Capstone Project on Effects of Covid 19 on Mental Health
Question
In a 5-7 page written assessment, define the patient, family, or population health problem that will be the focus of your capstone project. Assess the problem from a leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy perspective. Plan to spend approximately 2 direct practicum hours meeting with a patient, family, or group of your choice to explore the problem and, if desired, consulting with subject matter and industry experts. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
Introduction
Nurses in all professional roles work to effect positive patient outcomes and improve organizational processes. Professional nurses are leaders in problem identification, planning, and strategy implementation—skills that directly affect patient care or organizational effectiveness.
Too often, change agents jump to a conclusion that an intervention will promote the envisioned improvement. Instead, the ideal approach is to determine which interventions are appropriate, based on an assessment and review of credible evidence. Interventions could be patient-facing or involve a change in policy and process. In this assessment, you’ll identify and make the case for your practicum focus area, then explore it in depth from a leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy perspective.
This assessment lays the foundation for the work that will carry you through your capstone experience and guide the practicum hours needed to complete the work in this course. In addition, it will enable you to do the following:
Develop a problem statement for a patient, family, or population that’s relevant to your practice.
Begin building a body of evidence that will inform your approach to your practicum.
Focus on the influence of leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy on the problem.
Preparation
In this assessment, you’ll assess the patient, family, or population health problem that will be the focus of your capstone project. Plan to spend approximately 2 hours working with a patient, family, or group of your choice to explore the problem from a leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy perspective. During this time, you may also choose to consult with subject matter and industry experts about the problem (for example, directors of quality or patient safety, nurse managers/directors, physicians, and epidemiologists).
To prepare for the assessment, complete the following:
Identify the patient, family, or group you want to work with during your practicum The patient you select can be a friend or a family member. You’ll work with this patient, family, or group throughout your capstone project, focusing on a specific health care problem.
Begin surveying the scholarly and professional literature to establish your evidence and research base, inform your assessment, and meet scholarly expectations for supporting evidence.
In addition, you may wish to complete the following:
Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you’ll be asked to complete and how it will be assessed.
Review the Practicum Focus Sheet: Assessment 1 [PDF], which provides guidance for conducting this portion of your practicum.
Note: Remember that you can submit all, or a portion of, your draft assessment to Smarthinking Tutoring for feedback, before you submit the final version for this assessment. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.
Instructions
Complete this assessment in two parts.
Part 1
Define the patient, family, or population health problem that will be the focus of your capstone project. Assess the problem from a leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy perspective and establish your evidence and research base to plan, implement, and share findings related to your project.
Part 2
Connect with the patient, family, or group you’ll work with during your practicum. During this portion of your practicum, plan to spend at least 2 hours meeting with the patient, family, or group and, if desired, consulting with subject matter and industry experts of your choice. The hours you spend meeting with them should take place outside of regular work hours. Use the Practicum Focus Sheet [PDF] provided for this assessment to guide your work and interpersonal interactions. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
CORE ELMS
Complete the NURS-FPX4900 Volunteer Experience Form in CORE ELMS. Include a description of your relationship to the patient, family, or group in the Volunteer Experience comments field.
Requirements
The assessment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.
Define a patient, family, or population health problem that’s relevant to your practice.
Summarize the problem you’ll explore.
Identify the patient, family, or group you intend to work with during your practicum.
Provide context, data, or information that substantiates the presence of the problem and its significance and relevance to the patient, family, or population.
Explain why this problem is relevant to your practice as a baccalaureate-prepared nurse.
Analyze evidence from peer-reviewed literature and professional sources that describes and guides nursing actions related to the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined.
Note whether the authors provide supporting evidence from the literature that’s consistent with what you see in your nursing practice.
Explain how you would know if the data are unreliable.
Describe what the literature says about barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practice in addressing the problem you’ve defined.
Describe research that has tested the effectiveness of nursing standards and/or policies in improving patient, family, or population outcomes for this problem.
Describe current literature on the role of nurses in policy making to improve outcomes, prevent illness, and reduce hospital readmissions.
Describe what the literature says about a nursing theory or conceptual framework that might frame and guide your actions during your practicum.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies could affect the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined.
Describe research that has tested the effectiveness of these standards and/or policies in improving patient, family, or population outcomes for this problem.
Describe current literature on the role of nurses in policy making to improve outcomes, prevent illness, and reduce hospital readmissions.
Describe the effects of local, state, and federal policies or legislation on your nursing scope of practice, within the context of this problem.
Propose leadership strategies to improve outcomes, patient-centered care, and the patient experience related to the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined.
Discuss research on the effectiveness of leadership strategies.
Define the role that you anticipate leadership must play in addressing the problem.
Describe collaboration and communication strategies that you anticipate will be needed to address the problem.
Describe the change management strategies that you anticipate will be required to address the problem.
Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
Additional Requirements
Format: Format your paper using APA style. APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] is provided to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include:
A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
Appropriate section headings.
Length: Your paper should be approximately 5–7 pages in length, not including the reference page.
Supporting evidence: Cite at least five sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than five years old. Provide in-text citations and references in APA format.
