Category: Healthcare

Tai chi is a form of gentle exercise that originated in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that combines slow, deliberate motions, meditation, and breathing exercises to improve physical and mental wellness.

Tai chi is rooted in philosophical and spiritual concepts that emphasize the importance of bodily, mental, and spiritual harmony. The concept of qi, or life force, flowing throughout the body is central to tai chi. For healthy health, Qi must be allowed to move freely. The yin/yang idea is also significant. In the same way, that light and dark are contrary and complementary forces in the cosmos, yin and yang are contradictory and complementary energies in the universe. Tai chi is designed to bring these opposites together. Furthermore, tai chi mimics motion is seen in the environment, such as animal motions, therefore connecting humans to the natural world.

What the CAM practice actually is

There are several viewpoints about how tai chi functions. Tai chi is said to unblock the flow of qi in Eastern philosophy. The body, mind, and spirit are all in harmony when qi flows properly and health is preserved. Others feel that tai chi operates in the same manner as other psychosomatic treatments, and there is plenty of evidence that focusing on the mind-body link may help people relax, fight sickness, and improve their overall health.

Movement, meditation, and deep breathing are the three main components of Tai Chi.

Movement. The slow, delicate motions in tai chi require the use of all of the main muscle groups and joints. Balance, agility, power, flexibility, stamina, muscular tone, and coordination are all improved through Tai Chi. This low-impact, weight-bearing activity builds bones and slows bone loss, preventing osteoporosis from developing.

Meditation. Meditation has been shown in studies to calm the mind, improve focus, reduce anxiety, and drop blood pressure and pulse rate.

Deep breathing. Breathing deeply and exhaling stale air and pollutants from the lungs when inhaling a large amount of fresh air expands lung capacity, stretches breathing muscles, and relieves stress. It helps to improve blood flow to the brain as well, therefore improving mental acuity. Moreover, the practice provides new oxygen and nutrients to the entire body.

Who are its practitioners

Tai chi is low-impact and causes less stress on joints and muscles, making it suitable for people of all ages and levels of fitness. Since tai chi is considered a low-impact workout, it can be especially beneficial for older adults who might otherwise be unable to exercise.

Tai chi may also appeal to a person because it is affordable and does not require any particular equipment. Tai chi may be done at any place, whether inside or outside. A person can practice tai chi on their own or with a group.

Although tai chi is typically safe, pregnant women and anyone with joint difficulties, back discomfort, fractures, severe osteoporosis, or a hernia should seek medical advice before beginning it.

How it is typically used

Classes are typically held once a week. Many practitioners advocate practicing tai chi at home for 15 to 20 minutes two times a day, as learning the forms and getting long-term outcomes need consistent practice. Before starting a tai chi course, a person should speak with a doctor and the tai chi teacher about their health concerns. Depending on an individuals mobility, past injuries, chronic and severe pain, joint swelling, and drugs that may influence balance, exercises can be changed.

Tai chi classes are generally one-hour-long group lessons. A warm-up activity precedes each session. After the warm-up, the class is led through a form by the instructor, which is made up of 20 to 100 tai chi moves. Completing a form might take up to 20 minutes. Each shape has a name that is inspired by nature and explains its overall function. At the same time, pupils are instructed to concentrate on the spot right below their navels, which is said to be the source of qi. The teacher instructs the students to do all moves slowly and deliberately, focusing on deep breathing. There is generally a wind-down activity, relaxation, and meditation at the end of the program.

Why do people use this type of CAM?

Overall fitness, balance, coordination, and agility are all improved through Tai Chi. Those who practice tai chi regularly have better flexibility, posture, as well as a range of motion, seem to be more intellectually aware and sleep better at night.

Tai chi may be used as a preventative and supplemental therapy for a variety of ailments. Chronic pain, gout, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, headaches, osteoarthritis, and sleep problems are among the conditions for which it is effective. Tai chi is healthy for the immune and nervous systems as well, making it ideal for anyone suffering from chronic illnesses, anxiety, viral diseases, depression, or other stress-related problems.

Current medical status and evidence

Currently, the effects of tai chi are still debatable in the medical world, as there is not enough evidence to be confident regarding its benefits. Some medical professionals recommend tai chi as an additional treatment, and there are certainly no opinions regarding the harm that this CAM can do to a patient.

There is various evidence of the benefits of tai chi in scientific studies, although they should be conducted on larger samples and there is much to do in these regards in the future. In 2018, one research examined the benefits of tai chi and conventional exercise on stress-related anxiety (Zheng et al., 2018). In total, 50 people participated in the study. The researchers discovered that tai chi had the same effects as an exercise for reducing stress-related anxiety. Tai chi may be preferable to other types of exercise for lowering stress and anxiety, according to the researchers, since it incorporates meditation and focused breathing. Tai chi has been proven to slow down dementia as well.

Though the data does not firmly support one theory for why tai chi might improve brain health, and just a few studies with persons with dementia have been conducted, there are various possibilities for why tai chi can enhance brain health. Tai chi, for example, necessitates the acquisition and recall of new motions. It necessitates persistent focus and multitasking. It has a calming effect that is similar to mindfulness or movement meditation. The aerobic exercise component might help improve the brains neuronal connections efficiency and suppleness. However, it is unknown if tai chi is more effective than other forms of exercise or thoughtful activities in strengthening these qualities.

What is evident is that tai chi should be promoted since it is safe, simple to learn, pleasant, and has a lot of promise for providing holistic health benefits. More high-quality research is required today in order to form definite conclusions on how much it affects our general health.

