Option #1: Investigate and Interview

You have already chosen a topic and created a working thesis statement for your research paper topic. Find a non-profit organization (e.g., one that provides literacy instruction, a support group for cancer patients, a shelter that provides refuge for battered women) in your city that is connected to your topic. For example, if you are researching services for blind people, you might interview someone at the National Federation of the Blind.

Explain your assignment and request an interview with a staff member who is considered an expert in the field. Create 10 to 20 questions related to your thesis statement to ask the interviewee. For the writing assignment (Note that you should be conducting this interview yourself. You should not be summarizing an interview that someone else conducted):

• Create an introduction that includes the interviewee’s background. What is his/ her name? What is his/her position? How long has your interviewee worked at this organization, and what is his/her role there? These are just some of the questions that you can ask to help you build your introductory paragraph.
• Summarize the interviewee’s responses in approximately three cohesive body paragraphs.
• Finish with a concluding paragraph that explains how this interview helped you better understand your chosen research paper topic.

The guidelines and requirements for this assignment are as follows:

Remember to apply the concepts you’re learning in the course, including elements of grammar, punctuation, thesis development, and other skills.

Length: This piece should be approximately 1-2 double-spaced pages or 500 words.

Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• Course Title (Composition I)
• Assignment name (Summary Exercise)
• Current Date

Format:

• Last name and page number in upper-right corner of each page
• Double-spacing throughout
• Title, centered after heading
• Standard font (TimesNewRoman or Calibri)
• 1” margins on all sides
• MLA-style citations and Works Cited list for any sources used
• Save the file as .docx or .doc format

Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.

Post a thoughtful response to at least two (2) other colleagues’ initial postings. Responses to colleagues should be supportive and helpful (examples of an acceptable comment are: “This is interesting – in my practice, we treated or resolved (diagnosis or issue) with (x, y, z meds, theory, management principle) and according to the literature…” and add supportive reference. Avoid comments such as “I agree” or “good comment.”

References:

• Response posts: Minimum of one (1) total reference: one (1) from peer-reviewed or course materials reference per response.

Words Limits

• Response posts: Minimum 100 words excluding references.

Discussion 1

No matter where you work, customer service plays an important role. This is no different in healthcare, only we refer to this as patient experience. In this discussion, my organizations customer service/patient experience model will be discussed, as well as how well this model works, the customer service/patient experience model on my unit, how customer satisfaction is measured on the unit, and why customer service is now tied to reimbursement.

At Allegheny Health Network (AHN) there is a large focus on the patient experience. This is crucial to our daily operations, and has helped provide feedback about areas where we need to improve. At AHN we use surveys to improve and reflect upon the care we are giving for the patient experience model. This feedback allows us to look at where we need to improve and then work with management to implement these changes.

The model is based on the surveys that every patient receives when they are discharged from the hospital. This is then mailed back to our offices and reviewed for areas of improvement. This is effective in implementing change within the organization. One way this model has allowed us to better ourselves is by instituting quiet hours throughout the hospital. We have designated quiet hours from two to four in the afternoon and from seven pm to six am the following morning. This has given our patients time to rest and more importantly, heal (Allegheny Health Network, 2018). Another way that this has help our hospital to improve is by giving us insight to how we are doing with the current nursing shortage. This is an issue that is happening nationwide, and very few places are not affected by it. With these surveys we have been able to use recruitment to help boost our numbers where we needed nurses (Huber, 2014). The unit in which I work on does the exact same thing when we are given the scores as the hospital does, and we often work together with them to rectify any issues that may affect obstetrics.

Patient satisfaction is so entrenched in how we are reimbursed, resulting in millions of dollars either gained or lost from organizations like Medicare and Medicaid (Irvin, 2015). This is due to insurances not wanting to reimburse for poor quality, or perceived quality, of care.

In conclusion, it is important to ensure that as nurses we are providing the best patient experience possible so that we not only know we did the best we could, but we can also help ensure that the hospital is aware as well.

Resources:

Huber, D.L. (2014). Leadership and nursing care management. 5^th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Allegheny Health Network. (2018). Taken from: https://www.ahn.org/

Twedt, S. (2015). Quoting B. Irvin in Hospitals aim to increase focus on patient experience. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Taken from: http://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-bu…

Discussion 2

For the purpose of this post there will be a look into one organizations’ customer service/patient experience model. This model will be talked about furthermore in this post but to describe the type of model that is used to attempt to accomplish a positive experience for each patient admitted to this hospital. The mission statement for OhioHealth appears to be the center for the customer service models that are in use. The values, vision and mission of an organization are the cornerstone of it (Huber, 2014) and help to create the core of the customer service for that organization.

