groups as they might find round bottles challenging to hold. Nevertheless, because of weight differences, the handles were only implemented in the one-liter bottles rather than the 500-milliliter bottle.
Several trials led me to believe that the bottle should resemble a cows head as this would be more appealing to the general audience. I later placed the hydrangeas flowers on the cows head to decorate the final design and enrich its appearance (Landa, 2018). Once I decided on the bottles shape and these components, my conception blossomed into life as the handles on the one-liter bottle naturally fit to represent the cows ears. The bottle top illustrates the cows snout, thus the pink color. The additional colors also play a significant role as they symbolize and identify Azores natural features. The colors used on the bottle include white, green, purple, and black, which are vibrant enough to achieve the desired aesthetic.
Finally, I designed the cows head as cartoon but made it transparent in the middle for customers to see the amount of milk available in the container. Moreover, I presumed that using a cows nose to represent the word O in MOU was a good idea. This enabled the logo to simultaneously resemble the bottles concept as MOU is the milks name. Finally, I adopted the Bodoni 72 typology because it is elegant and contemporary (Landa, 2018). This idea emerged from Azores milk, as customers perceive it to be luxurious, which similarly applies to its packaging. The products presentation is sophisticated and cohesive, owing to the use of consistent and attractive colors. The final product was brilliant and represented everything I had pictured in mind.
Critical Report and Reflection
Completing the task above allowed me to dive into my imagination and apply numerous concepts learned in class to real-life tasks. More specifically, typography, which refers to the arrangement and design of typefaces or fonts in design, is critical to the general outlook of a package. Typography determines attractiveness and whether the text is readable, thus requiring utmost attention as the wrong font can significantly impact appeal. I settled for the Bodoni 72 Bold font due to its classic appearance.
Image 2: The Bodoni 72 Font
However, color, images, and shape are vital in creating mood, differentiating brands from others, representing abstract concepts, and attracting consumer appeal toward the product (Landa, 2018). The elements selected for the proposed Azores Bio Milk packaging represented the rich, natural, and aesthetic nature of its landscapes and resources. A products composition is crucial to the message a brand intends to send and can help neatly wrap up everything within the limited space on a bottle. Nevertheless, the project was as complex as I had imagined because I experienced several issues during the initial stages of the ideas conception.
Image 3: The main design elements
One of the most challenging tasks was designing a cows head on a round bottle and making it appealing to children, youth, adults, and the elderly. In addition, I faced issues in designing a logo that could encompass everything the bottle represented and its main ideas. Nevertheless, I accomplished my mission by conducting thorough research and going through instructional and educational videos that guided my processes. The task I enjoyed most is sketching the final design because the activity enabled me reveal and use my artistic talents. However, I learned a lot by documenting all new concepts and every step of the projects life cycle. Although I was not sure of a direction at the beginning, everything became clear after going through studies and learning resources on innovation and digital design.
Image 4: Final packaging proposal
The lessons I learned and appreciated most from my engagement with the tasks challenges are the essence of trial and error and documentation when brainstorming. Trial and error methods are particularly critical when there are several options to consider with limited room for error. The approach allowed me to factor in several possibilities and select from the most effective solutions. Documentation is another vital value I obtained from completing the project as it allowed me to note my steps and evaluate my progress. Documentation is necessary for reference purposes and can help one in avoiding repetition. Thus, I plan to share my findings with others and inform them of the most efficient way to succeed. Otherwise, I enjoyed the whole project and was dedicated to overseeing its completion. The process from the beginning to the end was complex yet intriguing and exciting.
During the task, I applied the concepts learned in the visual design and visual language courses to oversee most initiatives. Moreover, familiarizing myself with the basics of Auto Cad enabled me to visualize better what I was required to do and how to achieve the best outcomes. I plan to engage with higher-level design tasks and computer-aided image processing in the future, as these endeavors will expose me to vital skills and open up more opportunities. The project has inspired me to dive deep into product design because it is a rich niche that promises to keep me busy, engaged, and wealthy.
