Unit 1 Discussion

DQ1 Vision for Innovative Health care Delivery

If there
were no resource limitations, what would be your vision for the best possible
health care delivery system for the United States? Provide a general outline of
your vision, and then:

Use
evidence to show that your health care system would improve patient outcomes.

Use
evidence to show that your health care system would improve coverage and
population health to produce an optimal level of wellness in the U.S.
population.

Use
evidence to explain how your system would maximize the benefits of
interprofessional collaboration and how that would influence health outcomes.

State the
assumptions (things that you are taking for granted) underlying your vision for
the best possible health care system.

Include
national policies or regulations that might need to be changed or amended to
implement your health care system.

Identify
your knowledge gaps and areas of uncertainty that make it difficult for you to
propose an improved health care system for the United States.

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of a critic who would not
approve of your colleague’s proposed health care system.

State what
role you are playing in your response, including the job title of your assumed
persona.

Provide
evidence that suggests that your colleague’s proposed health care system would
not improve coverage, patient outcomes, or population outcomes.

Note any
additional national policies or regulations that stand in the way of your
colleague’s proposed system.

Use
evidence to question your colleague’s assumptions or uncover unstated
assumptions.

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Determine
the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.

Determine
the effects of specific changes on outcomes.

Set and
articulate clearly defined goals.

Recognize
the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that
produce the best possible outcomes.

Determine
the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.

DQ2 Changing Health Care

Resources
are among the many components that must be considered when contemplating a new
vision for health care.

Briefly
outline the vision for improved health care that you described in the first
discussion.

What are
the most critical resource issues with respect to your vision for health care?

If you were
going to explain these issues to a legislator or another policymaker, how might
you represent them as opportunities to support how we change and deliver care?

What
evidence could you provide to support your position?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:

If your
colleague’s vision for U.S. health care were put into place, what would be the
positive consequences?

What would
be the negative consequences?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Identify
key resources affecting health outcomes.

Determine
the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health
care system or program.

Determine
the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 2 Discussion

DQ1 Comparing Health Care Systems

Reflect
upon global health care systems by following the steps below.

Briefly
state the outcome measures that you consider to be most important for rating
global health care systems, citing literature that supports your statements.

Explain how
these measures would enable you to rate each health care system in terms of
high-, low-, or mid-level performance.

According
to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have top-performing
health care systems.

What are
the common themes among these top-performing health care systems, with regard
to outcomes?

According
to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have
low-performing health care systems.

What do top
performers do or have that is different from low performers?

According
to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have
mid-range performing health care systems.

What do top
performers do or have that is different from mid-range performers?

Based on
your findings, what three changes would you suggest for the United States
health care system for it to become a high-performing system?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, focus on the three changes that your
colleague has suggested for the United States health care system. For each suggested
change, locate and cite:

Evidence
that supports the suggested change.

Evidence
that calls the suggested change into question.

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Identify
applicable outcome measures.

Identify
non-U.S. health care systems that afford an opportunity for useful comparison
with the United States.

Recognize
the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that
produce the best possible outcomes.

Recognize
the salient similarities and differences among various health care systems.

Determine
the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.

Determine
the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health
care system or program.

Identify
appropriate community health benchmarks or goals.

Determine
how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic
systems to improve outcomes.

Resources

DQ2 Improving Low- and Mid-Range Performers

High-performing
health care systems, with optimal population outcomes, require sufficient
resources and mindful intent.

Based on
the evidence that you and your colleagues uncovered in this unit’s first
discussion, what are three components of health care delivery that could be
changed to improve outcomes in low- and mid-range systems?

What
additional information would you need to support your answer to this question?

You may
address this question in aggregate with specific global targets. You may also
choose specific (non-U.S.) countries and outcome measures.

Note: Remember
to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for
unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following question:

What are
the positive and negative implications of changing the three components of
health care delivery as suggested by your colleague?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Assess
community health outcomes.

Determine
the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.

Identify
key resources affecting health outcomes.

Determine
the effects of specific changes on outcomes.

Identify
applicable outcome measures.

Determine
how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic
systems to improve outcomes.

Determine
the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.