Reference

Zheng, S., Kim, C., Lal, S., Meier, P., Sibbritt, D., & Zaslawski, C. (2017). The effects of twelve Weeks of Tai Chi practice on anxiety in stressed but healthy people compared to exercise and wait-list groups  A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(1), 8392.

The competing trends of normative ethics of the last decades can be basically reduced to an alternative to teleology and deontology. The generally accepted paradigm of teleology is the description and explanation of human activity (DOca, 2021). A person must act according to their goals and be guided by their own norms, values, and ideals. Teleology supports an activity guided by ones personal goals and filled with meaning for a particular individual. Deontology, on the contrary, does not call for achieving individual well-being but aims to maximize the amount of public utility. Deontology is more in line with my position since I believe that social relations are the substantial basis of personality, the place of residence of its essence, qualities, and properties. All the aspirations of the individual are a fundamental form of the existence of social relations as a whole. Consequently, social values and goals for achieving the common good are more significant than individual ones.

Vaccination and wearing masks are a measure of caring for the surrounding people. Each member of society should participate in forming population immunity, eliminating the pathogen, and circulating the disease in the country. Thus, even if wearing a mask causes discomfort to a person, and they are opponents of vaccination, the individual must still perform these actions for the common good. The evidence of these conclusions is that with the help of a vaccine, humanity has already managed to defeat epidemics (for example, the measles epidemic). However, the coverage of vaccinated persons should exceed 90% of the population (Ban, 2019). Therefore, for the common and personal good aimed at combating the disease, one should be vaccinated and wear masks, even if this contradicts personal beliefs.

References

Ban, M. D. (2019). The human security discourse: Balancing deontology with teleology. International Relations & European Studies, 11(12), 195-206.

DOca, F. R. (2021). Deontology and teleology in morality of Anselm of Canterbury. Journal of Teleological Science, 1(1), 98-116.

The planning of Weapon and Mass Destruction has adequately addressed the health component. By engaging every sector, both private and public healthcare providers, an effective response plan is given with the mutual understanding of both stakeholders. Every healthcare provider has been well-prepared in case of any terrorist attack occurs. Terrorists can exert a profound influence on the healthcare sector, drawing reference from the incident on September 11, 2001, which caused many impacts such as death and economic complications (Reynolds, 2020). When planning for a future response towards such responses, the state and federal governments have effectively addressed it. It is believed that after the war, many individuals who are victims suffer from psychological issues (Reynolds, 2020). Hence, the focus of healthcare providers has been put on how the long-term recovery process and preparedness should be addressed. To this end, appropriate preparation has been ensured with regard to the process of dealing with psychological and social issues. Therefore, healthcare providers are well-equipped to handle such situations due to financial support and training in service delivery.

To facilitate a response to any attack, funding is always a necessity. Due to the plans and measures undertaken, in adverse circumstances, local healthcare facilities and both state and local governments will receive enough funding. The relevant authorities often encounter burdens during the time of war or attack. Healthcare and governments (both local and state) need to have sufficient funds to handle the impacts of war. Every fiscal year involves the allocation of funds to various sectors within the economy. With such consideration and plans to reduce terrorism attacks, capital is given to healthcare providers to ensure that social amenities that support people are well-established. Furthermore, most states heavily invest in security and the general welfare of their citizens. Funds are always allocated to the relevant sectors to enhance their effectiveness in handling issues that may affect all citizens.

Reference

Reynolds, C. (2020). Global health security and Weapon of Mass Destruction chapter. In Masys A.J., R. Izurieta & M. R. Ortiz (Eds.), Global Health Security (pp. 187-207). Springer.

Introduction

The case demonstrates the essential issue in the healthcare system: the tension between patients satisfaction and the quality of provided services. Sometimes it becomes challenging to achieve both aims simultaneously, and the right decision should be made. In this case, the CEO of a medical center created the solution, which lies in establishing clients expectations before the treatment itself. This decision will allow workers to provide patients with the highest possible quality without losing peoples gratification.

Main Points of the Case

Bryce Jackson was recently appointed as the CEO of Academic Medical Center, where he noticed the opposition between patient satisfaction and quality measures. He participated in discussions lasting for 45 days concerning the need to launch bed alarms to prevent patients falls (Hefner et al., n.d). Finally, he suggested elaborating a program that would establish patients expectations by showing the video regarding the long-lasting discussions and the tension between gratification and quality.

Definition of the Problem Situation

Bryce Jackson realized that there is a growing opposition between patients satisfaction and quality measures in the healthcare system. In this case, this problem is illustrated by the patients falls from the bed. On the one hand, such falls can be harmful to patients and lead to some injuries, which decreases the quality of the provided services. On the other hand, launched bed alarms may arise uncomfortable feelings and, thus, decrease clients satisfaction.

Individual Response to Case Question and the Rationale for Such Action

Question 1

To begin with, a patients experience is a quality concern because the results of provided medical help and services should help clients treat their health issues. Therefore, the quality of services can be measured by the patients experience in the medical center. Truly enough, I do not think this will change because the healthcare system should work: providing the highest possible quality of medical help to patients.

Question 2

Bryce Jackson can engage his boss and other heads of offices to work together to increase patients satisfaction by promoting his idea of expectations establishment. For instance, he can collect them together and use the strategy to sell his concept to the audience, describing the advantages of his solution. Such a method will decrease the time of discussion and make it possible to realize the efficient vision more quickly, preventing undesirable cases.

Question 3

A focus on the patients education helps resolve the described tension between quality and satisfaction to establish clients expectations. This strategy of expectation establishment leads to the comparison of gained experience in a medical center with what was imagined (and seen in the educational video). Thus, gratification will be the result of matching two images: the video and the reality. Finally, because the video represents reality, patients satisfaction will be at the highest possible level.

