Kaplan, L., (2010).  2010 national health care reform: An initial overview of opportunities for nurses and nursing in Washington state.  Washington State Nurses Association.  Retrieved from: http://www.wsna.org/Topics/Healthcare-Reform/documents/2010%20HCR%20Issue%20Brief%20v1%20r1.pdf

This article begins by describing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its basic concept.  The author then goes on to provide a summary of the PPACA and the opportunities that will become available for nurses.  She discusses increased financial support and loan repayment programs as options to increase the supply of nurses.  She also discusses how the increased demand for nurses will offer greater job opportunities to advanced practice registered nurses. 

The author of this article seems very credible to speak on this topic.  She holds a PhD and she is an advanced registered nurse practitioner herself.  Also, the article is published in the Washington State Nurses Association, which increases the credibility of the article.  The information seems accurate and credible sources such as the American Nurses Association are used throughout the article.  Also, the sources are listed in a reference list at the bottom of the page.  The article was written in 2010, which means that the information is current.  The information provided also seems credible; the facts are written and backed up by sources.  Also, the author does not seem biased toward any side. 

I can use this source to describe the new job opportunities that are available for registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses.  I can also use this source to discuss the increased demand for nurses and what that means for nursing students.  

Wakefield, M., (2010).  Nurses and the Affordable Care Act.  American Journal of Nursing, 110.9, pg.11

This article explores the many opportunities that the PPACA will provide for nurses.  The author discusses the many loan and grants that will be set up and how they will affect nurses and nursing students.  A few different loans are described in detail, and the grant for Nurse Managed Health Clinics is described as well. 

This author seems very credible to speak on this topic.  She is a registered nurse and has a PhD, and she is the administrator of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.  The information provided seems very accurate; the author describes a few of the components of each of the loans available and simply gives the facts.  A link is provided at the bottom of the article for more information.  The article was also written in 2010, meaning that the information is current.  The information is objective and provides facts without bias.   

I can use this source to describe the many loans and grants that the PPACA provides for nurses.  I can use the information from this article to explain how the loans will allow more students to become nurses because they have increased financial means to do so. 

Sagion Times. (2010). [Photograph], Retrieved March 29, 2012, from: http://en.www.info.vn/society/facts/14481-ministry-has-no-solutions-for-hospital-overcrowding-drug-supply.html

I can use this image when explaining how increasing the nursing jobs while help prevent overcrowding.  The PPACA will allow more people to visit hospitals, so more nurses will need to be hired to care for all of these people.  

Bureau of Health Professions.  RN supply and demand projections, [Chart],  Retrieved March 30, 2012, from: http://www.nursingphd.org/articles/shortage.php

I can use this graph when explaining the projected need for nurses.  The demand outweighs the supply, so the PPACA offers several incentives for nursing students to solve this problem.  

Center for California Health Workforce. (2011). Projected shortage of registered nurses in California, [chart],  Retrieved March 30, 2012, from: http://www.nursingsalary.org/tag/health-care-reform

This is another graph describing the supply and demand for nurses, but I haven't decided which one to use.  This graph covers a greater time period, but it is unique to California.

Kuhs, R. (2011). [Photograph], Retrieved March 30, 2012, from: http://hni.com/what-we-do/benefits/health-care-reform-roadmap/?Tag=Patient+Protection+and+Affordable+Care+Act

I can use this image when describing the relationship of the PPACA with government provisions.  The government will regulate the funding for the grants and loans that will be available.  

US Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Projected change in total employment, selected health care professions, [Chart],  Retrieved March 30, 2012, from: http://www.mastersinnursing.com/guide/nurse-practitioner-vs-physician-assistant-which-career-is-right-for-you/

This image depicts the overall changes in employment for several health occupations from 2006 to 2016.  I can use this graph not  only to show how many more nurses will be needed, but also other related careers in the health field. 

2009.  Nurse job [photograph].  Retrieved March 29, 2012 from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36002442@N03/3328472479/

I can use this photo as the opening photo because it represents nursing and it will help convey the topic to the audience.

2009. Nursing job opportunities [photograph].  Retrieved March 29, 2012 from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36002442@N03/3329310108/

I can use this photo when discussing the effect of nursing job promotions on patients.  Increasing the number of nurses means that each patient can receive better care, as demonstrated by the nurse in the photo.  

Buerhas, P.  (2000). Number of projected open RN positions [graph].  Retrieved March 29, 2012 from: http://www.travelingnursejobsinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/nursing-job-shortage-2012.gif

I can use this graph when explaining how the PPACA will require thousands of new nurses to care for all the people obtaining health insurance.  The PPACA offers several job promotions and incentives in order to decrease the projected shortage. 

3/28

For my slideshow I decided to research the effect of the PPACA on nursing.  The written portion of my webtext explores the effect on physicians, but while completing my research I didn’t come across any information about how nurses will be affected.  This piqued my curiosity and I did some preliminary research about nurses and job promotion.

With a large increase in patients in the coming years due to the PPACA, more nurses will be required.  The PPACA offers several incentives to entice more people to join nursing programs and offers increased financial support for nursing students.  These steps will increase the overall care that patients receive.   

The PPACA will allow 30 million more people to receive health insurance, and these people will need nurses to care for them.  Whether in hospitals or clinics, more nurses will be needed in the coming years to accommodate patient growth.  The PPACA combats this issue by providing several grants to help students achieve their goal of becoming a nurse.  For example, the Nursing Workforce Diversity allows students with disadvantaged financial backgrounds to become nurses by offering them long-term loans to pay for school.  They can stretch the payment period out to make smaller payments that are more affordable.   The PPACA will also allow nursing students to borrow up to $4,000 more than they could before, which is almost a 25% increase.  Providing these financial options encourages growth in the nursing field.  More individuals will be able to afford nursing classes than ever before.   Also, the PPACA will provide $50 million to fund health clinics managed by nurses (NMHCs), which provides nurse practitioners and midwives greater opportunities to help patients. 

Increasing the workforce of nurses will promote increased patient care because more nurses will be available to care for the new and existing patients.  More nurses are needed to fill the void left by the 30 million new patients that the PPACA will bring in.  Also, increasing the amount of nurses will provide thousands of jobs for Americans.

I believe that this topic is well-suited to an audio/video presentation because I can use images such as graphs or charts to better explain the statistics, such as the projected increase in nurses, the amount of money available for nursing students, etc.  I can use graphs found online or make my own with Excel.  I can also use images to convey the nurse/patient aspect.  This slideshow will complement the collaborative project because it examines the effect of the PPACA on the field of nursing.  It also addresses the issue of overcrowding and explains how the PPACA will attempt to resolve this problem.   Along with the shortage of physicians, a nursing shortage will affect patient care, and job promotion hopes to overcome this issue.   

3/21

Podcasts and written essays are both texts, but there are some differences between them.  For example, a podcast is written to sound more conversational while a written essay is usually more formal.  The author writes a podcast in a manner that seems to speak to the listener.  Podcasts are spoken aloud, so the author can use different tones to convey emotions easily.  Also, a podcast is usually much shorter than an essay.  An essay tends to go into more detail while a podcast gets the point across quickly.  I think these differences are so because podcasts seem to communicate with the reader while essays are more formal and closed to communication.  Essays provide the information and usually don’t offer any contact between the author and reader. 

However, written essays and podcasts can have the same purpose.  Whether to inform, entertain, or persuade, both provide information to a reader or listener.  Supporting evidence is provided to back up the main ideas.   Sources are also used in each provide more credibility to the author.  Also, both usually consist of an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.  

3/15/12 Research Protocol

I will be interviewing Dr. Stevan Vuckovic, the assistant director of the emergency room at St. Anthony’s.  I will call in advance to schedule an appointment to request an interview.  Dr. Vuckovic is in his office two days a week, so I will try to get an appointment on a day that he has some free time.  I am conducting this interview in order to determine if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has had an effect on emergency departments in the area.  I will ask questions that determine if overcrowding and shortages of health care professionals have occurred in this specific emergency room.  While visiting the emergency department, I can also observe how busy the department seems, as well as note how busy the waiting room is.  I will prepare for this interview in advance by composing a list of questions that will determine if my thesis is correct.  I will then ask these questions as well as questions that are posed by Dr. Vuckovic’s answers.

           

From this primary research I hope to learn how the PPACA effects emergency departments in the eyes of a physician.  Physicians know the inner workings of the emergency department, so insight from this point of view will be very valuable to my research.  I also hope to determine if the passing of the first few components of the bill has had any noticeable effects thus far.  I can compare findings from previous years to recent times in order to determine the effects.  Finally, I hope to learn how the standards of patient care have been affected by recent changes due to the PPACA.

Questions I will ask:

1.  Have you noticed any significant overall changes in the emergency department since the passing of the PPACA?  What are they?
2.  Has overcrowding become more apparent since the passing of the PPACA?
3.  Have you noticed more patients on Medicaid visiting the emergency room?
4. How often do you treat patients who come to the emergency room in place of a doctor visit?   Has this number increased recently?
5.  How has the wait time to be seen been affected?
6. Are shortages of health care professionals prevalent?
7. Has the level of care that patients receive been altered in any way?  How so?
8. What effects do you expect after the full integration of the PPACA for emergency medicine overall?
9.  How do you think the running of emergency departments will change?
10.  Do you believe that the PPACA will result in a positive outcome for emergency medicine?  Why or why not?

3/15/12

While studying various printed and online sources, I have realized that online text appeals more to the reader than printed text.  Text online is written in small, scan-able sections that are easy on the eyes, while a printed essay is written in a continuous section.  I think more care is taken when writing online because readers can easily find another source with similar information on the web.  Online text can also utilize lists and bullet points, while a printed essay only uses paragraphs.  This type of listing makes scanning easier for the readers. 

While both types of sources contain the same basic information, a text like a podcast uses the inverted pyramid style to provide information.  Essays follow a strict format, with the introduction followed by the supporting paragraphs.  Texts such as a podcast provide the important information first to make sure the reader gets the most important information out of the article.  I believe text online is written in this manner because even if the readers just scan the content, they still get the vital information.

Also, the information provided in an online text often does not go into as much detail as a printed source.  The main points are made and “fluff” information is usually not present.  While reading or listening to a podcast, too much information can seem overwhelming and detract the reader’s interest.  The reader may not use that particular source or they won’t remember pertinent points because they are lost in the insignificant details.

The language used in the two types of sources also differs.  Printed sources often utilize more technical, sophisticated language.  I have noticed that online sources usually use simpler language choices while still getting the point across.   I believe that online sources use simpler language because the authors want the readers to simply understand the main ideas, not get lost in sophisticated styles.  However, scholarly online sources still retain an educated, formal tone similar to that in a printed essay. 

Both sources of information use citations, but texts such as a podcast must verbally cite the sources.  Readers may not have a script to follow, so the sources must be spoken so the authors receive credit.  A printed essay can have parenthetical citations that link to a reference list.