For this assessment, you can use a supplied template to conduct a root-cause analysis. The completed assessment will be a scholarly paper focusing on a quality or safety issue pertaining to medication administration in a health care setting of your choice as well as a safety improvement plan. As patient safety concerns continue to be addressed in the health care settings, nurses can play an active role in implementing safety improvement measures and plans. Often root-cause analyses are conducted and safety improvement plans are created to address sentinel or adverse events such as medication errors, patient falls, wrong-site surgery events, and hospital-acquired infections. Performing a root-cause analysis offers a systematic approach for identifying causes of problems, including process and system-check failures. Once the causes of failures have been determined, a safety improvement plan can be developed to prevent recurrences. The baccalaureate nurse's role as a leader is to create safety improvement plans as well as disseminate vital information to staff nurses and other health care professionals to protect patients and improve outcomes. As you prepare for this assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Quality and Safety Improvement Plan Knowledge Base activity and to review the various assessment resources, all of which will help you build your knowledge of key concepts and terms related to quality and safety improvement. The terms and concepts will be helpful as you prepare your Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan. Activities are not graded and demonstrate course engagement. Demonstration of Proficiency By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria: Competency 1: Analyze the elements of a successful quality improvement initiative. Apply evidence-based and best-practice strategies to address a safety issue or sentinel event pertaining to medication administration. ; Create a viable, evidence-based safety improvement plan for safe medication administration. Competency 2: Analyze factors that lead to patient safety risks. Analyze the root cause of a patient safety issue or a specific sentinel event pertaining to medication administration in an organization. Competency 3: Identify organizational interventions to promote patient safety. Identify existing organizational resources that could be leveraged to improve a safety improvement plan for safe medication administration. Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly, evidence-based strategies to communicate in a manner that supports safe and effective patient care. Communicate in writing that is clear, logical, and professional, with correct grammar and spelling, using current APA style. Professional Context Nursing practice is governed by health care policies and procedures as well as state and national regulations developed to prevent problems. It is critical for nurses to participate in gathering and analyzing data to determine causes of patient safety issues, in solving problems, and in implementing quality improvements. Scenario For this assessment, you may choose from the following options as the subject of a root-cause analysis and safety improvement plan: The specific safety concern identified in your previous assessment pertaining to medication administration safety concerns. The readings, case studies, or a personal experience in which a sentinel event occurred surrounding an issue or concern with medication administration. Instructions The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to analyze a root cause of a specific safety concern in a health care setting. You will create a plan to improve the safety of patients related to the concern of medication administration safety based on the results of your analysis, using the literature and professional best practices as well as the existing resources at your chosen health care setting to provide a rationale for your plan. Use the Root-Cause Analysis and Improvement Plan [DOCX] template to help you to stay organized and concise. This will guide you step-by-step through the root cause analysis process. Additionally, be sure that your plan addresses the following, which corresponds to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Please study the scoring guide carefully so you understand what is needed for a distinguished score. Analyze the root cause of a patient safety issue or a specific sentinel event pertaining to medication administration in an organization. Apply evidence-based and best-practice strategies to address the safety issue or sentinel event pertaining to medication administration. Create a feasible, evidence-based safety improvement plan for safe medication administration. Identify organizational resources that could be leveraged to improve your plan for safe medication administration. Communicate in writing that is clear, logical, and professional, with correct grammar and spelling, using current APA style. Example Assessment: You may use the following to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like but keep in mind that your Assessment 2 will focus on safe medication administration. Assessment 2 Example [PDF]. Additional Requirements use the same topic from previous assessment one to complete this assignment Length of submission: Use the provided Root-Cause Analysis and Improvement Plan template to create a 4–6 page root cause analysis and safety improvement plan pertaining to medication administration.

