Hematologic Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment

In the 1970s, the average lifespan for patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease was 14 years. Today, the average lifespan has increased to 50 years and beyond (TriHealth, 2012). The patient prognosis for many other hematologic disorders such as hemophilia and cancer continue to improve as well. This can be attributed to advancements in medical care—specifically drug therapy and treatment. When managing drug therapies for patients, it is essential to continuously examine current treatments and evaluate the impact of patient factors on drug effectiveness. To prepare for your role as an advanced practice nurse, you must become familiar with common drug treatments for various hematologic disorders seen in clinical settings.

To prepare:

Select one of the following hematologic disorders: anemia, hemophilia, cancer, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, thrombolytic disorders, or white blood cell disorders. Consider the types of drugs that would be prescribed to patients to treat symptoms associated with this disorder.
Select one of the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how this factor might impact the effects of prescribed drugs, as well as any measures you might take to help reduce negative side effects.

Hematologic Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post a description of the hematologic disorder you selected including types of drugs that would be prescribed to patients to treat associated symptoms. Then, explain how the factor you selected might impact the effects of prescribed drugs, as well as any measures you might take to help reduce negative side effects.

UNDERSTANDING NURSING MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS

? Statistical—built from a scientific approach ? Case study—an in-depth analysis used to translate to other clinical situations ? Nonexperimental design research—gathering factors related to a clinical condition ? Quasi-experimental design research—a study limited to one group of subjects ? Randomized control trial—uses both experimental and control groups to determine the

effectiveness of an intervention

While all forms of evidence are useful for clinical decision making, a randomized control design and statistical evidence are the most rigorous (Hader, 2010).

Magnet® Certification The Magnet Recognition Program® designates organizations that “recognize health care orga- nizations that provide nursing excellence” (ANCC, 2011). To qualify for recognition as a mag- net hospital the organization must demonstrate that they are:

? Promoting quality in a setting that supports professional practice ? Identifying excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients/residents ? Disseminating “best practices” in nursing services.

Becoming a magnet hospital requires a significant investment of time and financial resources. Research shows, however, that patient safety is improved when nurse staffing meets Magnet standards (Lake et al., 2010).

Systems involving participatory management and shared governance create organizational environments that reward decision making, creativity, independence, and autonomy. These orga- nizations retain and recruit independent, accountable professionals. Organizations that empower nurses to make decisions will better meet consumer requests. As the health care environment continues to evolve, more and more organizations are adopting consumer-sensitive cultures that require accountability and decision making from nurses.

Hematologic Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment