- Part 10

The NLN Accreditation

To determine if an educational program meets the professional standard, an evaluation process is done by an outside body. This evaluation process is called an accreditation. Most schools or programs seek accreditation because it tells of the competence of the school or the program. One of the national organizations that has an accreditation entity is the National League for Nursing (NLN).

The NLN is a membership organization for nursing faculty and leaders in education. Part of it is the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) which is the entity that is responsible for the accreditation of nursing education schools and programs. The NLNAC website has a detailed information on a wide variety of nursing programs that has specialized accreditation the NLNAC is responsible for, including clinical doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s, associate’s, diploma, and practical programs.

The NLNAC accreditation serves to provide assurance that schools and nursing programs meet or exceed certain standards and criteria. Nursing schools or programs that have an NLNAC accreditation are able to improve through self-evaluation. The accreditation also helps programs recruit students, assures employers that graduates have competent skills, guide students in their job and education choices, and helps students be eligible for financial assistance from government sources.

Not all schools or programs in nursing have an NLN accreditation. So students who choose to attend non-accredited programs may not be eligible for financial aid. Non-accredited programs may not be transferred as well when students decide to change programs or further education. And the worst, students may have fewer job possibilities if they attend non-accredited programs, especially in the government.

The NLN accreditation done by the NLNAC is an important factor in considering a nursing school or program. Aside from it serving as proof that a program is following professional standard, an accreditation also has benefits that students attending the program can take advantage.

Nursing Homes Myths

Moving yourself or a family member to a nursing home is one of the hardest decisions you have to make as you age. The decision to move may arrive suddenly or gradually after hospitalization or as needs become more difficult to meet in other types of housing, it is still not easy choice.

To lessen the stress about making a decision, it is important to learn all you can about nursing homes so you can choose one that is right for you or your family member. Knowing the facts from the myths will help. With so many negative connotations attached to the “nursing homes” label, separating the myths from the truths can help ease some of your worries.

Most of the times, nursing homes are believed to be the only option for those who can’t take care of themselves at home. But this not completely true. Elderlies can also choose to stay at home because there a lot of services they can get help, ranging from help with laundry and shopping to caregiving and visiting home health services. Assisted living is also another option if staying at home is no longer possible. If the primary need of the older adult is custodial care rather than skilled medical care, assisted living can be an option.

Nursing homes are for those people whose families do not care about them. This is not true. Nursing homes are there for people whose families cannot provide the necessary care they need. Putting an older family older member in a nursing home where the family member’s needs are met is the responsible thing to do.

Nursing homes provide poor care. This is also a myth. Necessary information about the facility’s staffing and previous violations are available to the public. This will help you judge whether a nursing home provides poor care or not.

Lastly, you cannot leave a nursing home once you are in. This is only true if the care needed is necessary through the end of life. However, returning home or going to another housing option is possible if the care needed is only rehabilitative.

Palliative Care and Hospice Care Differences

Palliative care and hospice care are both providers of care for patients with illnesses that are fatal. Two types of care providers to supplement some of the more traditional care options. Their protocols call for patients to receive a combined approach where medications, day-to-day care, equipment, bereavement counseling, and symptoms treatment are administered through a single program. However, no matter how similar palliative care and hospice care are, there are still differences between the two: location, timing, and treatment.

Palliative care is delivered mostly in an institutionalized location, such as a hospital, extended care facility, or nursing home. The institution where palliative care is administered must be associated with the palliative care team because the team is composed of doctors, nurses, and other professional medical caregivers. They will be the ones who will administer or oversee most of the ongoing comfort-care patients received. Meanwhile, hospice care is administered in the home by a team of hospice professionals. Hospice often relies upon the family caregiver, as well as a visiting hospice nurse.

There are no time restrictions for palliative care. The patient can receive palliative care any time, at any stage of the illness, whether it be terminal or not. On the other hand, hospice care is only given to patients who have a certification from a physician that they are terminally ill. Hospice care takes patients whose life expectancy is only six months or less.

Palliative care also administers treatments to patients ranging from conservative to aggressive/curative. Life-prolonging therapies will not be avoided and the palliative care team will do anything and everything to save the patient’s life. Meanwhile, hospice care treatments concentrate on comfort. Curing the patient is no longer the goal. Instead, hospice care makes sure to provide comfort to patients for the remaining days of their lives.

Palliative care and hospice care are very similar when it comes to providing care for dying people.

5 Biggest Issues in Healthcare Today

The healthcare industry has experienced a lot of interesting changes during the last few years, and it will not exempt 2015.

However, there are still a lot of major healthcare programs being practiced all over the world. There are still recurrent issues concerning healthcare today. In this article, we will discuss more about the 5 biggest issues in healthcare.

