Creative nursing
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Mitigation is one approach to addressing climate change, which focuses on reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Nurses play a critical role in mitigation to prevent the health impacts of climate change. Recommendations to mitigate climate change in higher education institutions reflect four themes: policy, people, process, and practice. This quality improvement project aimed to mitigate a metropolitan nursing school's impacts on climate change. ⋯ Nurses and higher education institutions play an important role in mitigating the human impacts on climate change through environmental sustainability initiatives. Barriers to adopting environmentally sustainable behaviors and incentives to support these behaviors also need to be examined and addressed in future projects.
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Falls are associated with enormous costs in morbidity and early mortality, as well as loss of safe, independent lifestyles for community-dwelling older adults. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an author-designed, easy-to-remember guide to fall prevention for community-dwelling older adults and enhance their awareness and knowledge of fall risks in the home. ⋯ The desired outcome was an increase in safety awareness and knowledge of fall prevention for community-dwelling older adults. Community-dwelling older adults with enhanced education on fall prevention will be more likely to be able to live independently within a safe environment.
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Unless we-in our professional and nonprofessional roles-learn the importance and practice of deliberate silence, engaged listening, and restrained response, we will miss the opportunity to provide our presence and comfort to those about whom we care. And unless we-as health care professionals-learn these lessons, we will miss the opportunity to do all of that and provide a more accurate, complete diagnosis and informed plan of treatment. Done well, these practices have application to all our relationships with patients, colleagues, family, and friends.
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This article explores the topic of workplace violence in the health care setting. A definition of workplace violence and those who are most vulnerable is provided. National and state legislation that addresses the topic of workplace violence will be discussed. ⋯ Lastly, strategies targeting workplace violence prevention and the barriers to implementing identified strategies will be discussed. Workplace violence is a rapidly growing concern for those working in health care. This article provides recommendations for legislative and workplace actions to protect health care workers.
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Disparities based on race that target communities of color are consistently reported in the management of many diseases. Barriers to health care equity include the health care system, the patient, the community, and health care providers. This article focuses on the health care system as well as health care providers and how racism and our implicit biases affect our medical decision making. ⋯ As a result, awareness of racism and its impact on health care delivery is low. I will discuss a training module that helps improve awareness around these issues. Until racial issues are honestly addressed by members of the health care team, it is unlikely that we will see significant improvements in racial health care disparities for Americans.