CAPSTONE PROJECT CHANGE PROPOSAL

Table of Contents

Capstone Project Change Proposal NameInstitutionInstructorCourseDate Capstone Project Change ProposalBackgroundExcessive weight negatively affects individuals as this may lead to the development of health related issues such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases. If these diseases affect employees, this affects their productivity leading to poor organizational outcomes (Hruby et al., 2016). One important area is the healthcare sector where research indicates an increased rate of obesity that has negatively affected employees in various ways. Since employees have a limited time to implement some of the preventive strategies such as regular exercise, this increases the risks associated with excessive weight (Hruby et al., 2016). However, healthcare facilities can implement worksite programs where employees can participate in these programs in their employment facilities. These programs may involve a dietician to guide employees on the healthiest foods to take, trained personnel to educate employees on healthy lifestyles, and exercises that can be performed at the facility (Hruby et al., 2016).Problem StatementDue to the change of lifestyles where individuals spent more time watching the television and eating unhealthy foods as most of these foods are easy to prepare, the number of cases of individuals having obesity and other weight related issues has risen over the past decade (Poulsen, Cleal, Clausen, & Andersen, 2014). This raises an alarm that certain measures should be implemented since most of these diseases have no cure and lead to a high mortality rate. This makes prevention the best option to help individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles and eat healthy diets to maintain a healthy weight (Poulsen et al., 2014). However, employed individuals may face a challenge in implementing some of these interventions as most of their time is spent in their employment facilities where the rest of the time is spent relaxing to regain energy for the next day. This has led to an increased number of workers being affected by obesity that in turn affects their productivity (Poulsen et al., 2014). An unhealthy workforce means that objectives will not be effectively met as most of their energy and resources is spent in managing their health instead of providing quality healthcare services to patients. One of the most effective interventions that can be implemented in the work environment is worksite programs that provide an opportunity to members of an organization to participate in weight management exercise (Poulsen et al., 2014). Purpose of the Change ProposalThe purpose of the change proposal is to help in achieving healthcare goals that aim at improving the health status of all American citizens including healthcare workers. Since healthcare workers are responsible for providing healthcare services, it is important that they also address their health (Tabak, Hipp, Marx, Brownson, 2015). This will enhance productivity since healthy workers are able to perform diverse functions effectively leading to a high performance. A high performance in the healthcare facilities means that healthcare objectives will be achieved (Tabak et al., 2015). The American Nurses Association defines a healthy nurse as a nurse who is mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. If this change is not implemented, a sick workforce may further affect the healthcare sector which is also having a nursing shortage as this further affects the performance of this crucial sector (Tabak et al., 2015). PICO(T)Due to the importance of healthcare staff in enabling healthcare organizations to achieve healthcare goals, it is important for them to maintain a healthy weight to avoid some of the negative issues associated with excessive weight (Maguire, Li, Cunich, & Maloney, 2019). One of the interventions that can be beneficial to healthcare workers involves participating in worksite programs that are favorable to them compared to other home interventions. This is because work site programs encourage workers to participate in these programs as they are implemented in the work environment where workers can collaborate in participating in these programs (Maguire et al., 2019). This will help in improving diet and physical behaviors to reduce weight during five years of their employment. Literature Search Strategy EmployedDifferent research articles have been published to provide more insight into the importance of the change process to healthcare workers as well as the healthcare sector in achieving its objectives (Bottomley, Pryjmachuk, & Waugh, 2018). These articles provide adequate information and knowledge related to this problem as well as other aspects that impact this issue. Most of these articles can be accessed in the school library which contains credible and reliable peer-reviewed articles that can be incorporated in research to provide important information to scholars and researcher (Bottomley, Pryjmachuk, & Waugh, 2018). Other articles can be accessed through the internet on academic sites that have been developed to provide useful information to students and lecturers. One of the challenges encountered in using other websites was determining the credibility of information accessed through these sources (Bottomley, Pryjmachuk, & Waugh, 