Proofreading: Proofread your paper, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on its substance.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Lead people and processes to improve patient, systems, and population outcomes.
Define a patient, family, or population health problem that’s relevant to personal and professional practice.
Competency 2: Make clinical and operational decisions based upon the best available evidence.
Analyze evidence from peer-reviewed literature and professional sources that describes and guides nursing actions related to a defined patient, family, or population problem.
Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies could affect a defined patient, family, or population problem.
Competency 7: Implement patient-centered care to improve quality of care and the patient experience.
Propose leadership strategies to improve outcomes, patient-centered care, and the patient experience related to a defined patient, family, or population problem and document the practicum hours spent with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.
Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.


Solution
Capstone Project on
Effects of Covid 19 on Mental Health
Part 1
Coronavirus has become a
global pandemic since 2019 December. After it emerged from Wuhan, China has
profoundly impacted most aspects of society, including physical and mental
health (Frawley et al., 2021).
My capstone project will focus on covid 19 effects on mental health as a health
problem for individuals and their families. This subject is important as it
will solve the limitation to maximum quality health care. Despite age and race,
every individual can contract the coronavirus, leading to severe disease. The
focus will be on individuals diagnosed with coronavirus and what post-mental
effects are experienced with coronavirus diagnosis and treatment.
Having been a worldwide
issue, covid 19 information has reached most individuals, which has created
stigmatization on those who acquire it. I have selected a friend of mine, Mr.
Alfred, a nurse diagnosed with coronavirus 19 and has undergone treatment. I
will be working with him in my whole practicum to complete this project. The
meeting will aid in the realization of mental health effects from coronavirus
disease diagnosis. I shall have two hours meeting with him to explain the
development of his mental illness after he was diagnosed with covid 19 as he
claims that he developed symptoms like difficulty in eating and sleeping, loss
of interest in what he loved doing and social withdrawal.
Mental health is an
important aspect of all health systems, and it has been an issue of concern in
the whole world. Particularly, the mental health challenge may not only be on
the diagnosed individual but their family as well as they are overwhelmed with
stress and worry (Frawley et al.,
2021). Research has shown that covid 19 has brought about psychological
effects like in the UK, where a study was carried out in March 2020 to identify
the impact of the pandemic on individual mental status. It was discovered that
more than 64% of families and households experienced at least one effect on
their mental status and well-being, like sleeping difficulty and eating
difficulty.
It is evident based on a study that the
rapidly sweeping pandemic is creating fear and worry among populations, and
it's more severe for those who test positive hence it is a matter of concern.
People tend to experience psychopathy after disasters, and covid 19 has
developed rapidly as a natural disaster hence a major concern for
post-traumatic stress disorder (Javed et al., 2020). Expounding on this matter
will help save a lot of individuals from succumbing to mental illnesses as a
result of contracting covid 19 and the set guidelines like quarantine and
isolation as it comes with feelings of loneliness, anxiety, fear and sadness.
Leadership,
collaboration, communication, change management, and policy are important
factors in approaching a particular population's health problem to develop
specific solutions (Frawley et
al., 2021). Good leadership, education, approach and management can be
well done to enhance solving the challenge. Every nurse should be a leader by
looking for solutions to patients' problems and promoting quality care and good
disease progression (Javed et al., 2020). As a leader, a nurse should develop
solutions for preventing psychological and emotional torture on individuals
diagnosed with covid-19. By creating an understanding atmosphere and helping
them through the condition, they can overcome post-trauma and mental problems.
Patients who test positive for COVID -19
experiencing mental disturbances and conditions can be viewed as a failure of
proper collaboration between the health stakeholders. This involves the
patients themselves, the nurses, the community, and the public health officers
responsible for educating the community. Proper communication to the community
about the disease, how it is transmitted, and its treatment can help lower the
mental problems that arise from quarantine isolation, testing positive and
treatment.
A system of health that can accommodate change
and manage it amidst the pandemic can help solve the particular challenge.
Changing the approach to this individual can help lower the psychological
problems they may experience. Lastly, policy considerations are important as
the policies affect the practice. A solution can be obtained with a better
policy that would favor the old susceptible individuals (Holmes et al., 2020).
The pandemic is causing changes, which is to the general population and health
care providers. They should now focus on psychological aspects when dealing
with patients affected by the pandemic.
As a nurse, it is my
responsibility to mitigate the effects on mental health caused by pandemic
situations. Explaining and
solving this problem will help improve the prognosis of individuals affected
mentally by the outbreak, either directly or indirectly. The project will aid
in understanding how to create a relationship with affected patients to enhance
communication and effect change (Younas & Quennell, 2019). Various research has been undertaken on the role of nurses in solving
mental problems caused by covid 19, and it is evident that with the nurse
building a good relationship with the patients and the families through
communication and promoting healthy behaviors can help reduce the adverse
effects of covid 19 on psychological status (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020). Nurses should listen to their
patients displaying leadership skills and collaborate with family members to
help the individual focus on those at higher risk like children, teens, and
older patients.
