NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper

NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper

Grand Canyon University NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Grand Canyon University  NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper                                   

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Grand Canyon University   NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper                                   

The introduction for the Grand Canyon University   NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper                                   

After the introduction, move into the main part of the NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper                                   

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper                                   

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper

The wellness of a population’s health using improved patient safety protocols implores healthcare workers (HCWs) especially nurses, to develop evidence-based practice interventions to reduce and prevent occurrence of adverse events like hospital acquired infections (HAIs) and medication administration errors (MAEs) among others. These adverse events lead to poor patient outcomes, increase the overall cost of care and disease burden, and lowers the quality of care delivered by healthcare professionals. Hospital acquired infections are some of the leading healthcare concerns that affect patient safety and quality of care. Many patients suffer from these infections that result into lengthened stays in hospitals, increased cost of care, and in extreme circumstances death.

Leaders should engage in patient and employee advocacy. Advocacy for staff has a favorable influence on the overall quality of care that patients get at a facility. For example, the participation of workers in decision-making, particularly on issues that directly impact them, such as flexible work hours, stimulates employees to work with a purpose for the benefit of the whole workforce. Employees are more motivated to work for the organization when they are campaigning for a bigger pay raise and a more favorable working environment (Rosa et al., 2020). Being motivated to work means that health care practitioners will adopt evidence-based best practices, which are crucial in providing high-quality health care services.

Nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals transmit infections to patients through poor hand hygiene measures and protocols (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017). As such, nurses and other providers should leverage evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions to reduce and prevent the occurrence of hospital acquired infections and guarantee quality care. The use of evidence-based practice interventions allows these providers to offer better services through increased quality, increased engagement of patients and their preferences, and leveraging clinical experience and expertise. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project proposal paper is to discuss how nurses in pediatric settings can integrate hand hygiene measures and protocols to reduce and prevent the occurrence of hospital acquired infections. These measures and protocols include handwashing using soap and water alongside hand sanitizers compared to handwashing with water and soap alone.

Problem Statement

Hospital acquired infections or nosocomial infections are newly acquired infections that patients contract during their stay in hospital settings or facilities. The transmission of the nosocomial infections happens through healthcare workers, patients, hospital equipment like catheters and interventional procedures that include catheterization. Studies demonstrate that healthcare workers who include nurse practitioners infect patients when they fail to adhere to effective hand hygiene measures like handwashing with soap or using alcohol-based sanitizers and hand rubs when handling and interacting with patient in the care process (Liana 2021). The use of evidence-based practice interventions using PICOT question is important in assisting nurses to implement better practices to reduce the susceptibility of patients acquiring nosocomial infections that have adverse effects on overall care delivery and quality. These infections lead to increased length of stay in hospitals, a rise in cost of healthcare and cause deaths, especially in critical care settings like pediatric units (Setty et al., 2019). Hand hygiene measures that include handwashing with soap and water alongside sanitizer will improve patient safety among healthcare workers. The implication is that healthcare workers will adhere to these measures in pediatric settings to reduce hospital acquired infections within six months’ period and improve quality outcomes.

PICOT Statement

Population- Healthcare workers in pediatric settings

Intervention-Hand Hygiene using handwashing with soap and water and sanitizer

Comparison-Handwashing with soap and water alone

Outcome- Reduced Hospital acquired infections

Time- in Six months

Refined PICOT Question

The refined PICOT question for the EBP project is “Among healthcare workers in pediatric setting (P), does hand hygiene practices that include handwashing with soap and water alongside hand sanitizer (I) compared to handwashing with soap and water alone (C) reduce hospital acquired infections (O) within six months (T)?”

Organizational Culture and Readiness

The culture of an organization is essential in implementing changes and it impacts its overall vision, mission and values and employees’ perception in embracing new ways of executing tasks. A culture entails employees with strong norms and values, management and approaches to overall way of doing things.  A culture that involves employees, possesses strong values and norms, and encourages an open-door policy with decentralized approach is important in achieving set change objectives in an organization (Real et al., 2017). To effectively implement this EBP project proposal, pediatric healthcare settings and practitioners should use a decentralized organizational and leadership structure. The model is effective in enhancing motivation of subordinates and enhancing growth and increased diversification. Decentralization in healthcare organizations leads to better communication and adoption of innovative practices, ideas and strategies to improve quality of care. Through decentralization, the management leads a transformational approach to enhance agility and respond to new and best practices in care delivery.