Introduction to Public Speaking – Week 4 AssignmentOutlining a SpeechIn the past two weeks, you analyzed two different TED speakers, providing a section-by-section breakdown of their performance. This week, you will select another TED video to analyze, with a specific focus on their organizational process Visit TED.com and watch several TED speakers. Note that you can sort by topic, speaker, and a host of other criteria. You can watch any TED talk you wish—except for the one you watched for the Week 2 or Week 3 assignment. Also, make sure the TED talk has someone delivering a speech face-to-face, meaning you cannot outline a speech where it’s just a voice over (just voice presenting through PowerPoint or photos). If you’re looking a more concentrated list, you might also wish to visit this link, which highlights the 25 most popular TED talks of all time.Building upon this week’s lectures and reading, you will outline a talk given by someone else. As you do, think carefully and critically as an audience member. Try to identify clear introductory elements (attention-getter, thesis, credibility statement, preview, etc.), clear main points, transitions, and other devices of speech organization.Please see the attached outline template here. Download, complete it in Microsoft Word, and then upload the completed document to the assignment folder.View your assignment rubric.WEEK 4Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. Three Speech IntroductionsAs we move closer and closer towards the major speech assignments in this course, it is time to start thinking about how you can learn from all that you have read, observed, and learned this semester. In this week’s discussion board you will start thinking about the start of your speeches. Your task this week is to film yourself giving THREE separate introductions for your upcoming speech. By now, you should have begun planning your speech. Remember that it is those first words out of your mouth that really get your audience engaged. In your initial post, Film yourself in three separate clips (not one giant clip) giving a potential intro for that speech. Note that all intros will be on the same topic and for the same speech. Each intro should be decidedly different from the others; use different tactics in each. After getting our attention, please be sure to clearly state your thesis and give a preview of the points you will share in your speech at the end of each clip.Additionally, make sure to write a short statement in your post explaining which of your three introductions you think is the best and why?In your follow up posts, you will view all three videos of at least two other classmates (viewing a minimum of 6 videos total). You will then comment on the benefits and drawbacks of each, ultimately telling them which is your favorite and why, along with any further tips for enhancements.View your discussion rubric. WEEK 5Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. Children's Book & Speech ReflectionYes, of course, in this class, we talk about serious things. But public speaking can be fun, too! One of the best ways to learn/develop a speaking style is to step away from more loaded topics and explore the simple yet important roots of speech delivery. That's what you'll do in this assignment. This week’s discussion forum has three parts:Find/select a children's book (e.g., Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss). If you don't have access to one, visit a library or find one online. Read through the book several times to become familiar with it.THEN--record yourself in a video in which you PERFORM it using the principles of speech found in this week's chapters. While you can have the book in front of you, you'll need to be familiar enough to express eye contact throughout. Be sure to use the principles of delivery found in the textbook (movement, gestures, vocal variety, etc.). Do NOT give a manuscript/read delivery--think of this as reader's theater. Make it interesting! We want to be captivated by you!Finally, once you’ve finished reading the book, reflect on your upcoming speech. You know that next week is your first major speech. You’ve been preparing and now you’ve put into practice some of the tried-and-true mechanisms of audience engagement (the purpose of reading this children’s story aloud). What anxieties do you have about next week? Anything you are particularly nervous or uncertain about? Reflect on the work you’re doing for your informative speech next week.Along with your linked video, provide a short written post (75-150 words) that introduces the story you selected, what you think you did the best at, and what you think needs improvement.In your follow up posts, you will view at least two other posts by your classmates. Your responses should clearly reflect that you have viewed your peers entire recording. Comment on their performance AND their concerns about the upcoming speech. Offer them support, strategies, encouragement, and advice. Address the following in your replies:Their level of comfort (Did they seem comfortable in front of the camera? If not, what could they do to improve?)Their positioning (Could you see them from the waist up? Were they fully in the camera? Was the camera positioned appropriately? Was the background clean, professional, and clear of distractions?)Their vocalics (Were they loud enough? Did they annunciate their words? Did they talk too fast or slow? Did they seem passionate about the