Customer service and the patient experience is a large part of any organization that involves health care. There are measures in place to acknowledge that care has been given to each and every patient and if it hasn’t been given properly than our management team will find out. This is accomplished through daily rounds done by our management team as well as clinical leaders that ask each patient about their experience with the care that they have been given by staff members. Along with these rounds there are also other opportunities for patients to acknowledge the care that they’ve been given with a form that can be filled out termed “power of one” which helps commemorate the care that was given to a patient by a staff member.

The customer service models used within our network are revolved around patient satisfaction and safety. One example of part of this model is intentional rounding which helps to decrease the rate of patient falls by having staff members purposely check on patients to anticipate their needs (Hanrahan, 2018). This has shown to be effective through a decrease in falls in all units which can be tracked through audits that are conducted routinely. Another example that has proven the effectiveness of this method is the feedback from patients, as previously discussed, when management members round to check on how patients stays are going. During this process our management team is better able to assess the level of care and customer service that patients are being given. With both of these methods all staff members can have a better understanding of the level of care that are being given to the patients and ensure that safe care is provided to patients. Along with both of those measures if there is an indication of lack of participation that result in negative reviews from patients than it is addressed directly with staff members, from having it broadly discussed during huddle or one on one with the management member and the staff member, it is discussed and looked into further if there is concern such as having a high rate of falls within a unit.

In addition to the focus on customer service and the patient experience being discussed in words another way to take a closer look at it is money. Finances on a unit can be directly affected by the care that is provided to the patient. One example on our unit is decreasing the rate of central line infections by ensuring that dressings are changed routinely, and hygiene is provided properly to each patient. Money can be saved by decreasing the cost on the hospital to having to pay back cost related to infections, falls, etc., which can be provided by providing proper care to each patient (Goetz, Janney & Ramsey, 2011). Customer service and patient care are mutually exclusive and part of ensuring that both can be continued to be done by an organization there must be finances coming in which can come in part by reimbursement processes.

As discussed throughout these paragraphs providing patient care and excellent customer service along with it help to keep many health care organizations open. In this day and age many companies compete for business and health care companies from hospitals to urgent cares and medical offices are part of that. Providing care to patients and having their feedback resonate to their loved ones and friends help to keep that company running. From rounding routinely to patients and taking that time to ensure that their care is being properly provided, customer service can be well provided to each patient.

References

Goetz, K., Janney, M., & Ramsey, K. (2011). When Nursing Takes Ownership of Financial Outcomes: Achieving Exceptional Financial Performance Through Leadership, Strategy, and Execution. Nursing Economic$, 29(4), 173-182.

Hanrahan, M. (2018, January 9). Intentional Rounding. Retrieved from https://ohesource.ohiohealth.com/departments/cs/_l… c=/departments/cs/Training and Development/Intentional Rounding/Intentional_Rounding_Associate_Training.pptx&action=default

Huber, D. (2014). Leadership and nursing care management. 5^th edition. St. Louis, Missouri:Saunders.

Six forum responses 150 words each with works cited. The forum posts are listed below that need responses. Two topics: international negotiation and American government.

Topic International Negotiation

Post 1:

When examining conflict, especially conflict between two nations within the international community, often resolution comes down to a third-party negotiator who is capable of mediating the disagreement towards resolution. Given the success of this system the international community has developed numerous entities and agencies that have been designed to ensure the swift end to international conflict. Entities of note include the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the European Union. These entities go so far as to negotiate common operating practices that each member state knows is expected of them. Under this agreed system, states have no option but to cooperate or face intervention from a host of disgruntled member states. When two nations still choose to disagree with one another and conflict over a topic of interest to the international community, these international orgaizations are called upon to shorten the conflict and suffering of those caught between the two agendas.

In William Ury’s book, The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop, Ury argues that it always takes two (or more) sides to fight but a “third-side” to stop the conflict. (Ury 2000, 118) given his premise there are no situations where the two sides who are conflicting with one another are capable of finding common ground by themselves. Ury’s approach is not without merit, as it borrows its foundational principals from the realism theory of international relations. The Realist perspective argues that every state within the international relations arena has its own agenda that it will protect. (Donnelly 2000, 9) Given both Ury and realism’s joint perspective it’s quite easy to understand the way in which the international community could begin to rely on the strength of ‘third-side’ actors. The international arena has seen the increased development and proliferation of these entities over the past few decades.

When realism is considered alone it may seem that there are few assumptions about international cooperation and conflict resolution that could be effective without the involvement of a third-party; however, the ‘liberalism’ international relations school of thought provides a counter argument. Liberalism contends that realism is correct throughout most of its premise, except that states are capable of transcending their own selfish agendas in the name of greater progress. Given this framework, there are situations where states could overcome their disagreements for the persuit of peace and the joint agenda of the conflicting nations. No longer bound by ‘draconian’ examinations of interstate cooperation, the greater community could see two nations working their issues out to benefit both parties, especially if they grow tired of violence and conflict.