The implementation of this EBP project proposal requires organizational culture that focuses on patient-centered care delivery. Through being patient-centered, an organization can support change programs to improve patient safety, quality and access while minimizing the occurrence of hospital acquired infections (HAIs). Increasing patient engagement and promoting inter-professional collaboration leads to a competitive advantage for healthcare organizations.

The evaluation of an organization’s readiness for change based on its culture is essential in implementing evidence-based practice projects. Readiness demonstrates the level to which organizational members are prepared to implement and embrace change, behaviorally and psychologically. Dearing (2018) opines that readiness is a psychological state of the mind that shows commitment to certain course of actions. As such, this EBP project proposal will leverage the Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool developed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that assesses an organization’s readiness in promoting and enhancing the use of global health interventions. Through the tool, organizations identify substantive capacities and strengths that are present and the required one to attain their set objective. In this case, pediatric settings that aim to implement this EBP recommendations should demonstrate exemplary capacities in their attributes, have a superb and influential culture based on their missions, purposes and better values (De la Perrelle et al.., 2020). The capacity assessment tool looks at the various capabilities that include human resources, processes, financial resources, and systems as critical components of readiness for change implementation. Ready organizations possess sufficient strengths that include having the best skills, effective communication and adequate resources, availability of sufficient nurse workforce and effective engagement of their stakeholders.

The organizational readiness also evaluates the process and systems that require improvement to effectively implement the requisite changes (Vax et al., 2021). For instance, the improvement that pediatric care settings require include their patient handling process, the need for healthcare workers to adhere to hand hygiene measures and protocols, and delivery of patient-centered quality care. The organization will need quality improvement and collaborative approaches to enhance implementation. These organizations will also require quality data assessment tools for better and accurate analysis of their respective data (Dearing, 2018). The readiness will also include engagement of stakeholders and integration of information and communication technologies to ensure that all components to implement the project proposal are present. Using selected technologies, the project team and practitioners will pursue outcomes based on patient needs through enhanced alerts, reminders, and notifications on the need to comply with set hand hygiene protocols and measures that include effective handwashing and use of hand sanitizers to reduce hospital acquired infections in the pediatric settings.

Sample Answer 2 for NUR 590 Evidence Based Practice Project Week 7 Assignment Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Proposal Final Paper

Abstract

Osteoporosis is one of the health problems that African American women face. Osteoporosis is associated with negative health outcomes such as increasing the risk of fractures and increased hospital visits by the affected women. Lifestyle and behavioral interventions are effective in reducing the risk of adverse outcomes in osteoporosis. Therefore, this evidence-based practice project aims at determining the impact of educating African American women with osteoporosis about dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D on risk and rates of fractures. The project will be implemented in our institution. The project will be implemented following a carefully developed plan that will include training of nurses, recruitment of subjects, provision of health education, monitoring and follow-up, data collection, analysis and presentation of data. The trans-theoretical model of change will guide the implementation of the project. It is anticipated that the project will contribute to the improvement in quality, safety, efficiency, and provision of patient-centered care. The evaluation outcomes will inform the decisions made about the project.

Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment

Assessing the organizational culture and readiness is an essential step for the effective implementation of evidence-based practice. This process helps in examining the scope of change, affected stakeholders, change capacity, and the preparedness of the concerned stakeholders for the change. This paper utilizes the “Organization Culture and Readiness for System-Wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice” as the survey tool for assessing the organizational culture and readiness (Pittman et al., 2019).

Organization’s Readiness Level

            Based on the survey tool findings, all stakeholders are quite ready for the change. The findings suggest that clinical nurses have a positive EBP belief level, with quite insufficient levels of EBP knowledge. Other stakeholders such as physicians among other clinicians displayed almost the same results (Pittman et al., 2019). The model displayed a positive correlation between the stakeholder’s EBP knowledge, beliefs, and readiness for change implementation.

The Barriers

The main challenges encountered for the organizational preparedness for the change were both internal and external. One of the challenges is inadequate time for carrying out a literature review on the change for a better understanding of EBP (Yoo et al., 2019). The other challenges include inadequate EBP experience from the stakeholders and lack of enough resources to support the EPB process.

The Facilitators and Conclusion

            Human resources comprising of EBP mentors should be trained to serve as facilitators for the change. Consequently, during the development of the EBP education program, a “hands-on education” must be adopted in collaboration with the librarian so as the practical performance can be conducted beyond the EBP concept with an emphasis on its importance (Pittman et al., 2019). Generally, this will help boost the organizational culture and readiness for the change.

Section B: Proposal/Problem Statement and Literature Review

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by reduced bone mass, that renders bones fragile hence susceptible to fracture. In the United States, among adults above the age of 50 years, approximately 1 in every 2 women, and 1 in every four men will experience an osteoporosis fracture. The risk increases with advanced age. Studies show that women are at high risk of developing osteoporosis than men. In as much as African American women may have a higher BMD, as compared to white women, they still have a significant risk of osteoporosis. In support of the above statement, studies show that African American women tend to have an increased risk of osteoporosis as they tend to consume limited amounts of calcium below the recommended dietary allowance. Consequently, African Americans are more prone to lactose intolerance as compared to individuals from other ethnic groups. Lactose intolerance undermines optimal calcium intake, as individuals with this disorder normally avoid dairy products such as milk, which are excellent dietary sources of calcium. In relation to white women, African American women are less likely to take part in routine osteoporosis screening, for early diagnosis and treatment (Tsai, 2019). This makes them suffer the health burden associated with the disorder, when not early detected. As such, it is recommended that patient education on dietary Calcium and Vitamin D intake among African American women can help reduce the incidences of osteoporosis fractures.

Research Summary

            Several articles were reviewed for this research project. Al-Muraikhi et al. (2017) carried out a cross-sectional study with 766 participants, to determine the kind of information that is required to help reduce the prevalence of osteoporosis among women. According to their result, the knowledge of osteoporosis risk factors, weight-bearing exercise, and dietary consumption of calcium and vitamin D rich diet was low in Qatar. As such, the study concluded that there was a need to advance comprehensive women health education programs on osteoporosis risk factors and dietary intervention to reduce the burden of the disease among these populations.

The second study by Fatma et al. (2018), was based on the fact that diet can help reduce the prevalence of osteoporosis. The study was carried out through a telephone survey of 888 participants all over the United States. A total of 20% of the participants were diagnosed with osteoporosis. The study focused on assessing the difference in diet, self-related health, quality of life, and physical function among these participants. It was noted that more than half of the participants consumed diets with lower than the recommended calcium levels. As such, it was recommended that educational programs supporting improved nutrition be introduced to help reduce the prevalence of osteoporosis.

The last study by Tsai (2019) was aimed at addressing the disparities associated with osteoporosis and help enhance the quality of bone care among disadvantaged groups. The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected between 2005 to 2010 and 2013 to 2014. The results suggested that osteoporosis was more prevalent among Non-American adult citizens, less educated, low income, and unemployed individuals. As such it was suggested that interventions such as dietary education should be introduced among these socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, to help reduce the burden associated with osteoporosis.

Limitations

            Even though studies have confirmed the significance of dietary intervention in the prevention of osteoporosis among the most vulnerable populations, very little effort has been made to display this information to community members. As such, there is limited evidence-based intervention on measures that can be used to enhance patient education on calcium and vitamin D-rich diet in the prevention of osteoporosis (Fatma et al., 2018). Consequently, very few studies were population-specific, in the management of osteoporosis among African American women. Lastly, very few recent studies touched on the topic.

Conclusion

            Osteoporosis has been associated with several health burdens associated with both care costs and deteriorated quality of life. The condition is common among African American women, among other vulnerable populations such as low income, socioeconomically disadvantage, and uneducated individuals (Al-Muraikhi et al., 2017). Some of the main reasons behind osteoporosis among these individuals are a result lack of adequate finances for routine screening and low knowledge on osteoporosis preventive measures. As such, it is recommended that patient education on dietary Calcium and Vitamin D intake among African American women can help reduce the prevalence of osteoporosis.

 Section C: Solution Description

Nurses and other healthcare providers have an essential role to play in developing effective solutions to address the health problems facing their populations. Nurses utilize the existing sources of evidence to implement best practices in nursing care. The use of best practices promotes the realization of outcomes of care that include safety, efficiency, performance and quality. Therefore, this essay examines the solution of the proposed product by focusing on aspects such as organizational culture, expected outcomes, method to achieve outcomes and outcome impact.

Proposed Solution

The proposed solution entails the provision of health education on dietary calcium and vitamin D to African American patients with osteoporosis. The aim of the project is to reduce the incidence of fractures within 12 months. The proposed solution aligns with the existing evidence. According to evidence, health education on the intake of dietary calcium and vitamin D is effective in improving the health outcomes of patients with osteoporosis. For example, the study by Park et al. (2017) showed that the provision of educational opportunities on dietary calcium and vitamin D intake resulted in the improvement in the osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy and fall self-efficacy. The improvement in these parameters reflected the reduction in adverse events affecting patients with osteoporosis such as fractures. Similar results can be seen in the systematic review by Morfeld et al. (2017) where health education on the dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D were associated with increased level of knowledge, improvement in bone mineral density and the adoption of healthy behaviors such as adherence to the prescribed treatment interventions. According to Holland and Moffat (2017), health education on the dietary and behavioral modifications for patients with osteoporosis increases the level of patient engagement in health promotional activities and perceptions towards the management of osteoporosis. Therefore, the proposed solution aligns with the existing evidence. The intervention is realistic in our setting because it does not require a significant use of the organizational resources. The healthcare providers are also trained to provide patient-centered education on the management of different health problems, including osteoporosis.

Organizational Culture

The proposed solution aligns with the organizational culture. Firstly, it supports the provision of high quality and safe care to patients with osteoporosis. Health education on calcium and vitamin D intake will increase the level of patient awareness about the management of their health problems, hence, positive outcomes, safety and quality of care. The solution also strengthens the use of best practices in the management of osteoporosis. The use of health education seeks to promote lifestyle and behavioral change using evidence-based practice interventions. Our hospital advocates the use of best practices in the provision of healthcare. As a result, the proposed solution underpins the realization of this objective.

Expected Outcomes

One of the expected outcomes of the project is the positive change in the habits and behaviors of the African American women with osteoporosis. It is anticipated that health education on the importance of dietary calcium and vitamin D will increase the level of awareness and behaviors of the patients for improved health outcomes. The other expected outcome is the reduction in the rate and risk of fractures in African American women with osteoporosis (Park et al., 2017). The reduction will be attributed to increased intake of dietary calcium, vitamin D and adoption of behaviors and lifestyles that minimize their risk to falls and other adverse events.

Method to Achieve Outcomes

African American patients with osteoporosis will be obtained from the emergency department. The prospective participants will be informed about the project and willingness to participate. The patients will provide informed consent prior to their participation. Trained registered nurses will be involved in the implementation of the project. The nurses will be trained on the aspects that are critical for the success of the project. The training will equip them with the desired competencies for the successful implementation of the project. Patients who consent will be provided with weekly educational sessions on dietary calcium and vitamin D on preventing falls among them. The weekly sessions will be done for a period of three weeks after which patients will be followed on a monthly basis to determine their risk of fractures, adherence, and number of fractures experiences. The data will be obtained at the end of the program to compare the rates of fractures in African American women who were provided with health education versus those who did not receive any intervention. One of the barriers that may be experienced in the program is withdrawal of the participants during the period of investigation. The issue will be addressed by maintaining a close follow up with them. The assumption of the program is that all the African American women with osteoporosis enrolled will complete the 12 months of investigation.

Outcome Impact

The program will improve the quality of care given to African American women with osteoporosis. The improvement in the quality of care will be attributed to the lifestyle and behavioral change among them leading to reduction in the rates of fractures. The program will also lead to improved efficiency of processes. The improvement in the efficiency will be attributed to the reduction in workload due to less rates of fractures and need for hospitalization by African American women with osteoporosis. The program will also lead to environmental changes. It will strengthen the use of best practices in health care in the organization (Huffman et al., 2018). Lastly, the program will strengthen professional expertise by increasing the awareness and understanding of the nurses and other healthcare providers on the importance of health promotion interventions in disease management.

Conclusion

Osteoporosis is a critical health problem affecting African American women. The affected patients are highly at a risk of other health problems such as fractures due to loss of bone density. Health education on dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D is an important approach to improving the health outcomes of the women affected by the problem. Therefore, it is anticipated that the successful implementation of the solution will lead to a drastic reduction in the risk and rate of fractures among African American women with osteoporosis.