Javed, I., Mustafa, G., Ashfaq, M., Yasmeen, R., Ghafoor, A., Yasin, M.,& & Imran, M. A. (2018). Competitiveness in agricultural trade of Pakistan with United Arab Emirates. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 55(3). Web.
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In nursing, an extensive and wide body of knowledge exists and extends from grand to mid-range theories. Consequently, research in nursing is based on theories that guide or drive the practice. Grand theories in nursing are broad in nature and do not necessarily present some variables subject to empirical testing. However, nursing research and practice should be based on those theories that provide strong basis for elements of any study. This study has based its process on Orems theory of Self Care. The central concept of Orems theory attempts to address the deficits in self-care practice as well as the role of nurse professionals in helping their clients (patients) to take care of themselves during and after recovery. In developing the concept, this theory considers a number of factors, both external and internal. For instance, it considers the environment of the patients home, communal resources and social support systems that provide support to the patients and affects their ability to take care of themselves. The theory places a great emphasis on self-care paradigm, which incorporates aspects of self-care and its relationship with the self-care agency. Noteworthy, the self-care paradigm involves caring for oneself with an aim of promoting individual wellbeing and health. An individuals ability to perform self-care behaviours needed for health maintenance is the optimal aspect of self-care, which involves both the self-care agency and the self-care behaviours. According to Kearny-Nunnery, 2008), this concept of self-care is subjected to the influence of a number of factors. For instance, patient factors such as age and gender, family and family system factors, the environment, cultural influence, health care system and the current state of health are likely to have a significant effect on the individuals ability to incorporate self-care behaviours. According to Sodserhamn (2000), a phenomenon known as self-care deficit is a major problem affecting self-care paradigm in practice. By definition, self-care deficit is a situation that results when an individuals abilities to meet self-care agency needs are fewer than the demands for self-care. According to Soderhamn (2000), self-care agency develops as a need for personal interaction with the current environment and health situation. It encourages the individual patients to prevail over an array of obstacles and allow them to engage actively in self-care, which is likely to help an individual develop self-care practice. As such, Solderhamn (2000) asserts that self-care agency is spontaneously learnt.
Orems theory emphasizes on the importance of understanding patients needs. Accordingly, it takes these needs as the starting point in the patients conditions. Noteworthy, care needs for an individual is parallel to the concept of asking the individual perceptions of goals and barriers for discharge. This should be done as early as possible within the period a patient is staying at the healthcare facility. The self-care theory is importance in encouraging the patients to be part of their care by engaging them in the discharge process as well as encouraging them to partner with healthcare professional team. In this way, it ensures that the patients are part of the team that makes crucial decisions relating to the process of care as well as planning on how to tackle barriers in the discharge process. In addition, it allows the interdisciplinary team to ensure that they assist the patients in making decisions to determine an individuals discharge plan. It also provides space for inclusion of family and community support systems, awareness to overcome barriers and allow for identification of cultural, social and ethnic values, beliefs and practices that may have an impact on the process of developing self-care behaviours after discharge.
According to Moore and Pichler (2000), Orems theory has become an important pillar in developing appropriate and effective practices in a number of healthcare areas. For instance, it has been used extensively in symptom management, acute care, chronic illness, health maintenance and other fields.
Conceptual Framework
According to Mitchell, Ferketich and Jennings (1998), there has been a shift in the emphasis on evaluation and management of healthcare from structure to processes and outcomes. Therefore, within this conceptual framework, three elements are emphasized- structures, processes and outcomes. Each of the three elements has its meaning, roles and functions within any healthcare setting. In simple terms, the term structures are used in reference to the practice of having the right things. The term processes is used to refer to the practice of doing the right things while the term outcomes stands for the process of getting the right things to happen. The model developed by Donabedian is the best example of a conceptual framework that adopts an intensive use of the three elements (Donabedian, 2005). According to Donabedian (2005), the model conceptualizes these three elements. This aspect has shaped the study of quality attributes of every healthcare setting. To expand the model on system and patient factors, researchers carried out a number of studies.
