Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

The Quadruple Aim provides broad categories of goals to pursue to maintain and improve healthcare. Within each goal are many issues that, if addressed successfully, may have a positive impact on outcomes. For example, healthcare leaders are being tasked to shift from an emphasis on disease management often provided in an acute care setting to health promotion and disease prevention delivered in primary care settings. Efforts in this area can have significant positive impacts by reducing the need for primary healthcare and by reducing the stress on the healthcare system.

Changes in the industry only serve to stress what has always been true; namely, that the healthcare field has always faced significant challenges, and that goals to improve healthcare will always involve multiple stakeholders. This should not seem surprising given the circumstances. Indeed, when a growing population needs care, there are factors involved such as the demands of providing that care and the rising costs associated with healthcare. Generally, it is not surprising that the field of healthcare is an industry facing multifaceted issues that evolve over time.

A patient is due to have a PET scan but is claustrophobic so the physician orders 2 mg of Versed for anxiety. The nurse then went to fill this prescription from one of the hospital’s electronic prescribing cabinets, which allows staff to search for medicines by name through a computer system.

The nurse could not find the Versed, so the nurse triggered an “override” feature that unlocks more powerful medications.

The nurse then typed the first two letters in the drug’s name – “VE” – into the cabinet computer and selected the first medicine suggested by the machine, not realizing it was vecuronium, not Versed. The nurse then goes and overrides the barcode scanning system and administers the 2 mg of vecuronium.

The patient goes to the radiology department for the PET scan and while there goes into cardiac arrest and dies.

Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval

In collaboration with the approved course preceptor, students will identify a specific evidence-based topic for the capstone project change proposal. Students should consider the clinical environment in which they are currently employed or have recently worked. The capstone project topic can be a clinical practice problem, an organizational issue, a leadership or quality improvement initiative, or an unmet educational need specific to a patient population or community. The student may also choose to work with an interprofessional collaborative team.

Students should select a topic that aligns to their area of interest as well as the clinical practice setting in which practice hours are completed.

Write a 500-750 word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Include the following:

1. The problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project that will be the focus of the change proposal.
2. The setting or context in which the problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project can be observed.

What is the Socratic Method?

In a 2-3 page essay, explain the Socratic approach to philosophy and Illustrate your understanding of dialectic with a contemporary example of a belief that might be examined via the Socratic method. Remember to use supporting citations from the textbook and online lectures. (Here is a guide to help you with APA-style citations.)