Communication about covid 19 has spread through
the media, creating tension and fear among individuals. (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020) confirms that public
stigma has been a great barrier to achieving good mental status during the
pandemic. As everyone is afraid of it, even wrong information has been spread,
creating psychological torture to those infected. The present policy and guidelines
have created a particular way of dealing with covid 19 patients. Despite being
measures to positive outcomes, it has been a barrier to attaining free mental
conditions as the policies create shame and stigma brought about by isolation
and self-quarantine. The nature of the disease has also proven how it is
complicated in its management as it is highly communicable, so patients need to
be isolated (Holmes et al., 2020). Nursing theory in the management of mental
illness states what nurses should do to patients and how they should do it.
Nursing theory aids nurses in improving the quality of life, promoting
self-care and self-efficacy for patients, and stress control to patients
experiencing covid 19.
Solving the issue will require interdisciplinary
interventions as research proposes. The health care providers should take the
leadership role in guiding patients in their healing journey, protecting them
from mental torture (Holmes et al., 2020). This will integrate coordination from nurses,
doctors, pharmacists, councilors, public health officers, and the community in
positive communication and promote healing rather than discouraging and wrong
information. Additionally, changes should be implemented and managed in this
period, as this pandemic requires diverse interventions (Younas & Quennell, 2019). The changes should
be applied to favor good mental health. Lastly, in solving this issue of mental
conditions developing in the face of coronavirus disease, policy should be
changed and adjusted to not severely cause post-traumatic stress disorders.
Part 2
I reached out to a friend
of mine, Mr. Alfred, 45 years old, who had been diagnosed with covid 19 and had
a conversation with them on their mental status and identifying if the
diagnosis impacted their mental and psychological condition. The individual is
a father of two kids, a husband, and a registered nurse in a health facility. On
the scheduled meeting, I have planned to ask the certain individual issues to
help ascertain if covid 19 affects mental health to develop relevant
interventions in implementing solutions. The meeting will help explore the
health challenge and the approach methods to solving it by creating a deeper
understanding from an individual level. The rationale for choosing the
individual is because I work with him and saw how he developed mental
conditions after being diagnosed with covid 19 despite being a health care
provider. The age of the patient and a reason for selecting him as he is
middle-aged help determine the factor of age in solving health problems. This
will help enlighten individuals who may have developmental conditions despite
their profession and age.
Presenting my ideas and
knowledge about the problem will be through asking Mr. Alfred questions as he
answers. Mr. Alfred is to share his experience from when he was diagnosed to
the treatment process and healing, where he acknowledges experiencing mild to
severe symptoms of mental health condition. At the meeting, what is expected to
learn from him is how he received the news that he was covid 19 positive as it
is where all the psychological concept begins. Nurses should learn to
communicate such information to avoid severe mental illness. His family
received him, how he went to isolation, and his experience explained more
aspects in the meeting. These questions will be relevant in giving a deeper
explanation for the concept of concern.
The meeting will further
expound on the role of nurses in his healing process. How they ether impacted
his mental status either positively or negatively. He will further explain what
missed that he thinks led to his mental disruptions. The purpose of the meeting
is to find how leadership failed in the management of Alfred, causing him to
developmental conditions, which coordination that is relevant lacked in his
management. The meeting will be a success with implementing the necessary
communication needed to prevent mental problems for him. I will listen
attentively to him as a good leader, portray leadership ask the relevant
question, create a good rapport with him to enhance communication, and encourage
him that the necessary changes can be done to prevent future occurrences like
the one he experienced hence implementing change management skills.
The two-hour meeting will
help understand the change management that should be implemented and policy
considerations to avoid poor mental health for patients with covid 19. The
project will finalize by explaining how integrating nursing professional
standards into practices will help solve the issue of patients developing
mental illness in the face of the covid 19 pandemic. This will include the cost
of care, government policies, and the general nursing standards for health care
provision. The expected barrier is breaching confidentiality as the individual
will have to explain personal details and cultural and social disparities. The change
management strategy for this is educating the client before the meeting on that
need for personal information. For sociocultural issues, changes to enlighten
and educate society can be implemented.
References
Frawley, T., Van Gelderen, F., Somanadhan, S.,
Coveney, K., Phelan, A., Lynam-Loane, P., & De Brún, A. (2021). The impact
of COVID-19 on health systems, mental health, and nursing potential. Irish
Journal of psychological medicine, 38(3), 220-226.
Holmes, E. A., O'Connor, R. C., Perry, V. H.,
Tracey, I., Wessely, S., Arseneault, L., ... & Bullmore, E. (2020).
Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for
action for mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6),
547-560.
Javed, B., Sarwer, A., Soto, E. B., &
Mashwani, Z. U. R. (2020). The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic's impact on
mental health. The International Journal of health planning and
management, 35(5), 993-996.
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020).
Mental health and the Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of
Medicine, 383(6), 510-512.
Younas, A., & Quennell, S. (2019). The
usefulness of nursing theory‐guided practice: An integrative review. Scandinavian
journal of caring sciences, 33(3), 540-555.




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