Resources

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 3 Discussion

Enhancing Health Care

Reflect
upon the best health care systems worldwide.

Identify
the health care systems that you consider having the best outcomes worldwide,
citing evidence that supports your claim.

What makes
these health care systems so important to overall global health?

What
lessons can be learned from countries with the most effective wellness programs
and how might the United States apply those lessons?

What are
the barriers for the United States to apply those lessons?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message
for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

Respond to
two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following questions:

What might
be the positive consequences, locally and globally, if the United States
applies the lessons learned, as suggested by your colleague?

If the
United States applies those lessons, as suggested by your colleague, are there
possible negative consequences? If so, what are they?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Identify
appropriate community health benchmarks or goals.

Determine
how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic
systems to improve outcomes.

Identify
non-U.S. health care systems that afford an opportunity for useful comparison
with the United States.

Recognize
the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that
produce the best possible outcomes.

Recognize
the salient similarities and differences among various health care systems.

Determine
the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.

Resources

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 4 Discussion

DQ1 Providing Health Care

As a
profession, nurses have seen many changes to the U.S. health care system with
the ACA.

What are
some of the hopeful new approaches seen in the ACA?

Support
your statements with citations of professional literature that show improved
health outcomes related to those provisions of the ACA.

In response
to the ACA, how has the health care system developed incentives to provide more
efficient health care?

What
aspects of the ACA do you find confusing or difficult to understand?

What have
been some disappointments or shortcomings of the ACA?

Which
provisions of the ACA would benefit the U.S. health care system in the future?

Support
your statements with evidence.

Which
provisions of the ACA would not benefit the U.S. health care system in the
future?

Support
your statements with evidence.

If you had
the power to change the U.S. health care system, what additional information
would you need to make the best possible decisions?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of a patient who has a
debilitating chronic or acute condition. Respond to the points made by your
colleague from the perspective of someone who is not as highly educated in
health care as you are, but who is very dependent on health care.

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Determine
the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.

Determine
the effects of specific changes on outcomes.

Recognize
the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that
produce the best possible outcomes.

Determine
the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health
care system or program.

Resources

DQ2 Health Care Payment

Some would
say that the United States is increasing the amount of money spent on health
care as a response to increased consumer demand; others would argue that we are
wastefully spending with no increase in the quality of care. Multiple programs
have been instituted in this country to help provide better care.

Use
evidence from the health care literature to support the position that increased
spending on health care has resulted in the provision of better care in the
United States.

Then, use
evidence from the health care literature to support the position that increased
spending on health care has not resulted in the provision of better care in the
United States.

Present
both arguments impartially, so that the reader cannot tell what your own opinion
might be.

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, evaluate their arguments.

Are they
well supported by evidence?

Could you
provide additional evidence that would strengthen either or both arguments?

Did your
colleague argue well and impartially for both positions?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Apply basic
financial principles to budget development.

Identify
the resources needed to effect lasting change.

Resources

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 5 Discussion

Controlling Health Care Costs Through Education

One-way
health care costs might be contained is through targeted screenings,
prevention, and healthy lifestyle choices. Chances of success are better if
education is provided to the members and employers in a health care system.

What are
some of the strategies that are available for controlling health care costs by
educating employees on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

Examine the
literature that is available to show whether these strategies are effective in
controlling health care costs.

Which
strategies are well supported by evidence?

Which
strategies are not well supported by evidence? (“Not well supported” means that
there is little to no evidence, or the existing evidence seems weak because of
poorly designed studies, inadequate sample size, or other flaws in the
research.)

Based on
what you see in the research, what are your suggestions for effectively
educating employees about a healthy lifestyle that would control health care
costs?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

Respond to
two colleagues’ posts. In each response, assume the role of your colleague’s
friend, who also happens to be the head of human resources for a medium-sized
manufacturing business in your town.

Your
colleague sent you their post for your feedback, and you are intrigued by the
potential of saving on health care costs for your company. However, you are
unsure if this idea would be practical for your company and so you have some
questions for your friend; what are your questions?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Determine
the effects of resource limitations and health care policy on community
wellness.

Identify
cultural values, norms, and patterns of behavior.