In particular, the work of Mitchell, Ferketich and Jennings (1998) and McBryde-Foster & Allen (2005) used the Donabedian Model to expand its focus on systems and patient factors. In this case, the researchers emphasized on care as a collective entity in which the patient passes through transitional points over time and between environments of care (Mitchell, Ferketich &Jennings, 1998; McBryde-Foster & Allen, 2005). The work of other researchers such as Holland and Harris (2007) has expanded the McBryde and Allen Model to include an emphasis on organization of concepts of discharge planning, continuity and transitional of care into a conceptual framework characterized with temporal dynamism at all levels. According to these authors, a number of sub-elements are as important as the main elements of the concept. For instance, discharge planning process, transitional and coordination of care, continuity of care process and the achievement of the desired outcomes are critical sub-elements of the entire process.
Discharge planning process
This interdisciplinary process takes place in a healthcare setting with an aim of providing a desired method of assessment, planning and intervention management for the needs of continuity. According to Bull, Hansen and Gross (2000), assessment and planning for continuity needs require an intensive follow-up process after hospitalization through arranging for community or health professional or both.
Coordination of care
According to Hagerty, Reid and McKendry (2002), coordination of care focuses on the process of integrating and sequencing all the activities involved in patient care. It places a lot of emphasis on linking the activities of planning and management across different care providers working within the same healthcare setting.
Transitional care process
This stands for the transmission of an array of information and services across the community and healthcare locations as well as providers (Haggerty, Reid, Freeman, Starfield, et al., 2003). It is designed to support and promote a safe process of timely transferring patients between levels of care (Coleman & Bout, 2003).
Continuity of care
This term refers to the mechanisms that hospital systems or agencies use to decrease asymmetry of information and increase goal alignment between the care providers and their patients. According to Holland and Harris (2007), continuity of care is of three kinds- informational, managerial and regional. Informational continuity care occurs when there is an availability of information about the patients past, which can be used to provide current care for the patient (Van Servellen, Fongwa & Mockus DErrico, 2006). A technological tool known as EHR was developed to create a chronological library to store and manage information related to healthcare of a patient over a given time. It also provides information needed to bridge the gaps between different healthcare providers.
Relational continuity is the relationship between the patient and care team within the context of therapeutic interventions. There is a mutual trust between the two parties (Haggerty et al., 2003). On the other hand, managerial continuity of care refers to the use of guidelines and protocols to provide assurance in treatment provided by the providers in a system that has a well-connected, complimentary, timely and orderly manner of doing things.
This study used the Holland and Harris Model to focus on hospital setting. In particular, the data used was obtained from nursing records taken during the patients process and history of admission in HER nursing used to support discharge planning in NCM referral. The study was interested in the first 24 to 72 hours from the initial admission of the patient in the facility.
Analysis of Donabedian model
The Donabedian Model is conceptual in nature and seeks to provide a good framework through which healthcare settings can examine their services and evaluate quality of care. The model requires information about quality of care to come from three areas- structure, process and outcomes. Accordingly, each category has its meaning within the framework.
First, structures refer to the context in which the healthcare is provided, including the staff, equipment, buildings and financial sources. Secondly, processes are the relationships between providers and clients. The outcomes refer to the impact of healthcare delivery on patients and the general population.
A number of other frameworks are in existence. For instance, Bamako Initiative and the WHO-Recommended Quality of Care Framework are effective. However, the Donabedian Model is the dominant method for assessing healthcare quality.
A chain of three boxes is used to represent the model in theory. Each box represents each of the three elements of healthcare- structure, process and outcomes. Unidirectional arrows connecting the boxes are used to describe how the assessment process moves within the system. In addition, the boxes represent the type of information collectable from each of the three areas of quality healthcare system.
Structures
The structure box shows the factors that have an influence on the context of healthcare delivery. These factors control the process and manner of providing healthcare, including the actions and behaviours of the personnel involved. They are the measures of the average quality of care given in the healthcare system of a given facility.