Post 2:

The idea of a negotiation as just being the presentation of a “third side” to the story of any on-going conflict is an oversimplification of the negotiation process. Negotiation, compromise, and agreement do not make up the simply the “third side” to the story – there is much more involved both in the peace process as well as in the final product. Although negotiators often do help parties to reach an option that would be seen as the “third side,” it has come about due to involvement from both parties to reach an agreement that changes the status quo because the parties want to do so; therefore, the “third side” must contain credibility, fairness, and compromise by both sides.

Negotiators cannot dismiss the feelings of the parties involved, nor can they dismiss the personality interactions of the state leaders or the people involved in the negotiation process (Peleg and Scham 2010, 229). There could be many options, but the leaders, governments, and policies of the parties involved must be taken into account.

Furthermore, they must also understand the “red lines” (in other words each party’s no-go criteria on peace) as well as both party’s political constraints in order to ensure that both sides understand each other’s hard lines to negotiation (Ibid. 229-230). This is important in order to ensure that both parties understand where compromises might be necessary and possible in order to appease both sides.

It has been shown, too that negotiators do not just show up with a solution – it must be worked through with all parties involved and they must feel that everyone has had a fair shot at presenting their case and making the willing sacrifices. Multilateral organizations and agreements can be helpful advocates and can help to present a more unbiased approach to conflict negotiation (Jones 2011, 108).

Sometimes, however, there is also the aspect of human rights that must be taken into account – in other words it may not be the first side, the second side, or the third side at all, but right versus wrong in the case of human rights violations. International organizations and other third party negotiators “have an obligation to act as the voice of international human rights norms” when dealing with mediating a conflict (Jenkins and Goetz 2010, 264).

When a compromise and written agreement is finally reached in negotiations, it is important to realize that the “third side” of the story was considered by each of the parties involved and agreed upon, both having to make various sacrifices and thus potentially creating a “new” side to the story.

Post 3

In a world where the drive for power and the will to dominate are held to be fundamental aspects of human nature as the Classical Realists would argue, the necessity for International Organizations cannot be dismissed as some liberalists argue. According to Iriye 2002, IGO’s consists of institutions that come into existence through formal agreements among nations and represent their corresponding governments (Iriye 2002, Pg. 12-14). With that in mind, some liberalists argue that joining international organizations and institutions like the United Nations socializes some leaders so that their motivations are more benign (Dunne 2011, Pg. 103). I am convinced to a certain extent with this idea as I feel that even though classical realists argue that every man has within him the desire to rule or the desire for power (Dunne and Schmidt 2011, Pg. 90). When several leaders come together all from different IR theoretical backgrounds (liberalists, realists, constructivists) each decision they make comes collectively thus not leaving too much room for their individual biases based on their theoretical perspectives to impact important international relations issues “negatively”. Although I highly doubt if anything can be done to control the human desire for power accumulation as a classical realist would say, a part of the psyche of man, I do believe the liberalists argument to be of substance.

Because IGO’s result in socialization, they also create a convergence of state interests as participation in IGO’s constrains the interests and actions of states thereby making them more benign (Dunne 2011, Pg. 108). International non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International and intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations to name a few are very effective in fulfilling their mandates. International organizations have the potential to shorten disputes by assisting the process of negotiation between members as we have seen with the Arusha Peace Agreement. The agreement was negotiated between the RFP and the government of Rwanda to end their conflicts at the brink of the genocide that was to take place soon after. The agreement signed on August 4th 1993, however failed to implement the peace for which it was intended (UN.org 2001). However, while IOs might not be able to prevent conflict especially in Rwanda’s case for example, they are able to help limit its destructive impact and end disputes more quickly by aiding members overcome commitment issues, particularly with implementation mechanisms that force states to sign and uphold agreements (Hathaway 2007).

Keeping the International Council on Human Rights Policy 2005’s guideline in mind on what makes an effective national institution, I believe the United Nations to be of the most effective international organizations in dealing with conflict resolution. The purpose of the United Nations Organization as stated on their website is “to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends” (U.N. org, Article 1). However, while the UN may be among the most effective organizations in dealing with Conflict, the organization does have its shortcomings. According to Ramsbotham et al. (2011) “when wars have ended, post-conflict peace building is vital. The UN has often devoted too little attention and too few resources to this critical challenge. Successful peacebuilding requires the deployment of peacekeepers with the right mandate and sufficient capacity to deter would-be spoilers” (Ramsbotham et al. Pg. 198, 2011). Essentially, IGO’s should focus on the conflict resolution concept of state-building in order to “rebuild self-sustaining institutions of governance capable of delivering the essential public goods required to underpin perceived legitimacy and what it is hoped will eventually become an enduring peace” (Ramsbotham et al. Pg. 199, 2011). Building effective systems and institutions of government would ensure that the old systems of operation do not get reintroduced in the conflict zone which often leaves such countries in a much dire state. With both effective systems and institutions of government, countries like the Central African Republic which seem to be in an impasse state of conflict may build effective and legitimate institutions and practices of governance that meet basic human needs (Ramsbotham et al. Pg. 200, 2011).

