Nursing

Despite many efforts in health promotion and diabetes awareness, diabetes in the United States continues to prevail.  Diabetes often found accompanied by other comorbidities including diabetic foot ulcers.  These foot ulcers impose great financial burden, disability, and decrease the quality of life of diabetic patients.  Diabetic foot ulcers are the cause of majority non-traumatic lower extremity amputations.  Health promotion and patient education alone will not prevent the occurrence of these ulcers nor the amputations.  However, early intervention for diabetic patients and better screening can aid in the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers and the inevitable amputations. Many new evidence-based treatments are available to treat diabetic foot ulcers and prevent amputations, of the many interventions; hyperbaric oxygenation has proven to be efficient in healing wounds and preventing amputation.  Implementing a diabetic foot program in the home care setting will allow assessments that are more detailed, screenings, and early interventions in the hope of preventing further complications and amputations.



Key words: hyperbaric oxygen, diabetic foot ulcers, lower extremity wounds, and prevention and promotion

Fostering the growth and development of the nursing profession benefits the facility, nurses, and most importantly patients and their families. Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert theory (1984) can be used to maximize the experience of each staff member and successfully implement Patient-Family Centered Care (PFCC) within the organization. Benner’s work, which applies the “Dreyfus model of skill acquisitions to nursing, outlines five stages: Novice, Advanced-beginner, Competent, Proficient, and Expert Nurse;” each level equally important to the development of the PFCC committee (McEwen & Wills, 2011, p. 221). The assumptions, concepts and major propositions of the theory will be examined and a literature review will integrate how the Novice to Expert theory can be adapted into practice, and develop successful Patient-Family Centered Care.

This paper will review a peer reviewed article; introducing the focus, summarize the key points and list the steps and process taken by nurse staff to advance and institute an evidence-based practice, and apply this information to the practice setting of a military community hospital.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) has grown to more than just a trendy word in the healthcare setting. It is a progression that authenticates modes of patient care and awards fulfillment to nurses.  Offering care that is based on valid and current information brings nurses closer to their craft and joy of care for the infirmed.  The focus of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of “translating research into practice intervention improving management of acute pain in older hip fracture patients.” A major area of interest for the researchers is, despite all of the “research evidence on acute pain management, elders do not receive adequate pain management during hospitalization” (Titler et al. 2009).

As the spiritual dimension is crucial for the success of an overall sense of health and well-being, the importance of nurses providing holistic care, which includes patients’ spiritual well being, cannot be over emphasized. With my many experiences within the Army Nurse Corps, I have gained a unique appreciation for the different perspectives the War Fighter, veterans, clinicians, policy-makers, family members, and the public has on transitioning home after war with PTSD and mTBI. My spiritual beliefs are difficult to formulate and analyze but I will do my best to paint a picture for the reader.  I do not adhere to the traditional Christian doctrine or atheism, as both are too simple in my mind.

This paper will examine the various management theories, which theory is most universal in current business, along with negative and positive attributes of that theory.  In addition, the humanistic approach of human resources perspective will be applied to Fort Belvoir Community Hospital a joint service hospital with healthcare employees from all services and government civilian individuals.