2018).Evaluation of the LiteratureOne of the research articles used in this CAPSTONE project is “The evolution of public health ethics frameworks: systematic review of moral values and norms in public health policy” by Abbasi, Majdzadeh, Zali, Karimi, & Akrami (2018). This article aims at identifying the evolution of public health ethics frameworks, moral values, and norms in public health practice and policy. The second article “Determinants and Consequences of Obesity” by Hruby et al (2016) reviews the contribution of studies regarding nurses’ health in addressing risk factors that contribute to the development of obesity. The third research article is “Work, diabetes, and obesity: a seven-year follow-up study among Danish health care workers” by Poulsen, Cleal, Clausen, & Andersen (2014). This article provides knowledge about the influence of occupational factors on the risk of developing diabetes. The article by Yeh et al (2019) “Morbidity associated with overweight and obesity in health personnel: a 10-year retrospective of a hospital-based cohort study in Taiwan” is an article that investigates morbidity associated with obesity in health professionals. The fifth article is “Evaluating the effectiveness of an evidence-based online training program for health professionals in eating disorders” by Maguire, Li, Cunich, & Maloney (2019). This article determines the effectiveness of training programs to help healthcare practitioners in the early detection and treatment of individuals suffering from eating disorders to ensure the best possible health outcomes. The sixth article “Reducing obesity prejudice in medical education” by Matharu, et al (2014) aims at determining whether an educational intervention could diminish obesity prejudice. The seventh article that supports the Capstone project is “The Effectiveness of a Worksite Lifestyle Intervention Program on High-Risk Individuals as Potential Candidates for Bariatric Surgery: My Unlimited Potential” by Osondu, et al (2016). This article evaluates the impact of a comprehensive work-place lifestyle program on severe obesity among individuals at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease in a large diverse employee population. The last article is “Workplace Social and Organizational Environments and Healthy-Weight Behaviors” by Tabak, Hipp, Marx, & Brownson (2015). This article explores the relationship between workplace social environment and cultural factors and diet and physical activity behaviors and obesity among employees.Applicable Change or Nursing Theory UtilizedThe most effective nursing theory to utilize in implementing this change is the self-care theory by Dorothea Orem that focuses on improving the health of healthcare workers in diverse aspects (Butts & Rich, 2018). This theory also proposes that human beings should be responsible for their own care as well as caring for their families. One of the strategies to improve the health of individuals is through training and equipping individuals with adequate knowledge that can help them in improving their health (Butts & Rich, 2018). This theory can be used to successfully implement worksite programs where healthcare employees can be provided with the necessary educational materials and training to implement some of the healthcare interventions. After health care workers have gained the necessary knowledge, this can be used to promote self-care behaviors that enhance the achievement of the program’s objectives (Butts & Rich, 2018). Proposed Implementation Plan with Outcome MeasuresAn implementation plan will be useful in effective resource planning as well as utilization. Thus is important in directing healthcare leaders in effectively implementing these programs as well as achieving the desired objectives (Abbasi et al., 2018). The implementation plan will constitute strategies and steps that should be implemented at different times and can be used to benchmark the achievement of the desired goals. The first process in developing the implementation plan involves identifying the reasons why the change is desired and its benefits in the healthcare facility (Abbasi et al., 2018). The second process will involve determining the resources to be used in implementing the worksite programs. Other parties that will be involved in this process should also be included and their roles in the implementation process (Abbasi et al., 2018). Potential Barriers to Plan Implementation and How They Can Be OvercomeOne of potential barriers to plan implementation is inadequate financial resources that play a key role in providing important materials and other resources that are useful in the implementation process (Matharu et al., 2014). This is important since worksite programs will include training as well as the provision of educational materials to healthcare workers that are important in achieving the program’s objectives. This barrier can be addressed by looking for government grants as well as private sponsors to collaborate with healthcare facilities (Matharu et al., 2014). Another potential barrier in plan implementation involves uncooperative or unsupportive healthcare leaders who may not be interested in the program. This may lead to poor performance that may affect the achievement of the program’s objectives. This barrier can be addressed through a collaborative approach where healthcare leaders are involved in the planning phase to educate them on the importance of these programs to the health of healthcare workers as well as the facility (Matharu et al., 2014). This will enable them to participate in the decision-making process leading to effective decisions that may favor a large population. The third potential barrier to plan implementation involves administrative challenges that require the participation of stakeholders and healthcare leaders (Yeh et al., 2019). This is because of the different functions and responsibilities that should be played by different personnel. A failure in one area may affect the overall performance of the whole project. This process can be enhanced by effectively delegating duties to qualified and supportive personnel who will ensure that the program’s objectives are achieved (Yeh et al., 2019). ReferencesAbbasi, M., Majdzadeh, R., Zali, A., Karimi, A., & Akrami, F. (2018). The evolution of public health ethics frameworks: systematic review of moral values and norms in public health policy. Medicine, Health Care, And Philosophy, 21(3), 387–402.Bottomley, J., Pryjmachuk, S., & Waugh, D. (2018). Studying for your education degree: Critical study skills. St Albans: Critical Publishing.Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2018). Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice. Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning.De Winter, M., Rioux, B. V., Boudreau, J. G., Bouchard, D. R., & Sénéchal, M. (2018). Physical Activity and Sedentary Patterns among Metabolically Healthy Individuals Living with Obesity. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2018, 7496768. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7496768Hruby, A., Manson, J. E., Qi, L., Malik, V. S., Rimm, E. B., Sun, Q., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2016). Determinants and Consequences of Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 106(9), 1656-1662.Maguire, S., Li, A., Cunich, M., & Maloney, D. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of an evidence-based online training program for health professionals in eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 14.Matharu, K., Shapiro, J. F., Hammer, R. R., Kravitz, R. L., Wilson, M. D., & Fitzgerald, F. T. (2014). Reducing obesity prejudice in medical education. Education for Health (Abingdon, England), 27(3), 231–237.Osondu, C. U., Aneni, E. C., Shaharyar, S., Roberson, L., Rouseff, M., Das, S., & Feldman, T. (2016). The Effectiveness of a Worksite Lifestyle Intervention Program on High-Risk Individuals as Potential Candidates for Bariatric Surgery: My Unlimited Potential (MyUP). Population Health Management, 19(5), 368–375.Poulsen, K., Cleal, B., Clausen, T., & Andersen, L. L. (2014). Work, diabetes and obesity: a seven year follow-up study among Danish health care workers. PloS one, 9(7), e103425. Tabak, R. G., Hipp, J. A., Marx, C.M., Brownson, R. C. (2015) Workplace Social and Organizational Environments and Healthy-Weight Behaviors. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0125424.Yeh, T. L., Chen, H. H., Chiu, H. H., Chiu, Y. H., Hwang, L. C., & Wu, S. L. (2019). Morbidity associated with overweight and obesity in health personnel: a 10-year retrospective of hospital-based cohort study in Taiwan. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity: targets and therapy, 12, 267–274.Appendix Review of Evidence-Based Research Articles Supporting the Implementation of Worksite Programs For a successful implementation of worksite programs, healthcare facilities have a role to play by encouraging employees as well as providing adequate resources to ensure that the program does not derail (Osondu et al., 2016). Healthcare facilities can provide incentives can be included to encourage more healthcare staff to participate in these programs, as they are not mandatory. Campaigns can also be used in informing healthcare workers on the importance of participating in these programs to their health, patients, and healthcare facilities (Osondu et al., 2016). Collaboration is also an important aspect where healthcare facilities involve employees and other stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process. This enhances the implementation process of worksite programs as employees clearly understand the importance of these programs in improving the productivity of employees as well as in the achievement of healthcare goals (De Winter et al., 2018). These programs can also be adjusted to address individual needs of employees enhancing the outcomes of the programs. It is important to have a healthy workforce as this also helps in minimizing healthcare costs due to a reduced productivity (De Winter et al., 2018). This is because increased healthcare costs can negatively affect the achievement of healthcare goals by affecting the quality of healthcare services. This change process is important since an ignorance of this important aspect will affect healthcare workers as well as healthcare organizations in achieving the desired objectives (De Winter et al., 2018).Immersion Hours ComponentInclude your immersion hours for each week and the domains that they apply do. You should have this already in your journal. You will not have completed your hours for Week 10, but you can list them as: Projected Hours for Week 10