Identify
the social factors that influence community health.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 6 Discussion

DQ1 Health Information Exchanges

Better
access to patient medical data by health care providers and their patients can
improve the quality and safety of care and lower costs. Digital technologies
and the advent of HIEs enable electronic information sharing that helps solve
this problem, but building a secure and interoperable nationwide network of
independent exchanges presents numerous challenges.

Choose two
of the following five issues that you feel have a significant impact on the
federal government’s goal of an efficient network of HIEs that permit sharing
of patients’ medical data among all health care providers nationwide.

Technology.

Interoperability.

Funding
(public and private).

Competition.

Policies
and procedures.

Privacy and
security.

Then
complete the following:

Explain why
you consider these issues to be important.

What actions
should be taken to address these issues?

What are
the implications for providers and patients of not resolving these issues?

What
evidence supports your conclusions about the importance of these issues,
proposed actions, and the implications of resolving or not resolving these
issues?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following questions:

What
assumptions underlie your colleague’s position on the issues addressed in their
post?

What
sources can you cite that offer a different perspective on the issues? For
example, consider the point of view of a leader in a private HIE.

What
additional sources can you cite that lend support to your colleague’s position?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Identify
applicable health benchmarks or goals.

Identify
existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.

Identify
the reasons for policy change.

Identify
the various types of policies that can affect the provision of health care and
patient outcomes.

Resources

DQ2 Improving Access in Underserved Areas

Despite the
intention of the ACA, a large segment of the U.S. population remains uninsured,
underinsured, or living in an area without adequate numbers of health care
providers to meet their needs. Gaps remain in the provision of safe,
high-quality health care for small, rural communities; for heavily populated,
economically disadvantaged areas; and for diverse and vulnerable populations.

Choose a
small rural area or large urban area with particular needs, or an area that you
are familiar with, that is underserved or is considered to have a high-risk
population.

What makes
this area underserved?

Is the
reason related to the economy or the location?

What are
the two biggest needs of this population?

How can the
delivery of care be improved?

What
assumptions are you making, if any, about this population?

What
evidence supports your conclusions about the needs of this population and
improvements in care?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following questions:

Are your
colleague’s assumptions valid?

Is your
colleague’s assessment of the priority needs supported by the evidence?

If not,
what evidence leads you to a different conclusion?

Can you
offer other ideas that would help improve the delivery of care?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Evaluate
present outcomes.

Identify
applicable health benchmarks or goals.

Examine the
culture of the organization and community.

Identify
the social factors that influence community health.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 7 Discussion

Using Technology to Increase Access

It is
important to consider access to care as we examine the resources and cost of
providing care to underserved areas. Improving access is not just about the
cost of care or whether a patient has insurance coverage, but also how we can
meet the needs of an increasing population with a decreasing pool of resources.

Refer to
the underserved population you described in the second discussion in Unit 6.

How can
available and emerging technology help to improve access to patient care in the
area you described?

What are
the potential barriers to implementing this technology?

What
ethical, legal, or cultural issues should be examined?

What
evidence supports technological solutions to the problem of access?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

Respond to
two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following questions:

Can you
provide evidence to indicate whether other technology solutions might also help
to improve access in this community?

Can you
offer an example of how your colleague’s proposed technology solution improved
or did not improve access in another setting or community?

If so, what
was the reason for its success or failure?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Examine
leadership, management, and communication processes.

Examine the
culture of the organization and community.

Determine
why people resist change.

Identify
the underlying causes of conflict.

Identify
cultural values and norms and patterns of behavior.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 8 Discussion

DQ1 Trends in Nursing Leadership

The
collaborative relationship between nursing researchers and practicing nurses
supports and optimizes best practices in patient care, using legislative and
regulatory policies as a guide and as a standard. Nurse leaders who practice in
educational and health care organizations are expected to implement up-to-date
information and best practices immediately—with just a click of a mouse. In
addition, the nurse leader is tasked with meeting the immediate needs of the
organization, using an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to create
optimal patient care.

For this
discussion, write a letter to a consultant who has been hired to improve
patient safety and quality of care in your organization. Address the following
points in your letter:

Describe
one nursing leadership issue affecting patient safety and quality of care that
is of concern in your organization.