material?)Their nonverbals (Did they support what was being said with gestures? Did gestures make sense or were they distracting?) View your discussion rubric. Introduction to Public Speaking – Week 6 AssignmentInformative SpeechYour week 6 assignment is to construct an effective speech based on your new knowledge of all of the components of effective speaking that we covered in the past few weeks. This week, you will construct and delivery an informative speech. The good news? You’ve already got a good start on this process! In weeks 3 and 4, you began working on this—now it’s time to continue building from there to execute an effective informative speech. Your goal is to use principles of effective informative delivery to provide new information and/or clarity about a topic to your audience. Remember—you already chose this topic a few weeks ago and also started gathering sources!It is critical that you carefully review all course content (lectures, readings, etc.) before completing this task.Your overall speech should be 4-7 minutes in length and incorporate all of the principles of effective delivery. You will be expected to cite at least 3 academic articles on your topic. You will also be expected to follow all of the guidelines for effective speech delivery. Remember to utilize the speech evaluation worksheet to evaluate your performance on the first draft.You should never submit your first draft as your final assignment. You must first upload your first draft speech to the discussion this week for feedback from your peers. After receiving that feedback back, apply it, and create a final draft speech to turn in for this assignment. Submit only your best. You must submit a revised final draft speech (different from your first draft posted in the discussion) as your assignment for this week – you may not submit your first draft speech as your assignment.You must submit an outline along with your speech! Please use the outline template provided to you.View your assignment rubric.WEEK 6Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. Informative Speech Peer ReviewRemember that peer critique and self-critique are both important elements of improving public speaking. No one should submit a presentation that is their “first run”—multiple drafts are the only way we can guarantee success.In your initial post, you will submit a draft video of your informative speech to the discussion board for peer feedback. This will be a complete video of your entire speech; be sure that your link is set to “public,” so your peers have no problems when trying to access your video! You must provide a short written overview (75-150 words) of your speech: what is it about and what did you come across in your research that you found to be the most interesting?You must reply to at least two other peers. You will use the speech evaluation worksheet to evaluate each peer (specific instructions are available on that worksheet). You must reply to those who have not yet received feedback from another peer. Once everyone has received feedback from one other person, you should provide feedback to those who have not received a second round of feedback. Continue to follow this process to ensure everyone in the course has received an equitable level of feedback. Failure to submit your initial post by Sunday will result in an automatic deduction of 20% and may mean no feedback is provided to you.Be sure that your feedback aligns with the principles of our course (i.e., be sure your feedback doesn’t steer them the wrong way!). After reviewing the speech at least two times before completing this chart, you will put an “x” in the yes, no, or a little bit column of the speech evaluation worksheet; then, in the “comments” box, you should comment on performance. You will provide at least 2 sentences in each comment row, even if the speaker did well in that category. After you have completed the outline, in the Evaluative Summary portion, you should give an overall summary of the organization of this talk. Was it easy to follow? What could be improved?In your reply to peers, you will upload the completed speech evaluation worksheet as an attachment in the discussion board for the peer you evaluated. In the text area, copy and paste the overall evaluative feedback section (the very last step on the bottom of the worksheet).View your discussion rubric. Introduction to Public Speaking – Week 7 AssignmentPersuasive SpeechYour week 7 assignment is to build upon the momentum of last week’s informative speech. This week, you will provide a speech that has a specific persuasive appeal embedded within it. Your goal is to use principles of effective persuasive delivery to drive your audience towards action. At the conclusion of your speech, your audience should know what you’re asking them to do (e,g., adopt a new idea, cease engaging in a particular activity, continue engaging in a particular activity, avoid engaging in a certain activity, etc.).You must select a controversial topic for this speech. Remember to use principles of deliberating in good faith! Though you may speak on any controversial you wish, you must take a clear “side” and your argument should reflect a commitment to that side. Though you are not limited to the topics found here, you might find the ProCon website to be helpful starting place.In your speech, you must clearly demonstrate an understanding of the models, tactics, and strategies of persuasion. It is critical that you carefully