Question 4

To better align the leaders as mentioned in the text of the case administration representatives, Bryce can elaborate a detailed long-term plan of his idea implementation, as it was suggested by (Hefner et al., n.d). Moreover, he can always keep in touch with both sides and ask them for advice, inviting them to join meetings to brainstorm new ideas and listen to leaders and administration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to state that the tension between the quality of provided services and patients expectations can be seen in different cases, not only about the establishment of bed alarms. However, in this situation, the suggestion to launch a program regarding managing clients expectations can be highly effective. This idea will allow workers to provide patients with the highest possible quality without any decreases in peoples satisfaction levels.

Reference

Hefner J. L., Moffatt-Bruce S., McAlearney A. S. (n.d.). Managing the patient experience facing the tension between the quality measures and patient satisfaction.

Introduction

It is hard to disagree that there is a vast number of various health concerns and conditions that make it challenging for people to lead a healthy lifestyle and not worry about their well-being. One way for activists and the government to help the community to be more informed about diseases symptoms, risk factors, and prevention measures is through running healthcare campaigns. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the CDCs Hear Her Maternal Health Campaign and then evaluate it.

Description of the Selected Health Campaign

For many women, pregnancy is one of the most valuable and simultaneously stressful periods. Although carrying a child and preparing for giving birth is quite reverent, it can be difficult for expecting mothers to forget that there is a chance of encountering all sorts of complications and problems. For example, miscarriage or other issues are quite common, and all women need to know the symptoms and causes. The Hear Her project is supported through a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and tries to address the aforementioned issues.

The initial phase of the project was launched in the summer of 2020. To promote Hear Her, CDC created advertisements and ran them on numerous national TV and radio channels, social media, and digital platforms (Stinson & Bucherati, 2020). The purpose of the health project is to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about urgent warning signs (About the Campaign, 2022, para. 2). The campaign has a quite informative website with valuable articles, statistics, and PDF materials, videos, and social media content. For instance, they introduce the value of the project in a short promo video (see Appendix A).

While it may be surprising for some people, pregnant women are not the only target audience of the Hear Her campaign. It is rather helpful for friends, families, and healthcare providers (see Appendix B). Apart from increasing awareness, the campaign tries to encourage partners, friends, family, coworkers, and providersanyone who supports pregnant and postpartum womento listen when she tells you something doesnt feel right (About the Campaign, 2022, para. 3). In addition to the materials mentioned above, the campaign also provides women and other interested people with real-life stories told by females who encountered issues during pregnancy (see Appendix C).

Evaluation of the Selected Health Campaign

The purpose of the following section is to provide a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the described project. Such an evaluation is required to get an idea of whether the healthcare campaign is necessary and effective, as well as identify if it has some areas that need to be improved. Several parameters of the project, including the relevance of its objective, topic coverage, accessibility, inclusiveness, and other aspects, are utilized to assess the Hear Her campaign.

Relevance

To begin with, it is essential to explore whether the goal and objectives of the project are relevant to the current society. Precisely the relevance of a campaigns addressed concern is one of the primary evaluation components (Robertson & Vanlaar, 2017). According to statistics, as many as 50,000 women experience severe, unexpected health problems related to pregnancy that may have long-term health consequences (About the Campaign, 2022, para. 1). What is more, approximately 700 females die every year in the U.S. from delivery complications or pregnancy issues (About the Campaign, 2022). Additionally, when a pregnant woman states that she feels bad and asks for medical help, not all people believe her.

These factors not only indicate that the problem is quite serious but also make it evident that American women and their families and friends lack knowledge related to this topic. Indeed, the U.S. community must be aware of the numerous threats and issues a pregnant female may encounter, so the topic selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is highly relevant and significant. Society must begin to take women seriously and hear them when they need help.

Topic Coverage and Presentation

Further, it is essential to analyze whether the selected topic is properly covered by the campaign materials, resources, and promotion advertisements. As mentioned above, Hear Hers website provides an extended number of various brochures, and PDF files containing all the relevant information, videos, real-life stories, checklists, and many other resources (About the Campaign, 2022). According to Stead et al. (2019), for a campaign to be more effective in disseminating valuable information, it should consider using a variety of formats to present information: presentations, texts, posters, and videos. The significance of the latter is additionally emphasized by Shin et al. (2018). In that case, it is more likely that each person who becomes interested in the project can find the way of presenting information that is most convenient to them. Thus, the number of people affected by the campaign can increase significantly. Then referring to the Hear Her, it is possible to say that the project receives the highest evaluation point for the topic coverage and presentation.

Accessibility

The aspect of accessibility is also extremely important to consider during evaluation. Generally, if the information provided by a project cannot be accessed conveniently by an average user, the chances that the majority of the target audience perceives the knowledge decreases greatly. Referring to Hear Her, one may say that the campaigns resources can be easily accessed by most users from both a smartphone and a laptop. It is quite convenient that no online registration or sign-up is required  anyone can download all the files without the need to create an account. All the websites pages are well-designed and structured, and the navigation is quite easy.

Inclusion

Nowadays, those projects that are not inclusive have much lower chances for success. Fortunately, this cannot be said about Hear Her: this campaign is not only for women or men, African Americans or whites, pregnant females, or healthcare practitioners. This project is for everyone interested in supporting females, raising awareness, and empowering females to speak up. It is noticeable that Hear Her covers the needs of the targeted groups separately and simultaneously, which unites and distinguishes between them, indicating that people are responsible for females well-being individually and as a whole community.