Wasted Health Funds
According to the recent report of Institute of Medicine Health, there are billions of dollars of health costs that are being wasted each year. Some of the funds were used for unnecessary programs.

Excessive and Needless Care Rendered
Half of all healthcare costs were used for unnecessary and excessive health care. According to the American College of Obstetricians, these healthcare issues have been around for more than a decade. A lot of healthcare organizations carried this burden for so long yet did not dare to do something to fix it.

Chronic Disease Rates Are Extremely High
According to recent surveys, out of the seven countries being examined, Americans have the second highest rate of chronic disease next to Australians. Where in fact, Americans pay the most expensive healthcare costs. How did it happen? Authorities were not able to focus more on preventive care. Majority of adult Americans are becoming at risk to diseases and illnesses due to lack of healthcare support.

Preventable Harm to Patients
This is considered to be one of the most common healthcare problems. According to research, one of four health insurance recipients that were admitted suffers harm during their hospital stay.

Absence of Transparency
Transparency stimulates healthcare change like nothing more. Regardless of getting a lot of warnings from respected national health organizations and other medical societies, the rates of healthcare problems continues to rise. There were a lot of early elective deliveries reported since 2010 but were not taken care of due to unexplained loss of funds.

The Role Of The Hospital In The Community

A hospital is a place where we can go if we get sick. It is a conducive place for people who require treatment for their illness. It also plays a big role in the community. A community will not be complete without the presence of a hospital. In fact, a hospital is the community center for health and wellness. The environment of this place is one of the healthiest and safest space that is good for patients, visitors, and staff.

Many of us do not appreciate the true value of a hospital unless we get sick. Many lives are being saved by hospitals. It is the perfect place for those who are experiencing major sickness such as cancer, brain diseases and other major injuries. There are some diseases that are incurable. However, hospitals have advance facilities and technologies to sustain the lives of the people. This place is not only treating sickness but it also helps improving the health of the community. Many hospitals are creating programs that offer financial assistance to patients who cannot afford to pay for hospital care. This helps people to get the care they need, without having to worry about financial payment.

It is true that a hospital has a big impact to the community. They are the critical partners in making sure that communities remain strong, vibrant, and healthy. They are not just treating the diseases of patients, but they also educate the community on how to become healthy and away from all sickness. We need to be grateful that hospitals are there for us to make our lives comfortable and convenient.

The Role Of A Senior Care Worker

In the health and social care industry, the senior care workers play an important role. Their main job is to ensure the dignity of their clients at all times. Their basic responsibility is to help the seniors in their everyday lives. Senior care is indeed a noble job because workers look after the elderly.

Elderly people nowadays are in need of professionals that can assist them properly. Many elder folks prefer to have an assistant to help them in their daily activities. They deserve to have a comfortable and pleasurable life during their senior stage.

Senior care workers often work in private homes to help the patients with their daily tasks, such as personal grooming and meal preparations. They should be strong and physically fit because they often help their patients get out of bed or lift and turn bed-ridden patients to prevent bedsores. They are not only helping their patients physically but also emotionally because most elderly people need to have a companion to talk with. Patients need feel that they are important and that there is someone willing to listen to their problems.

Senior care workers can also play recreational games with their patients, such as card and board games, in order to keep their patients mentally active and attentive. Even sitting with patients at the backyard while chatting with them can be very beneficial.

Senior care workers should be passionate and dedicated toward their jobs. Aside from that, it is also a physically and emotionally demanding job. But workers can still get satisfaction in caring for the seniors because it is gratifying to offer service to the elderly. It is true that it is not an easy task but many people are choosing this type of career because of their love to serve other people.

Improving The Quality Of Patient Care

Developing the patient care program is one of the priorities of all health care providers. The quality of patient care is determined by the quality of the facilities, infrastructure and the competence of the personnel.

There are many factors that patients and families consider when choosing a hospital. One of the factors is the quality of patient care and the satisfaction experienced by patients and their families. That is why it is necessary for hospitals to follow strict quality and safety practices. Hospitals should always find ways to improve their services.

It is true that patients are the most important people in a medical care system. They deserve to be treated well. In order to satisfy the patients and their families, it is necessary to improve the quality of patient care. There are a lot of factors that can improve the quality of patient care. Hospitals should have well-trained staff to provide high quality care with desirable outcome. All the necessary equipment should be in place and properly maintained. This is important for the hospital’s performance and it contributes significantly to better results in providing best health care. It is also necessary to continually use newer technologies that improve the quality of health care.

Improvement of patient care is a continuous process because a lot of new technologies are coming out. The personnel also play a big role in giving the best services to patients. They should have proper training in order to address the concerns of the patients and families.

Patients’ safety is the corner stone of high- quality health care. That is why it is a big challenge for the hospital on how to offer good services to their patients.