Section D: Change Model

The successful implementation of the proposed evidence-based project will depend on largely on the adopted model of change. Models of change provide frameworks that guide the interventions that are used to introduce the initiative in the clinical settings. Models also provide information about the different ways in which the implementation process of the change can be evaluated. Therefore, this section of the project explores the theory of change that will be adopted in the implementation of the evidence-based practice project.

Selected Model and Relevance to the Project

The selected model for use in the implementation of the project is the transtheoretical model of change. The transtheoretical model of change is also referred as the stages of change model. DiClemente and Prochaska developed it in the 1970s following their study on the experiences of smokers as they quit their smoking behaviors. The transtheoretical model focuses on the steps that individuals take in chancing their behaviors. The model also provides insights into the interventions that implementers of change need to embrace to initiate intentional change. The model is applicable to the project because it provides information on the ways in which gradual adoption of the change initiative can be achieved (Gellman & Turner, 2019). Transtheoretical model proposes that change occurs in steps that include pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination.

Stages and their Application

The first step in the transtheoretical model is pre-contemplation. Pre-contemplation is characterized by the adopters of change not willing to take any action that supports the change in the near future. The adopters are not willing to embrace the change due to their low level of awareness or lack of access to the support that they need to embrace the change. The adopters also have low level of awareness about the negative effect that their existing behaviors have on their health. As a result, they tend to underestimate the benefit of embracing interventions that will contribute positively to their behavior, health and wellbeing (Quartuch et al., 2021). African American women with osteoporosis are not aware of the importance of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D to prevent fractures in this stage. Their low level of awareness affects their participation in healthy behaviors and lifestyle that minimize the risk of fractures. Therefore, they do not show any intentions of embracing dietary supplementation for calcium and vitamin D.

The second step in the transtheoretical model is contemplation. Contemplation is the stage where the adopters of the change begin to engage in healthy behaviors in the near future. The adopters of the change have become aware about the negative consequences of their behaviors. As a result, they explore the benefits as well as risks of adopting healthy behaviors and lifestyles that promote their health. Despite being informed about the benefits of change in their behaviors, the adopters are still ambivalent towards embracing change in this stage (Hagger et al., 2020). African American women will demonstrate the intention to embrace dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D in the contemplation stage. They also begin embracing dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D in their routines. However, they are unsure of the absolute use of the interventions as a way of minimizing and preventing the risk of fractures among them.

The third step in the model is preparation. Preparation is the stage where the adopters are willing to implement the change within a short period, usually 30 days. The adopters have made the decision to implement the change and use its interventions to promote their desired change in behavior. The adopters believe that changing their behaviors will contribute to their health and wellbeing (Boff et al., 2020). African American women with osteoporosis will have made a decision to implement dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D as part of their healthy lifestyle and behavior. They do so with a belief that the use of dietary supplements will improve their health by minimizing their risk of adverse events such as fractures and unnecessary hospitalizations.

The fourth step in the transtheoretical model is action. Action entails the adopters having changed their behaviors and willing to keep implementing additional interventions that will contribute to their positive change in behavior. The adopters modify their lifestyles and behaviors to accommodate the new interventions that contribute their health (Friman et al., 2017). The African American women with osteoporosis will have transformed their lifestyle and behaviors in this stage. They intend to maintain the use of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D to prevent fractures. They also demonstrate willingness to learn about additional interventions that they need to promote their health.

The fifth and sixth stages in the transtheoretical model are maintenance and termination. The adopters of change having sustained their behavioral change characterize maintenance stage. The adopters explore interventions that they need to embrace to prevent relapse to their traditional behaviors and lifestyles. African American women with osteoporosis will have stabilized in the adoption of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D at this step. They therefore explore interventions that they need to prevent relapse to their earlier behaviors that predisposed them to fractures and poor health outcomes due to osteoporosis. The termination stage is the last stage where the adopters do not have the desire to relapse to their unhealthy behaviors (Hagger et al., 2020). The African American women with osteoporosis have incorporated dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D into their routines.

Conclusion

Overall, transtheoretical model will be adopted in the implementation of the proposed change. The model will guide the development of the interventions that are needed for the success of the project as well as its evaluation. Transtheoretical model will also provide insights into the interventions that are needed to ensure project sustainability. Therefore, it is anticipated that effective use of the model will contribute to the success of the project.

Section E: Implementation Plan

The successful implementation of evidence-based practice requires that the implementers adopt effective methods and interventions for the process. The selected methods should align with the aims and objectives of the project. The methods should also be evidence-based to underpin the realization of the goals of the intervention. Therefore, this section of the project examines the methods that will be used in implementing the proposed solution in the organization. The areas that are examined include setting and access to potential subjects, time needed, resources, methods and instruments, process for delivering the intervention, data collection plan, strategies for managing any barriers, feasibility and decisions that will be made based on the project outcomes.

Setting and Access to Potential Subjects

The proposed solution entails the provision of health education to African American women with osteoporosis on the importance of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. The aim of providing health education on calcium and vitamin D supplementation is to reduce the predisposition of African American women with osteoporosis to fractures. The project will be undertaken in our hospital. The specific department where it will be undertaken is the emergency department. African American women who come to the emergency department for medical assistance due to osteoporosis will participate in the project. The emergency department is the most appropriate due to the high number of patients that are seen due to different health problems. The potential clients for the project will be approached and informed about the project. They will be informed about the benefits and the role that they will play in the project. Informed consent will be obtained from the participants that express their interest in the project. Informed consent will be used to show that the participants understand the aims, benefits, risks, and their roles in the project (Perrin, 2020). Approval for undertaking the project will be sought from the quality assurance department of the hospital prior to project initiation process.

Time Needed

The proposed project seeks to promote lifestyle and behavioral changes among African American women with osteoporosis. As a result, adequate time is needed to achieve the desired lifestyle and behavioral change and determine the impact of the interventions that will be used in the project. The proposed time for undertaking the project is 12 months. It is anticipated that this period will be enough to determine the effect of project interventions. The period will also enable the incorporation of additional interventions to improve the outcomes of the project. Therefore, it is expected that the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D dietary supplementation will have been determined by the end of 12 months (O’Gorman, 2020).

Resources

The successful implementation of the project will require the adequate and effective use of resources. Human and financial resources will be required for the implementation of the project. The human resources that will be needed will include trained nursing staffs, data analyst, data, data collectors, and physicians. Trained registered nurses will be involved in the provision of health education to African American women with osteoporosis. The nurses will also play the role of following-up the participants and obtaining the data that will be needed for the project. A data analyst with be hired to analyze the data and making meaning of it. Physicians will assist in the identification of the potential participants for the project. Financial resources will also be needed for the successful implementation of the project (Nations, 2021). The finances will be used for training, hiring experts, purchasing training materials, and undertaking other tasks such as follow-up of the participants. The finances will also be used for purchasing printing materials and educational booklets for the participants. The last resource is time. Registered nurses, physicians, and data analyst will have to spend their time in engaging in project activities for its successful implementation.

Methods and Instruments

Questionnaires will be used to collect the data needed for undertaking this project. Questionnaires will be administered before and at the end of the project. The questionnaires will obtain information such as demographic data of the participants, their level of awareness and practices related to management of osteoporosis, and health risks related to osteoporosis such as history of fractures. The baseline data obtained from the questionnaires will be compared with the data obtained at the end of the project to determine whether dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D was effective in reducing the risk of fractures among the participants. Questionnaires are effective for the project because of their ease of administration. Little time will be used in the acquisition of data needed for the project. Questionnaires will also enable the acquisition of extensive project data (Rowe, 2020). The extensiveness of the data will increase the understanding of the effectiveness of the project in nursing practice.

Process for Delivering the Intervention

As noted above, the participants for the project will be obtained from the emergency department of our hospital. Nurses will work in collaboration with the physicians in identifying potential participants for the project. African American women with osteoporosis will be approached and informed about the project. They will be informed about the benefits and their role in the project. They will also be informed about the support that they will receive through their participation in it. Informed consent will then be obtained prior to educating them on the dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D to minimize and prevent the risks of fractures. Training will be provided to the registered nurses who will be involved in the implementation of the project. Training will aim at ensuring that the registered nurses have the required knowledge and skills on the available dietary supplements for patients with osteoporosis. Training will also increase the level of awareness of the participants, hence, minimizing the possibility of their resistance to implementing the needed interventions for the project (Gorecki, 2020).

Outline of Data Collection Plan

The data collection plan for the project will be comprehensive in nature. Firstly, registered nurses will be trained on the collection of baseline and final data for the project. The nurses will be trained on the accurate acquisition of data from the participants. They will also be trained on checking the consistency of the data obtained for the project. As noted initially, questionnaires will be used for data collection. Self-administered questionnaires will enable easy collection of the needed data for the participants. The data will be collected at the beginning and end for comparison purposes. A data analyst will be hired to analyze and interpret the data for the project. Quantitative methods of data analysis will be used to increase the objectivity and accuracy of the results. The analyzed data will be presented using tables, charts and graphs to increase the understanding of the audience. The analysis of data will be focused on determining whether the risk and rate of fractures among the participants decreased or not. The data will also focus on determining the changes in lifestyle and behaviors of the participants, as evidenced by the consistent dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. The nurse manager of the hospital will be tasked with the responsibility of data management.

Strategies to Manage any Barriers, Facilitators and Challenges

One of the strategies that will be used to manage barriers in the project is training. Registered nurses who will be involved in implementing the project will be trained. They will be trained on aspects of health education, participant monitoring and follow-up and data collection. Training will equip them with the needed knowledge and skills, hence, minimizing the resistance from them (Harned, 2017). The other intervention that will be used to manage challenges that may be experienced in the project is the close monitoring and follow-up of the participants. The participants will be followed-up on a regular basis to ensure their consistent use of calcium and dietary supplements as a way of preventing and minimizing the risk of fractures. Follow-up and monitoring will improve the retention rate of the participants. Regular evaluation and provision of feedback will also be used to address the challenges and barriers in the project. Regular evaluation will be performed to identify areas of strengths and weakness in the project. Through it, interventions that aim at strengthening the effectiveness of the project will be embraced.

Feasibility of the Implementation Plan

The proposed project is feasible in the organization. The implementation process uses the readily available resources in the organization such as registered nurses and physicians. The resource needs of the project are also easily achievable. The estimated cost of implementing the project is $60,000. The cost will be used for provider training, purchase of the needed resources, hiring of a data analyst, remunerating the staffs, and data presentation.

Plans to Maintain, Extend, Revise or Discontinue the Proposed Solution after Implementation

The evaluation outcomes will influence the decisions that will be made relating the project. The project will be maintained if it is found to have no harm to the participants. The project will also be maintained if the outcomes of evaluation show that participants consistently use of the interventions. The project will be extended if a small number of participants enroll for it. Extension will enable the acquisition of an adequate sample that will increase the generalizability and accuracy of findings. The project will be revised if the strategies used do not yield objective outcomes. The project will be discontinued if it is found to have negative effect on the participants such as increasing their risk to fractures and frequent hospitalization (Layton et al., 2020).

Conclusion

In summary, this section of the project has explored in detail the methods that will be used for project implementation. The target audience for the project will be African American women with osteoporosis obtained from the emergency department. Questionnaires will be used for data collection. The implementers will be trained on the essential knowledge and skills needed for the project. Data analysis will inform the effectiveness of the interventions. The decisions made will largely depend on the outcomes of the project.

Section F: Evaluation

The Rationale for the Methods used in Collection of the Outcome Data

Different methods were used in the collection of outcome data in this project such as questionnaires, chart audits, follow-ups interviews, clinical interviews, and test monitoring. The utilization of various methods of outcome data collection was informed by numerous reasons. To begin with, questionnaires were used because they contain many crucial elements that helped in measuring the rate of participants’ satisfaction in the entire EBP implementation process. The test monitoring on the other side was used to assist in follow the development of the project, establish suitability of the process of implementation, and to gather information that can be used to foster the implementation processes in the future (Gao et al., 2019). On the other hand, other strategies such as follow-up interviews, clinical interviews, and chart audits were essential in identifying areas where patients should be supported and also recognize areas that needs improvement.

Ways In Which Outcome Measures Evaluate The Extent To Which The Project Objectives Are Achieved

Outcome measures refer to transforms in the health of an individual, a fraction of people, or population which can be associated with an intervention or various interventions. Outcome measures such as patient experience connote quality and cost aims that health care settings strive to enhance. In the current project, outcome measures can evaluate the extent to which the project objectives are realized by scrutinizing the extent that the project implementation has impacted the health outcomes of the target population (Kingsley & Patel, 2017). Essentially, the outcome measures make it possible to gauge whether or not the project has achieved its objectives. In situations where the project neither has nor achieved its objectives, the outcome measures can play a crucial role of assisting in informing the modifications to the project to enable the realization of goals.