Explain how
this issue is currently being addressed in your organization.

What
questions or uncertainties do you have about how this issue should be addressed
in your organization?

Based on
evidence-based literature or governmental or regulatory strategies, what is the
national standard or benchmark used to address this issue?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of the consultant who has
been hired to focus on the issue raised in your colleague’s post.

How
important is the issue that your colleague raised?

What
barriers are typical when addressing this issue?

What risks
might be encountered when addressing this issue? What are the risks of not
addressing this issue?

What advice
can you provide as the consultant on this issue?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Determine
what systemic changes are needed to improve outcomes.

Determine
desired outcomes.

DQ2 Strategic Planning and Sustainability

For the
nursing leadership issue that you addressed in this unit’s first discussion,
present and cite references for two evidence-based strategies whereby a nurse
leader obtains key stakeholder buy in and proactively and collaboratively
implements organizational change.

What can
make these changes enforceable and sustainable?

Briefly
address budgetary and policy considerations that influence change.

What are
the assumptions on which the strategies and considerations are based?

How well do
you think the two evidence-based strategies that you cited would work in your
organization?

Identify
the challenges and opportunities facing the nurse leader implementing the
change.

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:

What has
been your own experience with the issues and strategies that your colleague
explained in their post?

Locate at
least one additional article that could help your colleague implement the
desired changes.

What
factors or problems your colleague might not have considered?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Assess the
relevance and credibility of information sources.

Determine
desired outcomes.

Identify
existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.

Identify
the various types of policies that can affect the provision of health care and
patient outcomes.

Identify
underlying assumptions supporting current policies.

Apply basic
financial principles to budget development.

Identify
the resources needed to effect lasting change.

Formulate a
plan for overcoming resistance to change.

Apply
applicable change theory.

Articulate
a vision and goals for change.

Determine
the nature and scope of change and its effects on the organization and
community.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 9 Discussion

Resolving Ethical Issues in Professional
Practice

As a
professional nurse leader, you are tasked with applying current standards,
obtaining key stakeholder buy in to process change, and applying evidence-based
strategies to maximize patient safety and improve outcomes in an ethical and
culturally competent manner.

Thoroughly
describe an ethical situation or dilemma that you have experienced or are experiencing
in your workplace.

What is the
nature of the ethical issue?

Who are the
stakeholders?

What are
the facts of the case? Impartially present two or more different and distinct
perspectives on this ethical situation or dilemma, with sufficient detail,
support, and justification for each perspective, such that the reader cannot
determine what your own perspective might be.

What are
your knowledge gaps, unknown facts, missing information, unanswered questions,
or areas of uncertainty?

What are
the actual or potential effects on patient safety and outcomes?

Cite
standards or evidence-based strategies that could be applicable in this
situation.

How was the
dilemma resolved or what must be done before the dilemma can be resolved?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

Respond to
two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following:

Was your
colleague able to present the dilemma impartially (without favoring or
discounting any of the different perspectives); were you able to uncover their
personal perspective?

Suggest at
least one additional resource that could be helpful in resolving the issue.

Based on
the evidence presented by your colleague, how do you think the dilemma should
be resolved?

Learning
Components

This
activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

Determine
desired outcomes.

Identify
existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.

MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care

Unit 10 Discussion

DQ1 Influences of Regulation and Innovation on
Practice

Consider
your current professional practice setting or one that you are most familiar
with.

Describe
the positive or negative effects of two regulatory, professional, or
legislative initiatives affecting your professional practice.

What
assumptions, beliefs, opinions, or political views underlie or influence these
initiatives?

If you
could change anything at all about these initiatives, what would it be and why?

What
evidence can you cite that would support your recommendation for change?

Provide one
example of how innovation is used in your organization to ensure optimal
patient care and outcomes.

What is the
evidence that this innovation will ensure—or may already have produced—optimal
outcomes?

Note:
Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations
Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.

Response
Guidelines

In
responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:

What other
factors might be driving the initiatives described by your colleague?

What
additional evidence can you provide that would support your colleague’s
recommendation for change?

How would
you rate th