Step 1 Introduction:
Open up a Word Document and write directly into the word document. Remember you need to save on your computer and another reliable drive or computer. You don’t want to lose your work, so save often and to 2 different places….ALWAYS! Save as you go and do not wait until your assignment is complete to save or you will risk losing information.
Write an introduction to the discussion. A good, solid introduction will grab the reader’s attention by stating interesting facts, statistics or points about your topic. Then you should conclude this introductory paragraph by including one, concise thesis or purpose statement. The thesis tells the reader why you are writing the discussion. The entire paragraph should be about 3-5 sentences. Keep in mind that paragraphs should include a topic sentence, 2-3 support sentences (min.) and one concluding statement (thesis sentence). Review APA manual 7th edition section 3.4 for details on starting your paper and rules on introductions.
Step 2 Concepts:
Use a proper heading with this section, then begin your 2nd paragraph. You can look at APA p. 47-49 for the proper level of headings. In this section you need to differentiate among research, evidence-based practice (EBP) and quality improvement (QI) in a robust discussion. When you differentiate between these concepts, they should explain why they are similar (if applicable) or different and should summarize similarities and differences rather than definitions. In fact, you should be paraphrasing what you review in the textbooks about these concepts and describe how they are applied to your specific phenomenon of interest (POI) and in relationship to your Advanced Practice Nurse role. This section should be no more than 2 paragraphs. Textbooks/peer reviewed resources serve as great resources here.
Step 3 Health Disparities
In this section you are taking a deeper dive into health disparities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, health disparities are experienced by socially disadvantaged groups of people based on preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities that would allow you to otherwise achieve optimal health. Health disparities are inequitable and have a direct correlation to unequal distribution of resources. They can be improved though. Addressing the social determinants of health can help by addressing the positive and negatives associated with 5 key domains: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. In this section you should provide a robust discussion on how a person’s health or burden of disease is impacted by these domains. Be sure to discuss these areas in relation to your POI/APN Role. Support this section with peer reviewed references. You should have 2-3 well developed paragraphs for this section.
Be sure to review the links that were provided to you in the Readings/Resources section of the module:
Health Disparities LinkLinks to an external site.
Social Determinants of HealthLinks to an external site.
Step 4: Donabedian Model:
In this section of the discussion, you will differentiate among 3 measures: structure, process, and outcomes. Be sure to clearly describe how they are different. Then you will apply each of the measures (structure, process, outcome) directly to your POI. Think about why you chose that POI and what you would like to change in practice. What did you describe in your clinical question of the POI approval process? Is there a new policy, a metric that you want to improve? This should guide the direction of your focus for each of your measures as you determine what is needed to accomplish change. Likewise, this serves as a building block for future assignments. Each measure should be specific rather than generalized so that you can see exactly what is needed to determine success or failure. Below is a comparison of a general versus specific measure. You will re-visit the concept of structure, process, and outcome measures throughout the coursework and program so be sure that you have a good understanding of the concepts now. Be sure to incorporate peer reviewed references throughout your discussion. You should include 2-3 paragraphs for this section.
Incorrect General Measure that lacks specificity: Patient satisfaction scores will be improved.
Correct Measure that includes specicity: Patient satisfaction scores will be 85% or higher and evaluated quarterly for improvements.
Be sure to review the link below for assistance on the measures
Donabedian ModelLinks to an external site.
Step 5 Conclusion:
Include a heading and write your conclusion paragraph. A good conclusion:-never introduces new info.-summarizes what was learned/discussed and does not simply state what you did or re-state only the purpose statement-citations are not expected in this section.
Step 6: Turnitin:
Submit your initial post ONLY to Turnitin. Be sure to review the info. on turnitin so you know how to submit, what to look for when your report is returned, etc. Rather than focus on the percentage of similarity, review what was highlighted and change anything that can and should be changed. There is some wording that can’t be changed, i.e. quality of life, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine Aims, so don’t worry about those. Focus on changing the areas of similarity that you can change and re-submit the paper. You do not have to submit this report to the assignment area; faculty will review the reports directly in Turnitin. You do NOT have to submit the cross or peer posts to Turnitin.
Initial Post References:
Minimum of 2 peer reviewed from journals that are current (within 5 years) references in the initial post; no more than 1000 words excluding headings, in-text citations, and references.
Copy and paste your discussion directly into the discussion area. Attachments should not be included in the discussion area. No title page needed. Try to make sure that there is at least 1 space in between all paragraphs and individual references. You do not need to double space this document. You are permitted to use first person for these informal discussions.
PICO Question: Among military veterans diagnosed with PTSD (P), does the integration of virtual weekly check-ins utilizing the Teach Back Method (I) result in superior treatment adherence and greater reduction in PTSD symptoms (O) compared to traditional in-person sessions supplemented with handouts (C)?