How the Outcomes will be Measured and Evaluated Based on the Evidence

Outcomes connote benefits to the project target population since it influences knowledge, attitude, conditions, behaviors, or life status for the participants. The outcome measures in this project would be measured and evaluated using the typical data collections tools that have been established to be effective. In particular, outcome-based evaluation can be used in this project. This evaluation involves measurement of results and it recognizes observations that can realistically show desirable outcomes or changes. Outcome-based evaluation systematically gathers information concerning the different project indicators and uses that information to indicate the scope in which the program has attained its goals (Barnes et al., 2019). This method is ideal in helping to communicate the quality and value of the project to many audiences.

However, this strategy may need to be realigned to meet the local needs of the target population. If such situations arise, it is important to perform a preliminary test prior to implementation to the target population. On the other hand, the validity of the project will be determined when the data accurately measure what it was purposed to measure. The reliability on its side will be achieved if the outcome measures correspond with the universal definitions and methods. On the other hand, the applicability will be determined when the outcomes to promote lifestyle and behavioral changes among African American women with osteoporosis.

Description of the Strategies to take if Outcomes do not Provide Positive Results

During project implementation process, sometimes it is common for project outcomes to yield negative results. Therefore, if it happens that the outcomes of the project fail to provide positive results, the best strategy that can be taken by the team in charge of implementation is to take control, become focused, and create an effective communication system to manage and guide the project back to the right track. It is imperative to design the project in a flexible way which can simply be modified in case the outcomes fail to produce desirable results. The project implementation team should also be able to determine the cause of the problems and take initiatives to resolve problem and steer back the project to the appropriate path of implementation. Moreover, it is project should be designed with contingency plans to act as a safeguard to the project (Fischer et al., 2016).

Description of the Implications for Practice and Future Research

The proposed solution in this project entails the provision of health education to African American women with osteoporosis on the importance of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. Education on calcium and vitamin D supplementation aims to reduce the predisposition of African American women with osteoporosis to fractures. Essentially, nurse educators can play essential role in the success of this project. However, lack of cultural competency care, especially for nurses who are non-Africans, can potentially create cultural barriers that may compromise the success of the project, thus leading to adverse outcomes (Foronda et al., 2018). Therefore, it is recommended that the future research should consider cultural diversity and ensure provision of educational programs and interventions that are culturally responsive to the population in focus.

Conclusion

Osteoporosis is one of the health problems that affect adult and elderly women. Osteoporosis increases with the advancing age in women due to hormonal imbalance in menopause and post-menopausal period. Osteoporosis is associated with negative health outcomes such as bone pain, fractures, and inability to engage in strenuous activities. Osteoporosis affect women disproportionately based on their ethnicity. African American women have been shown to have a high risk of developing osteoporosis when compared to women from other ethnicities. Therefore, the proposed evidence-based project seeks to address the health inequality in African American women by educating them on the importance of dietary supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. The aim of the project is to reduce the risk and improve the overall health of the African American women with osteoporosis. Consequently, it is anticipated that the project objectives will be achieved if the developed interventions are implemented as expected.

 

 

References

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Throughout this course, you have developed a formal, evidence-based practice proposal.

The proposal is the plan for an evidence-based practice project designed to address a problem, issue, or concern in the professional work setting. Although several types of evidence can be used to support a proposed solution, a sufficient and compelling base of support from valid research studies is required as the major component of that evidence. Proposals must be submitted in a format suitable for obtaining formal approval in the work setting. Proposals will vary in length depending upon the problem or issue addressed (3,500 and 5,000 words). The cover sheet, abstract, references pages, and appendices are not included in the word count.

Section headings for each section component are required. Evaluation of the proposal in all sections will be based upon the extent to which the depth of content reflects graduate-level critical thinking skills.

This project contains seven formal sections:

Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment

Section B: Proposal/Problem Statement and Literature Review

Section C: Solution Description

Section D: Change Model

Section E: Implementation Plan

Section F: Evaluation of Process

Each section (A-F) will be submitted as a separate assignment in Topics 1-6 so your instructor can provide feedback (refer to applicable topics for complete descriptions of each section).

The final paper submission in Topic 7 will consist of the completed project (with revisions to all sections), title page, abstract, compiled references list, and appendices. Appendices will include a conceptual model for the project, handouts, data and evaluation collection tools, a budget, a timeline, resource lists, and approval forms, as previously assigned in individual section assignments.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.