Effectiveness

Another aspect of the selected campaigns evaluation is its effectiveness. Unfortunately, there is a lack of news articles or other sources discussing Hear Her and its impact on increasing females awareness. Thus, this fact has a slightly negative effect on the effectiveness of the project: it is simply impossible to evaluate it correctly, so other components of efficacy will be used. Overall, as stated by Chang and Basnyat (2017), family support is critical for people who are facing health challenges. Therefore, it is possible to suggest that if a healthcare campaign promotes the involvement and education of friends and family members, it improves its effectiveness, which may be said about Hear Her. Further, according to Jiang (2017), patient-centered communication is a critical element in enhancing their emotional well-being. Since the selected project encourages medical professionals to engage in patient-centered communication with pregnant women, the campaign may be considered successful.

Media Resources and Social Networks Usage

In this digital century, it is of vital importance for campaigns to use social media to convey their message. For instance, Chung (2016) recommends using Twitter and allowing numerous individuals and nonprofit organizations to post about the project. What is more, the necessity of using social networks for the campaigns promotion is highlighted by Shi et al. (2018) and Freeman et al. (2015). Precisely the use of social networking sites can lead to the projects popularity and sincere promotion by those who became interested in the campaigns idea. In the case of Hear Her, it is possible to state that the project uses social media, but there is an opportunity for further growth. For example, the campaign encourages individuals to support them by sharing information on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (Social Media, 2022). Interestingly, Hear Her even has its hashtag and provides post templates for these three social networks with sample texts and pictures (Social Media, 2022). Overall, while it is possible to engage in social media more, the campaigns current efforts are quite adequate.

Conclusion

To conclude, one may say that the overall effectiveness of the selected health campaign is quite high. The topic covered by Hear Her is relevant and significant for American societys well-being, while the project itself is accessible and inclusive. To make sure that the information they provide is accessed and perceived by as many people as possible, the campaigns creators decided to use various formats and expand their target audience.

References

About the campaign. (2022). CDC. Web.

Chang, L., & Basnyat, I. (2017). Exploring family support for older Chinese Singaporean women in a Confucian society. Health Communication, 32(5), 603-611. Web.

Chung, J. E. (2016). A smoking cessation campaign on Twitter: Understanding the use of Twitter and identifying major players in a health campaign. Journal of Health Communication, 21(5), 517-526. Web.

Freeman, B., Potente, S., Rock, V., & McIver, J. (2015). Social media campaigns that make a difference: What can public health learn from the corporate sector and other social change marketers. Public Health Research and Practice, 25(2).

Jiang, S. (2017). Pathway linking patient-centered communication to emotional well-being: Taking into account patient satisfaction and emotion management. Journal of Health Communication, 22(3), 234-242. Web.

Robertson, R. D., & Vanlaar, W. G. M. (2017). Campaign evaluation [PDF document]. Web.

Shi, J., Poorisat T., & Salmon, C. T. (2018) The use of social networking sites (SNSs) in health communication campaigns: Review and recommendations. Health Communication, 33(1), 49-56. Web.

Shin, Y. J., Miller-Day, M., Hecht, M. L., & Krieger, J. L. (2018). Entertainment-education videos as a persuasive tool in the substance use prevention intervention keepin it REAL. Health Communication, 33(7), 896-906. Web.

Social media. (2022). CDC. Web.

Stead, M., Angus, K., Langley, T., Katikireddi, S. V., Hinds, K., Hilton, S., Lewis, S., Thomas, J., Campbell, M., Young, B., & Bauld, L. (2019). Mass media to communicate public health messages in six health topic areas: A systematic review and other reviews of the evidence. NIHR Journals Library. Web.

Stinson, C., & Bucherati, E. (2020). The Hear Her campaign empowers pregnant and postpartum women. CDC Foundation. Web.

Appendix A

Hear Her Campaign Promo Video. Web.

Appendix B

Guide for Friends and Families. Web.

Doctors Message to Medical Colleagues. Web.

Helpful Poster for Healthcare Professionals. Web.

Appendix C

Personal Stories. Web.

To achieve and maintain the well-being of society, health systems are fundamental and are critical drivers of development and economic growth. The health sector consumes significant amounts of resources and generates massive flows of emissions and waste (Ghersin et al., 2020). It leads to wastewater, hazardous and general waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and high consumption of resources: water and energy. There is a problem of direct and indirect impact on the environment. The environment, characterized by polluted air, dirty running water, and holes in the ozone layer, influences the social determinants of human health, including quality of life and risks. It can be addressed through compliance with the growing requirements of regulatory documents and new progressive strategies that contribute to a greener healthcare industry.

Currently, the world is moving toward environmentally-conscious practices in various fields, including healthcare. LEED certification is a significant indicator that a building has been designed and built using sustainable strategies; all the following medical organizations have this certification. (Shkolnik, 2021, p. 2) By adhering to such requirements, healthcare institutions can improve many processes towards a greener future associated with the unique challenges of this industry. So, the facility is fully electric in Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, while just under a third of its interior is made from recycled materials (Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, 2021). The attention is paid to the use of natural light, allowing three-quarters of the hospitals interior to be illuminated naturally. Meanwhile, efficient management of lighting and office equipment and a heat recovery system further enhance the hospitals green credentials. (Chih-Lin et al., 2020) Water use also addresses environmental concerns: filtration processes cut wastewater in half.