Processes
Processes box represents the activities involved. For instance, it includes such activities as diagnosis, medication, treatment, patient education and preventive care. In some cases, the process box may also be used to show the actions taken by patients and their families with an aim of improving the outcomes. These processes can also be classified into other categories such as technical and interpersonal processes. According to the model, measurement of the process is equal to the measurement of quality of care because the processes box contains all the activities of healthcare system.
Outcomes
The outcomes box contains all the resultants of the healthcare system. It must include all the effects and impacts of delivery on the patients. Such effects include changes on behaviour, health status, knowledge and satisfaction.
Researchers must use a large sample population and a long follow-up period in studying these aspects. This is difficult because outcomes take a long time to show evidence of success or failure.
It is worth noting that the model lacks a specific definition of quality care. It also shows that each of the three elements of healthcare has advantages and disadvantages that make it necessary for researchers to evaluate the connections between them.
References
Bull, M. J., Hansen, H. E., & Gross, C. R. (2000). A professional-patient partnership model of discharge planning with elders hospitalized with heart failure. Applied Nursing Research, 13(1), 19-28.
Coleman, E. A., & Boult, C. (2003). Improving the quality of transitional care for persons with complex care needs. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51(4), 556-557.
Donabedian, A. (2005). Evaluating the quality of medical care. Milbank Quarterly, 83(4), 691-729.
Haggerty, J. L., Reid, R. J., Freeman, G. K., Starfield, B. H., et al. (2003). Continuity of care: A multidisciplinary review. British Medical Journal, 327, 1219-1221.
Haggerty, J., Reid, R. J., & McKendry, R. (2002). Defusing the Confusion: Concepts and Measures of Continuity of Health Care: Final Report. Quebec: Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
Holland, D. E. & Harris, M. R. (2007). Discharge planning, transitional care, coordination of care, and continuity of care: Clarifying concepts and terms from the hospital perspective. Home Health Care Serv Quarterly. 26(4), 3-19.
Kearny-Nunnery, R. (2008). Advancing Your Career: Concepts of Professional Nursing. New York, NY: FA Davis Co.
McBrydeFoster, M., & Allen, T. (2005). The continuum of care: a concept development study. Journal of advanced nursing, 50(6), 624-632.
Mitchell, P. H., Ferketich, S., & Jennings, B. M. (1998). Quality health outcomes model. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 30(1), 43-46.
Moore, J., & Pichler, V. (2000). Measurement of Orems basic conditioning factors: A review of published research. Nursing Science Quarterly, 2(13), 137-142
Soderhamn, O. (2000). Reliability and validity of a Swedish version of Kogans old people scale. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 14(4), 211-215.
Van Servellen, G., Fongwa, M., & Mockus DErrico, E. (2006). Continuity of care and quality care outcomes for people experiencing chronic conditions: A literature review. Nursing & health sciences, 8(3), 185-195.
The advantages of proper discharge education for patients in the emergency room:
Efficient discharge education minimizes the rates of return of the patients to the emergency room due to the same reason.
Discharge education contains the instructions patients require to be able to provide their own care outside of the hospital. Appropriate discharge instructions help to cut readmissions of the patients. The guidance given through discharge education secures the patients better understanding of their health condition and adjustments they need to make to improve their quality of life.
Efficient discharge education minimizes the risk of mistakes a patient may make during self-care and secures faster and easier recovery.
Improperly educated patients are under a risk of misinterpreting their doctors instructions, taking the medication wrongly or making errors during self-care procedures. Good discharge education informs the patients about the medication and procedures they were prescribed to treat their condition. As a result, properly informed patients are better at following the doctors instructions and have better chances for quick recovery.
Discharge education may include appropriate training of a patient concerning the measures they need to take to secure their wellbeing.
If a discharged patient is prescribed to monitor their blood glucose or their blood pressure, but they do not know how to use a tonometer or glucometer, they are likely to have problems following the doctors instructions. This is why discharge education is to provide clear instructions and demonstrations as to the application of the necessary equipment.
Discharge education can be individualized to each particular patients and adjusted for their needs.
Due to the diversity of patients backgrounds, the education should be adjusted to a number of different languages to ensure proper comprehension of the information.
