Nurses working in the field of obstetrics must have a greater depth and breadth of genetic knowledge over any other subspecialty. In gestation, nurses should include education on the effects of teratogens, prenatal screening options, and prenatal diagnoses. After delivery, early recognition of genetic disorders is important for immediate initiation of potentially life-saving therapies. Preconception education is a critical component of health care for women of reproductive age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all women of childbearing age consume 0.4 mg of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). Counseling can still be useful in terms of optimum pregnancy management in a setting best able to cope with any anticipated problems. Complex and multifaceted maternal and fetal factors influence the consequences of drugs, radiation, and chemical and infectious agents to the developing fetus.

This chapter examines pre- and postconference expectations and activities, explores forms to be used by the professor and the students, suggests care plans and patient assignments, and describes sample concept maps and a math skills assessment. A student with no experience in health care may be shy or sheepish when it comes to hands-on care. It may be of benefit for the students to be paired in the first few weeks of clinical classes. The care plan forms can help guide the student through the nursing process. Medication forms will help the student learn about various medications. Nursing education has adopted the use of concepts maps to assist students in gathering patient information. Patient safety is the number one priority for all health care professionals. Dose calculations are a daily activity for nurses.

Multiple physical changes can impair the mental health of the aging individual. These changes include: acid-based imbalances, dehydration, electrolyte changes, hypothermia or hyperthermia, and hypothyroidism. This chapter reviews the most common mental health disorders affecting the elderly population and trends affecting care delivery. Moreover, chronic, unresolved pain has been associated with an increased risk of a mental health disorder such as depression, suicide, or anxiety. The aging individual may exhibit signs and symptoms of insomnia such as sleeping for short periods during the night, sleeping during times of normal social activities, arising early in the morning while others sleep, and experiencing daytime sleepiness. The chapter concludes by applying the nursing process from an interpersonal perspective to the care of an elderly patient with a mental health disorder.

This chapter focuses on the following topics: demography, gender, age at diagnosis/onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD), Medicare usage, work and retirement, social support, social context and neighborhoods, ethnography of families, qualitative research, and social policy. These topics constitute some of the key areas that should be the focus of future research on the sociology of minority aging. The chapter provides a rich description of trends in the ethnic and racial composition of older cohorts to illustrate the dramatic changes that have taken place in the United States in the past century. The rising costs of health care and the increasing older minority population, additional reform will be needed to maintain the sus-tainability of the program. Additional work examining within-race group differences is key to understanding minority aging issues given the large amount of cultural diversity in the United States.

Neurorehabilitation has become more of a global phenomenon and is not necessarily limited to industrialized or Westernized societies. Culture often connotes concepts of race and ethnicity when discussed in the context of health care disparities. Socioeconomic and other demographic variables make up the majority of the balance on discussion regarding culture in health care. Multicultural neurorehabilitation must emphasis “multiple”, and do so in a dynamic manner. In other words, at any given time, multiple cultures operate in each interaction and in each therapy delivered in the neurorehabilitation setting. Recently, there has been increased interest and research into the newly developing field of cultural neuroscience. Several models are available to conceptualize the influence of culture in human functioning. The most persuasive model is one that mirrors a dynamic, ecological system.

This chapter provides a review of public policy and public programs related to important aspects of the welfare state in the United States, with particular attention to the impact of various policies and programs related to income support, health care, and housing on low-income and minority Americans. It focuses on the guiding principles that motivate the various parties in today’s welfare state debates and investigate how the basic structure of the way social welfare is guaranteed in the United States affects low-income and minority individuals. The chapter also focuses on the general features of our economic, political, and social systems that place minority Americans at serious risk of poverty and ill health throughout life, including its waning years. The welfare state represents a relatively late development in human social, economic, and political history. Social Security is particularly important for minority Americans.

This chapter discusses the importance of written communication in nursing practice. Effective writing promotes the use of critical thinking and analysis, and ensures that those individuals with whom the nurse interacts will understand what is being said. E-mail communications with other members of the health care team necessitate proper writing skills. Professional writing in nursing is an important way to communicate with others, express ideas, present information, advance research, and teach others about the discipline of nursing. The nurse explains the present situation, shares present assessment findings, and makes recommendations for solving the problem. Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) provides a common and predictable structure for communication and can be used in any clinical domain. Labor pain can be influenced by a number of factors, such as culture, anxiety, and environment. The chapter also discusses the PICOT method, a mnemonic that encompasses the key components of a well-focused question.

Nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid organizations with the greatest impact in areas such as education, health care, and social service delivery could also create new social industries and spur economic development. Angel investors are often the first professional lenders who provide financial support to a growing business. Launched in the United Kingdom, social impact bonds (SIBs) raise funds from nongovernment investors, that is, trusts and foundations, high-net-worth individuals, and so forth, to pay for preventive services. Greater levels of funding will be directed to organizations next-generation nonprofits (next-gens) that can prove impact and take operations to scale. This chapter discusses two very different innovations that are also sustainable business models, the retail-based convenient care clinics (CCCs) and the Apple iPad2. CCCs operate under different names, including Minute Clinic, Redi-Clinic, Take Care Health Systems, and Quick Quality Care. The Disrupter-o-Meter is an excellent, low-cost place to begin determining an innovative idea’s feasibility.

This chapter provides an introductory overview of selected works for further reflection and study. It provides more in-depth discussions on nursing theoretical frameworks, starting with the references. Nursing has incorporated theories from other disciplines, including theories of systems, human needs, change, problem solving, and decision making. Health generally addresses the person’s state of well-being, while the concept of nursing is central to all nursing theories. Benner provided examples of nursing practice based on observation and interviews with professionals ranging from those just starting their professional careers to veteran nurses. In Betty Neuman’s Systems Model (NSM), the individual is viewed as an open system interacting with both internal and external environment forces and stressors. Client variables are physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental, and spiritual stressors. The physiological mode deals with the maintenance of the physical body.

This chapter examines the urinary system, reviews physiological and systematic assessments and related nursing tools, and also presents an analysis of the various types of dialysis. Various types of filtration will be discussed during Week 11. The filtration methods discussed include the body’s own filtration system and artificial filtration, such as hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, as well as a brief discussion of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Most health care facilities have reduced their usage of indwelling Foley catheters. Measuring intake allows the nurse to determine whether the patient is adequately maintaining hydration, adequately hydrated, or rehydrating per the physician’s orders. Intake includes oral and intravenous (IV) fluids as well as nasogastric tube (NGT), oral gastric tube (OGT), and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feedings and fluids. A pyelogram is a radiological procedure that permits the visualization of the urinary system.