Transforming the Robert M. Mueller Municipal Airport in Austin led to the creation of one of Americas most advanced green hospitals, Dell Childrens Medical Center in Central Texas. LEED Platinum-certified innovative complex is designed to treat children and take care of the environment (Dell Childrens Medical Center in Central Texas, 2021). The propertys many green features include environmentally friendly interior paints and adhesives, an irrigation system to collect rainwater, efficient toilets and lighting, and a white roof reflecting sunlight to keep the property naturally cool. The hospital even captures steam from the plant and uses it as chilled water. What is more, the vibrant Childrens hospital of Pittsburgh boasts an array of eco-friendly elements. These include excellent public transportation, water-efficient landscaping, improved parking for car owners, and recycled water and materials. (Childrens hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMS, 2021) Achieved two LEED certifications; the hospital is paperless, with all patient records, test results, and other data entered and stored electronically. The technology strategies in the above examples embody more economical use of resources on the planet as a whole, making it possible to respect nature.

By following the examples mentioned above of progressive hospital building projects aimed at treating patients and preserving the environment, medical institutions can learn a lot. The digitization of all hospital information is an excellent opportunity to make life easier for patients without using a considerable amount of paper. The green functions of the hospital in the past airport can be taken into account for making the medical institution more environmentally friendly. The irrigation systems collect rainwater, roofs that reflect sunlight, a particular system that captures steam and uses it to cool water reduce the use of the planets resources. The heat recovery system at the memorial hospital also reduces the amount of electricity consumed and can be taken over by other institutions to reduce the pressure on the environment. The introduction of technologies, a specific policy for respecting the environment, and measures aimed at changing the situation in the healthcare industry can change the world for the better.

References

Chih-Lin, I., Han, S., & Bian, S. (2020). Energy-efficient 5G for a greener future. Nature Electronics, 3(4), 182-184.

Childrens hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMS. (2021). Vision, Mission, & Values.

Dell Childrens Medical Center in Central Texas. (2021). Welcome to Dell Childrens Medical Center. [Video]. YouTube.

Ghersin, Z. J., Flaherty, M. R., Yager, P., & Cummings, B. M. (2020). Going green: decreasing medical waste in a paediatric intensive care unit in the United States. The New Bioethics, 26(2), 98-110.

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital. (2021).Our Green Initiative.

Shkolnik, L. C. (2021). Invited commentary on Greening the office: Saving resources, saving money, and educating our patients. Dermatology, 1(1), 1-3.

Introduction

Workplace violence (WPV) is a problem that has hounded the healthcare industry for a long time. The violence manifests itself in the form of disruptive conduct, physical violence, or intimidation. WPV in the healthcare space happens from patients, visitors, or colleagues. For this reason, several bills aiming to guard against WPV in the industry have been proposed. Democratic representative from Connecticut proposed the workplace violence bill that would protect workers in healthcare and social services. The bill has passed through the House several times but has never passed the Senate to become law upon signing by the president. In the latest attempt, the bill passed the House but is awaiting voting in the Senate.

Main Provisions of The Bill

The bill would direct the issuance of final and interim standards based on current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. The bill would also require particular employers in the social service and healthcare sectors or related business entities to establish a framework to protect against workplace violence (H.R.1195, 2021). In addition, the bill requires compliance from hospitals and nursing centers as a Medicare provider agreement condition. Finally, the bill proposes to impose private sector and intergovernmental mandates that require compliance with OSHA standards by healthcare workers.

Background and Relevant Facts about the Bill

Workplace violence is a severe problem in the healthcare industry. WPV is especially bad because it disproportionately affects the vulnerable in the industry. The nursing profession is female-dominated, and nurses would welcome legislation to enhance safety in the workplace. However, any legislation has pros and cons, and HR 1195 is not unique in this respect as the issue might morph into a federal quagmire. The bill was proposed by Democratic representatives and seemed to have overwhelming democratic support, while Republicans generally oppose it. This party-line split is informed by the tradition of democrats tending to favor federal solutions while Republicans generally prefer state-level regulations. The bill has failed the Senate one time, but luckily, this time around, the bill could pass since Democrats control the Senate this term.

Relevant History Related to The Legislation, Pertinent Votes, and Issues That are Stalling the Legislation

During the 115^th Congress, a Democratic Representative from Connecticut proposed the HR 1195 sponsored by 23 members but died in committee (H.R.1195, 2021). In the 116^th Congress in 2019, the same representative proposed the bill that was sponsored by 228 members and passed the House 251-158. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin sponsored the bill in the Senate and was co-sponsored by 31 members but died in committee (H.R.1195, 2021). In the 117^th Congress, Joe Courtney sponsored the same bill in February 2021 and was co-sponsored by 145 other members passing the House 254-166 (H.R.1195, 2021). The bill is yet to appear in the Senate. Issues stalling the bill include the fact that some stakeholders are against it because they feel it is superfluous to existing requirements.

Supporters and opposers of the bill

The bill seems to have taken a partisan route considering that co-sponsors were predominantly democrats. One hundred thirty-nine of the co-sponsors were Democrats, while only six republicans co-sponsored the bill. There was no nay from the 216 Democrats who voted on the voting floor while 166 Republicans voted nay with 38 voting yea (H.R.1195, 2021). On April 16^th, 2021, Virginia Foxx, a Republican representative from North Carolina and Education and Labor Committee leader, issued a statement opposing the bill (Democrat Bill, 2021). The statement said that despite the bill purporting to solve a severe problem, it was designed to address it incorrectly (Democrat Bill, 2021). The statement said that the bill would make the process too prescriptive and install catch-all regulations that would hurt the industry after it omitted input from stakeholders.

