Need Help With This Assignment?

Let Our Team of Professional Writers Write a PLAGIARISM-FREE Paper for You!

SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Essay, Nursing, Pages: 5

Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem

Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem

The growing elderly population presents an urgent challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Life expectancy has increased as a result of medical innovations, yet the healthcare infrastructure has not developed sufficiently to meet the multifaceted needs of elderly individuals. Geriatric patients, with their chronic conditions, cognitive impairment, and dependence, may need extensive and long-term care. Nurses are particularly important in providing and organizing such services, given that healthcare is being reoriented toward community-based and preventive healthcare: Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem.

The Socratic Problem-Solving Approach will be applied to this paper to discuss the issues related to geriatric care, evidence-based practice to address these problems, ethical considerations, and a possible interdisciplinary care model led by nurses as one of the possible sustainable interventions that can improve the quality of life of older adults.

Identifying the Elements of the Problem

Geriatric care is increasingly central to global healthcare policy and practice due to the demographic shift toward aging populations. It is projected that by 2050, the population of individuals 60 years and above will be doubling to more than two billion in the world (World Health Organization, 2024). Such patients often must contend with comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, and neurodegenerative disease, and need a degree of care that the existing acute-centered systems are not designed to provide. Moreover, a significant number of older patients have social isolation, financial deprivation, and deterioration of functioning and thus require the organization of care that would be individualized and focused.

Despite this reality, healthcare systems often lack specialized geriatric services. Geriatricians and trained gerontology nurses are in serious shortage. The aging population is often managed in non-specialized care, which fails to meet their particular requirements, resulting in more hospital readmissions, polypharmacy, and avoidable negative consequences (Jones & Dolsten, 2024).

Both formal and informal caregivers are overwhelmed and lacking in support. Further, Jones and Dolsten (2024) echoed that in most cases, untrained caregivers mishandle conditions such as dementia, which worsens the deterioration of patients.

The outcomes of this system problem are not merely clinical but economic and social as well. The strain on the emergency services, long-term care institutions, and family members keeps increasing. The underlying factors are the old patterns of care, the lack of integration in care delivery, inadequate education of caregivers, and a lack of emphasis on the community-based management of geriatric health. The mismatch between the demands of older adults and the capacity of the healthcare system to satisfy these demands will grow unless the system is reformed urgently.

Analyzing and Framing the Problem

Analyzing the geriatric care issue requires evaluating how systemic gaps have evolved alongside demographic changes. A reactive, hospital-based model of care is still predominant, and it does not help to promote prevention, continuity, or personalization. Older adults are known to access the healthcare system at the stage of acute exacerbation, which would be avoided through continuous, integrated care. This model is associated with overutilization of the emergency department and iatrogenic complications, including delirium, pressure injuries, or hospital-acquired infections.

Nurses are particularly well-positioned to observe these challenges. In clinical practice, older adults frequently present with complex medication regimens, unmanaged chronic symptoms, and psychosocial stressors. Time constraints and the absence of integrated care models tend to ignore these factors. Flaubert et al. (2021b) reiterated that multidisciplinary collaboration has a powerful impact on the outcome, especially when nurses act as leaders in care plan management, health status monitoring, and family education.

This problem is also shaped by societal and cultural values. The process of aging is perceived as a loss and not as a phase of life that needs empowerment and support. This means that services that enable independence, including home-based care, mental health services, and fall prevention, are under-utilized.

Restructuring the problem in terms of nursing implies that older adults have the right to independence, individual care, and respect. Geriatric care must depart on an ethical and professional level, focused on accepting decline, to a well-being maximization.

Considering Possible Solutions

Several strategies have been proposed to address geriatric care gaps, each targeting a unique aspect of the problem.

Age-Friendly Healthcare Systems (AFHS)

The AFHS model incorporates the 4Ms—what Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—into institutional practice. This model encourages healthcare providers to align treatment plans with patient preferences while minimizing medication-related harm and cognitive decline. Church (2024) notes that implementing AFHS principles in hospitals improves patient experiences and outcomes.

Caregiver Training Programs

Noel et al. (2022) conducted a randomized controlled trial showing that structured caregiver education significantly improved both caregiver confidence and patient cognitive function. These programs teach communication, behavior management, and daily care planning. Although cost-effective, such initiatives require follow-up support to maintain caregiver engagement and effectiveness.

Nurse-Led Interdisciplinary Teams

These models involve nurses leading coordinated care with physicians, therapists, pharmacists, and social workers. Flaubert et al. (2021a) demonstrated that these teams reduce emergency visits, improve psychological well-being, and enhance chronic disease control. Nurses act as advocates, educators, and coordinators, fostering trust with patients and continuity across settings.

Comparing these options reveals that while all are evidence-based, nurse-led teams offer the most holistic approach. They not only integrate caregiver training and align with AFHS principles but also empower nurses and decentralize geriatric care to more accessible community settings.

Choosing the Best Solution and Ethical Implications

Among the proposed interventions for improving geriatric care, nurse-led interdisciplinary teams offer the most effective and ethically grounded solution. These teams provide coordinated, person-centered care that enhances access, continuity, and overall outcomes for older adults. By placing nurses at the forefront of care coordination, this model ensures that elderly patients receive tailored interventions that address both clinical and social needs.

The model supports all the four ethical principles. The principle of beneficence is achieved by better outcomes and fewer hospitalizations. Nonmaleficence is fulfilled by avoiding medication errors and adverse events with the help of constant monitoring.

Respect for autonomy is achieved by involving patients in decision-making processes based on their values and objectives. Lastly, justice is enabled by reaching out to the under-served and home-bound segments of society.

Remarkably, this model also reduces ageism. It debunks the stereotypes about the capabilities of older adults and handles them with respect. With shared decision-making, cultural competence, and family voices, nurse-led teams can advance fair, respectful, and effective care for aging persons.

Implementation of the Proposed Solution

Effective establishment of nurse-led interdisciplinary care teams requires a multi-level, coordinated strategy that focuses on policy, education, technology, community engagement, and accountability. Firstly, health agencies need to assist with the policy by bringing bundled payments and value-based reimbursement systems that reward collaborative care. The regulatory bodies must also increase the scope of nursing practice to give nurses more power in planning care and managing cases involving geriatric patients.

Professional development is equally essential. Nurses should receive specialized training in gerontology, ethics, health coaching, and leadership. Continuing education programs must incorporate simulations, mentorship, and interprofessional collaboration, while certification in geriatrics can help establish standardized competencies across care settings. The process of coordination can be strengthened through the integration of technology that will allow shared access to electronic health records (EHRs).

Moreover, mobile applications serving home monitoring and virtual consultation would enhance continuity of care and diminish needless hospital visits. The involvement of communities and caregivers should also be prioritized. Care models should incorporate structured education, emotional support, and respite services for caregivers. Partnerships with community organizations and home visits can assist in identifying vulnerable older adults prior to emergencies.

Finally, the implementation should include robust outcome tracking. The effectiveness of the model will be assessed with the aid of such metrics as hospital readmissions, functional status, patient satisfaction, and caregiver burden. This model is well aligned with the sphere of care of Chronic Disease Management. Nurse-led teams can advance the quality of life and enhance the sustainable and long-term health of older adults by focusing on preventive, coordinated, and patient-centered practices.

Conclusion

The capability of the healthcare system to deliver services to aging populations will depend on its readiness to reshape its old acute-oriented models. Older adults face poor outcomes because of fragmented services, lack of support to caregivers, and systemic ageism. Through an ethical and Socratic approach to the analysis of existing scholarly evidence, this paper argues in favor of introducing nurse-led interdisciplinary care teams as the most efficient and fair method.

These models enable nurses to be at the forefront of coordinating care and family engagement, as well as creating meaningful and personalized healthcare experiences. With such an orientation coupled with the realization of the ethical dimensions and chronic disease management realm, the nursing profession can be at the forefront of providing competent, caring hands to the aging generation.

References

Church, K. (2024). Age-friendly health systems and meeting the principles of high-reliability organizations in the VHA. Federal Practitioner, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.12788/fp.0448

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021a, May 11). The role of nurses in improving health care access and quality. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573910/

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021b, May 11). The role of nurses in improving health equity. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573898/

Jones, C. H., & Dolsten, M. (2024). Healthcare on the brink: Navigating the challenges of an aging society in the United States. NPJ Aging, 10(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-024-00148-2

Noel, M. A., Lackey, E., Labi, V., & Bouldin, E. D. (2022). Efficacy of a virtual education program for family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 86(4), 1667–1678. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-215359

World Health Organization. (2024, October 1). Aging and Health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Question 

NOTES:
  • NO AI USE AT ALL
  • NO FALSIFYING OF RESOURCES/REFERENCES/CITATIONS
Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem or Issue

Write a 4–6 page analysis of your previously selected current problem or issue in healthcare, including a proposed solution and possible ethical implications.