Reasons To Study Psychology

There have been a lot of criticisms that Psychology has received over the years, as a college major and as a career path. Reasons ranging from “it’s not useful” to “It’s just easy and fun” as a college major. People also criticize Psychology as having a low pay and few jobs.

But there are many positive reasons to study Psychology, even if you do not plan to become a Psychology major or work in a Psychology-related profession. Reasons that go beyond career possibilities because it is all around you and touches on every aspect of your life.

One of the reasons to study Psychology is that it can help you better understand yourself and the people around you. You might find yourself gaining a deeper understanding of the many influences that have impacted your own life because you will learn more about how development occurs, how personality forms, and how society and culture impact behavior. Moreover, you might be able to understand the influences and motivations when someone behaves in certain way.

Psychology’s emphasis is on research methods and statistics. This will give you a good grasp of these methods that will contribute greatly on the success of your career, regardless whether you pursue a career in Psychology or somewhere else.

You will also develop your critical thinking skills by studying Psychology. A great deal of topics such as the scientific method, decision-making, and problem-solving are what you study in Psychology. These topics help hone your ability to think deeply and critically about different issues, which is considered to be essential to being an educated person.

There are still a lot of reasons to study Psychology. At best, it can help you better understand who you are, how you will be, and your interaction with your family, friends, and strangers. Aside from that, graduates with Psychology degrees end up in a wide array of occupations.

Studying the Humanities

Why is studying the Humanities important? Many have asked that question because to be honest many have also argued that studying the liberal arts or the humanities in general is a complete waste of time. Others would even argue that the Humanities are the unwise path for college students to take because non-technical degrees tend to have unemployment rates compared to those who are studying to be engineers, accountants, or business people.

Dr. Elwood Watson, in his article at diverseeducation.com, has discussed why studying the humanities always will be important. Dr. Watson said, “To minimize the value of the humanities, or any other area of academic inquiry for that matter, to one’s ability to earn an ample salary is to misunderstand the purpose of what such an education is about.”

The humanities provide students with the ability and vital ingredients necessary to think critically and holistically about an overabundance of issues, including business, science and technology for that matter. And, in an article by Scott Samuelson of the Wall Street Journal, businesses and employers were aggressively seeking to employ graduates who possessed “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems.” Therefore, discrediting the argument of some about the irrelevance of the humanities and how students who study it will not earn as much as those who study other hard sciences.

In addition, Clayton State University, on its departmental website, listed the top 10 reason for people to study the humanities:

To practice the analytical thinking skills you need to be a successful student and employee.
To improve your skill at oral and written communication.
To see the interconnectedness of all areas of knowledge ― how it all fits together.
To develop a global perspective by studying cultures throughout the world.
To deepen your understanding and appreciation of other’s cultures and other’s points of view.
To support and strengthen your local arts community by learning to appreciate the importance of creativity.
To clarify your values by comparing and contrasting them to what others have thought.
To deepen your sources of wisdom by learning how others have dealt with failures, success, adversities, and triumphs.
To appreciate what is enduring and to be able to tell the difference between the meaningless and the meaningful.
To be inspired by some of the greatest minds and thoughts of the ages.

The humanities are the cornerstone of any and complete well-rounded education because it provides a good, solid foundation in critical thinking skills. The importance of the humanities should not be dismissed.

Types of Nursing Homes

When you hear the term “nursing homes” you will automatically think a place where old people are being taken care of. While that is true to some extent, a nursing home is a place for people to be cared for outside of the hospital. Nursing homes also provide a high level of medical care.

The term “nursing homes” nowadays are often replaced with a name that is descriptive of the type of service that is offered. Example of this is “convalescent care center” or “rehabilitation center”. This means that nursing homes are not only for patients that require care for the rest of their lives, nursing homes also address medical care that are often specific and temporary.

True nursing homes have two types: intermediate care facilities and skilled nursing facilities. Intermediate care facilities do not have nurses but instead have certified nursing assistants (CNAs) on staff 24 hours a day. These facilities also provide primary assistance such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, toileting, and more. Skilled nursing facilities on the other hand have either a registered nurse (RNs) or licensed nurses (LPNs or LVNs) on staff 24 hours. These facilities are for patients that require ongoing medical care in addition to assistance with daily activities, medical care such as physical therapy, wound care, respiratory therapy, pain management, and more.

A patient can actually be in both skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities. In most cases, a patient can be in a skilled nursing facility after a hospital stay and then eventually move to an intermediate nursing facility when there is no longer a need for medical care but the patient’s capacity to live independently has diminished.

Many nursing homes offer both skilled nursing and intermediate care. That is great for patients that will require both as they will receive continuity of care with many of the same staff members.