Stakeholder Positions

A major stakeholder that supported the bill included the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). In earlier attempts, the association had endorsed the bill and reiterated its support in 2021(Weiss, 2021). They argued that safety was a bipartisan issue that required everybodys support. According to their statement, the bill needed to pass as it prioritized the vulnerable, noting that the violence disproportionately affected women (Weiss, 2021). Noteworthy, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has opposed the bill; they reasoned that the healthcare system has already shown commitment by establishing a culture of safety for patients, workers, and visitors (House Passes Workplace | AHA News, 2021). The AHA argued that hospitals have already implemented policies geared towards eradicating workplace violence and that the proposed OSHA standards by the bill are unwarranted (House Passes Workplace | AHA News, 2021). The association also found it unfair that the public would not get an opportunity to comment on the bill.

How the Bill Could Impact a Nurses Ability

Nurses constitute the largest proportion of healthcare workers. In addition, the nursing industry is female-dominated, implying the vulnerability of nurses to WPV. Naturally, nurses would welcome a bill that seeks to enhance safety in hospitals. The American Nurses Association has voiced its support of the bill. From a cynical perspective, the AHA has reasons to oppose the bill since they represent the employers in the industry. On the other hand, nurses have no reason to oppose the bill since it aims to protect workers. Some proposed mandates of the bill, such as annual staff training, investigating incidents, maintaining records for at least five years, and reporting and evaluating OSHA guidelines, are all positive propositions that would benefit workers (Robinson & Sporleder, 2021). For this reason, the bill would improve a nurses ability to provide better quality care as it fosters safety in the workplace that has a direct correlation with worker happiness. Moreover, since the mandates are at the employer level, the bill does not impact nursing licenses.

Actions That Nurses Can Take to Assist

The typical process of transforming an idea into law is drafting a bill, introducing it, taking it to the committee, subcommittee review, marking the bill by committee, voting for the bill in both chambers, and finally, assent by the president. In this case, H.R. 1195 bill, the process has passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. Workers and people of goodwill wishing for the bill to become law can help through activism. For example, a nurse in their personal capacity can call their senate office to urge their senator to vote for the bill. Another way nurses can push for the proposition is through protests and demonstrations outside the Senate or through social media tags. Nurses can also donate to advocacy organizations that lobby for the good of workers.

Conclusion

Workplace violence is a plague that has hounded the healthcare industry for a long time. The violence can come from patients, colleagues, and visitors. As nurses, it is essential to pay attention to current bills in Congress that could affect the industry. H.R. 1195 is a currently active bill in Congress that intends to enhance safety for healthcare and social services workers. After passing the House of Representatives, the bill is now awaiting deliberation in the Senate.

References

Democrat bill will overwhelm health care industries. (2021). Committee on Education & Labor Republicans.

House passes workplace violence prevention bill. (2021). AHA.Org.

H.R.1195Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. (2021). Congress.Gov.

Robinson, D., & Sporleder , J. (2021). Hr 1195 | understanding the WPV prevention for healthcare and social service worker act.

Weiss, J. (2021). ASSP statement-on wpviolence healthcare-act.

Devoted Elderly Healthcare Services (DEHS) is a planned business venture that will provide specialized homecare and treatment for the aged. DEHSs mission is to help elderly people live happier and healthier lives by offering wholesome care and medical attention. It will device tailored medical care plans for patients that do not have one. In addition, it will help patients with existing health plans to follow them to the later, thereby ensuring perfect health outcomes for at-risk patients. This report describes the DEHSs business plan for the first three years.

DEHS idea originated from a personal experience with my elderly parents. Elderly people often lack support from close family members even after developing chronic age-related health conditions. The family members often live away from home and often in urban areas where economic activities are concentrated. In the absence of close friends and family, the elderly live alone and feel abandoned. Consequently, DEHS will fill this gap by providing comprehensive homecare and healthcare services targeting these vulnerable citizens.

Market

DEHSs targets Kuwait residents aged 55 years and above. Kuwait has a total population of 4.35 million residents (World Bank, 2021). About 7% of the total population is aged 55 years and over (Knoema, 2021). Therefore, the total target population is about 300,000 residents. The World Bank further estimates that the number of elderly residents has increased at an annual rate of 6% over the last five decades (World Bank, 2021). This increase in the proportion of elderly people is attributable to better access to healthcare, improving diet, and the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Therefore, DEHS will have a growing customer base over the next ten years.

DEHS will start its operations in the capital city of Kuwait. The city has an estimated population of 60,000 residents. Assuming that the elderly constitute 7% of the population, the target market size is 4,200 residents. Most of the elderly population lives in extended families or have an existing homecare and healthcare plan. However, DEHS estimates that 20% of the total elderly population lack a suitable healthcare and homecare plan and could be converted into loyal customers. Therefore, the initial market size for DEHS is 20% of the total 4,200 residents, or about 840 residents.

The market needs differ by the residents gender and health condition. Firstly, sick and disabled residents require specialized ambulances and medication to alleviate their pain and suffering. They also require constant attention to prevent the occurrence of other health risks such as falls, burns, and other accidents that can exacerbate existing health conditions. Secondly, the residents homecare needs depend on their gender. Patients might request services from either male or female counterparts depending on their preferences. Therefore, DEHS will offer customized health and homecare services based on the customer needs.

Proposed Service

DEHS will offer three main types of services. Firstly, it will take the elderly people to the doctors appointments. This service will driving patients to and from medical practitioners offices. The service will be offered as a one-off request or as part of a monthly or annual plan. The service will target patients that have pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure who need to visit the medical practitioners often.