Introduction
In your healthcare career, you will be confronted with many problems that demand a solution. By using research skills, you can learn what others are doing and saying about similar problems. Then, you can analyze the problem and the people and systems it affects. You can also examine potential solutions and their ramifications. This assessment allows you to practice this approach with the real-world problem you’ve selected.

Prepare
For this assessment, you will analyze the same current healthcare problem or issue topic area you selected for Assessments 2 and 3. To explore the chosen topic, use the first four topics of the Socratic Problem-Solving Approach for critical thinking (ATTACHED).

  1. Start by defining the healthcare problem or issue based on the selected healthcare topic.
  2. Provide details about the problems or issues that are part of the chosen topic, and identify causes for the problems or issues.
  3. Identify at least three scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles about the topic you are discussing by using articles you found for Assessment 2 or by searching the Capella library using the BSN Program Library Research Guide.

Write Your Paper

  1. Use scholarly information to explain a healthcare problem or issue related to your selected topic.
    • Cite credible, relevant sources to validate and reinforce the information used to explain the healthcare topic.
  2. Analyze the problem or issue.
    • Describe the setting or context for the problem or issue.
    • Describe the reasons that make the problem or issue important to you.
    • Identify groups of people affected by the problem or issue.
  3. Compare and contrast potential solutions for the problem or issue.
    • Describe potential solutions.
    • Compare and contrast your opinion with other opinions you find in sources from the Capella library.
    • Provide the pros and cons for one of the solutions you are proposing.

      Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem

      Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem

  4. Explain how the ethical principles (beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice) apply if your potential solution were implemented.
    • Describe what would be necessary to implement the proposed solution.
    • Explain what ethical principles need to be considered (beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice) and how they apply if your potential solution were implemented. How would bias need to be considered?
    • Provide examples from the literature to support the points you are making.
  5. Explain how the solution you present will benefit or help to improve your selected topic as it relates to at least one of the Four Spheres of Care:
    • Wellness, Disease Prevention.
    • Chronic Disease Management.
    • Regenerative/Restorative Care.
    • Hospice and Palliative Care.

Organize your paper using the following structure and headings:

  • Title page. (A separate page.)
  • Introduction. (A one-paragraph statement about the purpose of the paper.)
  • Identify the elements of the problem, issue, or question.
  • Analyze, define, and frame the problem, issue, or question.
  • Consider solutions, responses, or answers.
  • Choose a solution, response, or answer.
  • Implementation of the potential solution.
  • Conclusion. (One paragraph.)

Academic Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:

  • Length: Include at least 3–5 typed, double-spaced pages, in addition to the title page and reference page.
  • Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12 point.
  • Writing: Produce text with minimal grammar, usage, spelling, and mechanical errors.
  • Sources: Integrate into text appropriate use of scholarly sources, evidence, and citation style.
  • References: Use at least three scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles and three in-text citations within the paper. Visit Evidence and APA if needed. Use scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles published during the past 3–5 years that relate to your topic. Visit BSN Program Library Research Guide for help with research.

Example assessment: You may use the Assessment 5 Example [PDF] to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like. (ATTACHED)

Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

  • Competency 1: Apply information literacy and library research skills to obtain scholarly information in the field of healthcare.
    • Use scholarly information to explain a healthcare problem or issue.
  • Competency 2: Apply scholarly information through critical thinking to solve problems in the field of healthcare.
    • Analyze a healthcare problem or issue.
    • Compare and contrast potential solutions for a problem or issue.
    • Explain how a presented solution will benefit or help to improve a selected healthcare topic or issue as it relates to at least one of the Four Spheres of Care.
  • Competency 3: Apply ethical principles and academic standards to the study of healthcare.
    • Explain the ethical principles (beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice) that need to be considered if a potential solution were implemented.
  • Competency 5: Write for a specific audience, in an appropriate tone and style, in accordance with Capella writing standards.
    • Produce text with minimal grammatical, usage, spelling, and mechanical errors.
    • Integrate into text appropriate use of scholarly sources, evidence, and citation style.