review all course content (lectures, readings, etc.) before completing this task.Your overall speech should be 4-7 minutes in length and incorporate all of the principles of effective delivery. You will be expected to cite at least 3 academic articles on your topic. You will also be expected to follow all of the guidelines for effective speech delivery. Remember to utilize the speech evaluation worksheet to evaluate your performance on the first draft.You should never submit your first draft as your final assignment. You must first upload your first draft speech to the discussion this week for feedback from your peers. After receiving that feedback back, apply it, and create a final draft speech to turn in for this assignment. Submit only your best. You must submit a revised final draft speech (different from your first draft posted in the discussion) as your assignment for this week – you may not submit your first draft speech as your assignment.You must submit an outline along with your speech! Please use the outline template provided to you.View your assignment rubric.WEEK 7Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. Persuasive Speech Peer ReviewRemember that peer critique and self-critique are both important elements of improving public speaking. No one should submit a presentation that is their “first run”—multiple drafts are the only way we can guarantee success.In your initial post, you will submit a draft video of your persuasive speech to the discussion board for peer feedback. This will be a complete video of your entire speech; be sure that your link is set to “public,” so your peers have no problems when trying to access your video! You must provide a short written overview (75-150 words) of your speech: what is it about and what did you come across in your research that you found to be the most interesting?You must reply to at least two other peers. You will use the speech evaluation worksheet to evaluate each peer (specific instructions are available on that worksheet). You must reply to those who have not yet received feedback from another peer. Once everyone has received feedback from one other person, you should provide feedback to those who have not received a second round of feedback. Continue to follow this process to ensure everyone in the course has received an equitable level of feedback. Failure to submit your initial post by Sunday will result in an automatic deduction of 20% and may mean no feedback is provided to you.Be sure that your feedback aligns with the principles of our course (i.e., be sure your feedback doesn’t steer them the wrong way!). After reviewing the speech at least two times before completing this chart, you will put an “x” in the yes, no, or a little bit column of the speech evaluation worksheet; then, in the “comments” box, you should comment on performance. You will provide at least 2 sentences in each comment row, even if the speaker did well in that category. After you have completed the outline, in the Evaluative Summary portion, you should give an overall summary of the organization of this talk. Was it easy to follow? What could be improved? In your reply to peers, you will upload the completed speech evaluation worksheet as an attachment in the discussion board for the peer you evaluated. In the text area, copy and paste the overall evaluative feedback section (the very last step on the bottom of the worksheet).View your discussion rubric. WEEK 8Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. A Speech of TributeIt’s been a great eight weeks—why not celebrate it? OR put it to rest? This week, you’ve got an opportunity to do either as you reflect on the progress you’ve made since the beginning of this course.In your initial post, you will upload a video (no less than 90 seconds no more than 3 minutes), in which you deliver a speech of tribute. You may pick one of the following options:Option one: You will perform a celebratory toast to yourself and/or your classmates on the hard work accomplished over the course. Remember that a toast should be sincere and express a sentiment that is widely shared by those in attendance. Please highlight specific elements of the course and, in the process, discuss your growth, addressing how this course has helped you, areas you’d like to still work on, and how you think you’ll be able to use this content in your future.Option two: You will perform a eulogy for this course. It is, after all, dead after this week. A eulogy is a ceremonial speech that praises someone’s life and accomplishments; if you choose this option, you’ll eulogize our course as a whole (as it has now passed). Please highlight specific elements of the course and, in the process, discuss your growth, addressing how this course has helped you, areas you’d like to still work on, and how you think you’ll be able to use this content in your future.No matter which option you pick, remember to incorporate all of the principles of effective public speaking, adjusting to the rhetorical situation. You must write a short post with your video link (75-150 words) where you share how you feel about public speaking now, compared to when you started this course.In your follow up posts, you will view at least two other videos posted by your classmates and respond in a substantive way. Please be sure to review the guidelines for both uploading videos and succeeding in the course discussion forums before completing this task!View your discussion rubric.