The second service will be to develop a health plan for the elderly residents. A health plan is a comprehensive policy that caters for the patients medical needs. DEHS will help patients that already have a medical plan by reminding them of the due dates of premium payments, handling the transactions, determining the medical conditions that are covered by specific insurance policies, and advising the patients on the claim limits under the policy. It will also help patients that do not have a medical plan by developing a tailored medical plan that suits their health conditions.

DEHS will also offer consultancy services to the elderly population. The company will employ experienced medical practitioners and consultants who will diagnose medical conditions early to facilitate treatment. The consultants will be available for office visits for able-bodied residents, and home visits for patients with disabilities or who are terminally ill. The residents will pay the consultant based on the number of consultations made per month and the payments will be covered by insurance.

Residents will have the option to sign up for weekly visits. This service will be open to customers that have had a recent health problem and require constant monitoring. The patients will pay for these services based on the number of visits per month. The cost of any prescribed medication will not be included in the payment for weekly visits. Patients that have weekly plans can also subscribe to other services based on their changing health conditions and advancing age.

Business Model

Value Proposition

DEHS key value proposition is the delivery of superior and humane healthcare services to elderly residents living in Kuwait. In the current system, elderly people often find themselves alone without close family members or friends to manage their health conditions. While there are several homecare services on the market, none offer a close personal connection with these elderly and vulnerable people at an affordable price. As a result, a considerable section of the low-end market remains underserved as the current market favors only the high-end clients. DEHS seeks to revolutionize the industry by developing a low-priced alternative to the existing service providers.

Key Activities

DEHS will offer tailored healthcare services to residents aged 65 years and above. Unlike other competitors on the market, DEHS will offer a humane and personalized approach to every customer to address their physical, social, and emotional needs. Consequently, it will utilize comfortable vehicles to transport the elderly to the hospitals, offer good company to the patients, and charge pocket-friendly rates. The main objective of DEHS service is to develop close relationships with the elderly population that is currently lacking on this market.

Key Resources

The main resources include a friendly and homely organizational culture, qualified human resource, and comfortable transportation system to transport weak and vulnerable customers to various healthcare centers. Of these resources, the human resource will be the most important source of competitiveness due to their frequent contact with the customer and ability to influence the customers healthcare and social outcomes (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2016). In addition, the development of a customer friendly culture will remove the barriers to effective communication between the medical practitioners at DEHS and the customers.

Key Partners

The main partners include medical practitioners, health insurance companies, elderly care homes, and relatives of the patients. The medical practitioners refer to the contracted medical professionals that attend to the customers. While DEHS will employ a number of medical consultants, it will sign partnerships with other medical consultants that are unavailable for employment. Secondly, DEHS will collaborate with health insurance providers to develop affordable healthcare policies for the age group. The plans will enhance access and affordability of healthcare especially among the low-income residents. Lastly, the elderly care homes and relatives will provide the medical history of newly enlisted customers.

Competition

DEHS will face intense competition from existing providers of elderly care in Kuwait. These include BairCare Home Health, Al Essa, Royale, and Ayadi Al Rahma elderly care companies. These competitors target their local neighborhoods and offer general elderly care services to the local residents. Table 1 shows a summary of competitors and key selling points.

Table 1. Competitor Summary

The competitors charge high cost per customer to offset the high operating costs needed to maintain their businesses. Therefore, DEHS will develop a low-priced alternative elderly care service that targets a large customer base to reduce unit cost.

Sales and Marketing

DEHS will use aggressive marketing to expand its market and customer base. DEHS will place adverts in local dailies, radio, and television stations to reach a wide audience of the local population. In addition, announcements will be made in mosques and other social gatherings to explain the unique value proposition offered by the new firm. After the initial year, DEHS will maintain a sales and marketing budget equivalent to 3% of the annual sales to ensure strong growth in revenue and market share.

DEHS will use a fair pricing model to attract a large client base. The pricing will be based on the services ordered. Table 2 shows a summary of the average monthly fee charged for each package.

Table 2. Monthly charges

DEHS will strive to portray a humane and customer-focused care as opposed to commercially oriented services. Our charges will guarantee the highest quality of care delivered with personalized attention to detail. This will ensure that patients do not feel alienated or depressed.

Operations

DEHS will have three departments in the first year of service. These include sales and marketing, internal operations, and administration. The internal operations department will be responsible for sourcing medical supplies, maintaining the supplies in good condition, supervising delivery of service to customers, and handling customer complaints (Blackwell, 2017; Ekanem, 2017). The department will also handle the day-to-day maintenance operations such as repairs, replacements, and the purchase of assets. The staff working at the internal operations department will report directly to the head of administration.

DEHS will employ three permanent staff and an additional four contract laborers. The permanent staff will be in charge of running the day to day operations of the business in each department. DEHS will employ the contracted staff on permanent terms once the demand for the services grow, which is expected after the first three years of operation. The contracted staff will be paid only when their services are rendered based on the number of hours worked.

Management

The management will comprise of the founder who will also serve as the chief executive officer. He will be in charge of the three departments at DEHS. The business will operate as a small family owned business in the first five years. However, it will be incorporated as a partnership or a limited liability company after the fifth year depending on the potential for growth and the need for additional capital (Brigham & Houston, 2016). If the business grows exponentially, the management will consider converting into a limited liability company to facilitate raising of additional capital for growth.

Financial Projections

DEHS expects to grow at an annual rate of 20% based on the strong potential in the underserved market. The management expect to gain at least 20 clients in the first month of operation following the intense marketing and publicity (Kieso et al., 2016). The number of clients will increase to at least 100 by the end of the year. Each client is expected to provide at an average of KD 450 per month. Therefore, the total revenue in the first year is expected to be at least KD 544,000. The startup funding will be derived from the Kuwait National Fund. This fund grants Kuwaiti citizens startup financing for up to KD400, 000. Consequently, the company will raise KD100, 000 from borrowings, and apply for KD400,000 from the national fund. The startup financing will be sufficient to finance the proposed business.

The strong growth in revenue will continue for the next four years. This growth will be supported by strong growth in demand for the quality service offered by DEHS and the lack of formidable competitors with a comparable business model. However, growth will decline to 5% per year after the sixth year in line with the national economic growth. The operating expenses will also increase at the same rate as total revenue, with most of the cost arising from salaries to medical staff. The management expects to break even by the end of the third year. The detailed projections are available in the appendix.

References

Blackwell, E. (2017). How to prepare a business plan: Your guide to creating an excellent strategy, forecasting your finances and producing a persuasive plan. Kogan Page.

Brigham, E., & Ehrhardt, M. (2016). Financial management: Theory & practice. Cengage Learning.

Brigham, E., & Houston, J. (2016). Fundamentals of financial management. Cengage Learning.

Ekanem, I. (2017). Writing a business plan: A practical guide. Taylor & Francis.

Kieso, D., Weygandt, J., & Warfield, T. (2016). Intermediate accounting. John Wiley & Sons.

Knoema. (2021).Kuwait  Total population aged 50 and over years.

World Bank. (2021).Kuwait population statistics.

Appendix A. Pro forma Income Statement

Values in Kuwait Dinar

Appendix B. Balance Sheet

Values in Kuwait Dinar

In the healthcare field, nurses are the leading service providers concerned with patient welfare. Their roles include medication administration to patients and checking their progress. According to Anastasi et al journal: The Role of Quantitative Sensory Testing in Clinical Medicine and Research (New York: Heilbrunn Family Center for Research ,2020), research technique plays critical in the diagnosis of patients. Nurses discover new methodologies of treatments reducing cases of medical errors. It can be seen that the development of new diseases is prevented by reducing the chances of sick individuals in the hospital. Similarly, the quality of services offered is digitalized, and online data storage promotes privacy and easy retrieval. The authors mainly focused on two critical methodologies which were qualitative and quantitative.

One of the important discoveries that can be seen from the journal is that quantitative research methodology evaluates numeric variables and numbers. Through this, data obtained can be manipulated manually and results represented in various forms. It is very clear from the document that there are four quantitative research types: descriptive, correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental. Another outstanding technique evaluated is qualitative research which evaluates nonnumerical data. Various scales of measurement are utilized to conduct statistical analysis. Nurses who need to learn about a new treatment procedure can use this research technique to ensure effective treatment plans.

There is a connection of ideas where the main purpose of quantitative research is emphasized. Through it, a more profound knowledge and understanding of the current medical trends can be pointed out. Opinions from the journal indicate that nurses get to learn on how to deal with emerging situations like the COVID-19, which requires immediate action. Researchers apply observation techniques that involve studying situations and their impact (Anastasi et al., 2022). Greater use of standardardized and scientific methods for administration, interpretation and reporting would advance research in the areas. The results are obtained using unbiased statistics, and future predictions can be made. Through this, emerging illnesses can be dealt with most efficiently.

It can be concluded that medication responses are essential in examining the patients welfare. Physical interrogation is adopted where the conditions are read before and after treatment. To ensure efficiency, clinical prediction tools are utilized to achieve higher levels of accuracy. Nurses need explanation displays to act as quick guides and offer help to diverse users. Further, it could facilitate provider understanding and acceptance of the explanations and predictions given.

Reference

Anastasi, J. K., Capili, B., & McMahon, D. J. (2022). Journal of Clinical & Biomedical Research. New York. Heilbrunn Family Center for Research, NYSRC/JCBR-154. DOI: doi. org/10.47363/JCBR/2022 (4), 147.

Undocumented and immigrant populations are vulnerable because it is challenging to access even primary healthcare. The number of people without citizenship is high in California, and the issue is urgent for the state (Garcia & Healey, 2021). Legislative regulations like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) partially protected these populations. Bidens administration aimed to preserve the program, and it can result in new challenges in providing healthcare for the vulnerable. The regulations they implemented increased the number of people who fell through the cracks. For example, those who were not continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, will not receive DACA-based protection (Garcia & Healey, 2021). Today, immigrants and undocumented individuals are not considered lawfully present (Covered California, n. d.). It means that they cannot use Covered California and get monetary help even if they participate in DACA (Covered California, n. d.). These conditions are severe for healthcare because people with chronic diseases or emergencies cannot be treated.

In California, immigrants and undocumented populations face challenges in getting proper treatment. They are not eligible to purchase a health plan through Covered California or receive financial assistance (Covered California, n. d.). Even the DACA program participants face difficulties when it comes to healthcare. The regulation does not enable the option to get at least Medicaid coverage, and private insurance is only available when a person is employed (McDonnell et al., 2021). They develop poor behaviors and do not reach for help because they find it impossible to achieve. I have an immigrant friend with diabetes, and her condition worsened because she did not get appropriate care. Providing help for vulnerable populations is crucial, and organizations must revise the current programs and strategies to improve the situation.

References

American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2019). National nurse practitioner week: NPs are key to providing better rural care. Web.

Covered California (n. d.). Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Web.

Garcia, K., & Healey, J. (2021). Biden administration wants to re-create DACA through new federal rule. What does that mean? Los Angeles Times. Web.

McDonnell, G., del Rio, N., & Jordan, M. (2021). What is DACA? And where does it stand now?The New York Times. Web.

Rural Health Information Hub (2019). Rural health disparities. Web.