Ultimately, as we come to the end of the class, one begins to wonder in reflection of the key conflict resolution question “is it possible, not just for individuals, but for societies, to learn how to manage internal and external conflict non-violently?” Although the outline of future conflict may at first appear overwhelming, not to mention the fact that the future is hard to predict, there is hope. Ramsbotham et al (2011), predicts that all four of the main types of large-scale conflict (Interstate conflict, Ethnonationalist conflict, Ideological-government conflict, Economic-factional conflict) will likely occur in the foreseeable future because of the “subterranean global drivers that generate them” (Ramsbotham et al. Pg. 418, 2011). The key to the end of the conflicts lie in effective negotiations for peace between the insurgents and the governments of the nations involved. I believe that long-term peace can be achieved through the implementation of the conflict resolution intervention principles and proper management of the natural resources of conflict ridden countries which may have contributed to the conflict.

Topic American government

Post 1

Lobbying involves more than persuading legislators. Professional lobbyists research and analyze legislation or regulatory proposals, attend congressional hearings, and educate government officials and corporate officers on important issues. Lobbyists also work to change public opinion through advertising campaigns or by influencing opinion leaders. The NRA is an example of a powerful lobbying group that uses direct and indirect methods to achieve their political goals and influence legislation when they can. The NRA uses the indirect method such as television commercials, radio, and now social media to publish messages on current agenda items. On the NRA website at the bottom of their page, they leave a message with instructions on how to contact your Congressmen directly to support the article of information on the page. They also have a donation for funding link on the website in order to make it easier to support the cause and professional lobbyist hired to research and analyze legislation, attend the congressional hearings, and educate government officials on the important issues they hope to change or influence opinions on using the direct method. These funds are also used for the advertising campaigns to influence the public’s opinion on issues and legislation. The NRA’s huge political influence over the past few decades is undeniable. It’s ability to score candidates at every level of government can and is extremely valuable as they have dumped millions of dollars into some of the key political races in states. By flexing its political muscle, the NRA has blocked funding for federal gun violence research, stalled presidential appointments and killed every significant piece of gun-control legislation introduced in Congress since the federal assault weapons ban of 1994. It appears that with President Trump backing the 2nd Amendment and the NRA, the group has lost its enemy from the last administration and must look for new ways to lobby their cause and push their agenda items.

Post 2

Seems like we are saving the best topic for last this week! I am sure being a class made up predominantly of military members and their families, that this one will be popular with a lot of y’all. (As an NRA Life Member since 2013, and since competition shooting and recreational firearms training is arguably my biggest hobby, between myself and my old man, we almost break triple digits in the number of firearms, some of which are belt fed *M-60 cough cough* for those other enthusiasts out there…) Something very near and dear to my heart is the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (Findlaw.com, 2017). There is one main organization that comes to mind when we think of the right to bear arms; The National Rifle Association (NRA). They advertise through a wide range of means. You can see ads on TV, billboards, magazines, kiosks at gun shows, and all other outlets. The whole purpose of the NRA is to promote responsible gun ownership, to protect the 2ndAmendment from being encroached upon, and to spread knowledge of firearms and firearms safety across the country. They even fund the construction of ranges around the nation (They just finished one near me a few months ago!). The only real enemies of firearms are rust and politicians. The NRA combats both; one, with a network of supporters that are guided in the right direction to make their voices heard by rallies and events, or even calling the congressional office in your area, which they provide the information to do so. The other, with weapons cleaning products marketed in aim to use profits towards the aforementioned values.

Anyone who pays attention to current politics knows that President Trump is a strong supporter of the NRA. In a recent article by fox news, the fact that President Trump had even addressed the NRA convention was a notable event. The last time that was seen was 1983 with president Ronald Regan (Fox News, 2017). The biggest advantage the NRA now holds is a very outspoken and opinionated President of the United States backing them. Fighting heavy opposition to their values in the last decade with a former President much more focused on gun control put a damper on what they could accomplish, however with President Trump taking the bulls-eye off their back, but also putting the spotlight on them to gain publicity, they should see a rise in memberships and support.

Another fact that the NRA specifically points to, especially when brought under metaphorical fire after literal shootings, is that their main goal is to promote “responsible gun ownership.” They have been on board with making background checks thorough and minimizing the risks of those unfit to posses firearms gaining access to them. While they are a very strongly conservative group, they do still take a logical stance on a level of government regulation that will greater benefit public safety.

Post 3

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has been the front runner for decades in advocating for marijuana to be legalized both medicinally and for recreation use. While not as influential as the other lobby groups that most are accustomed to seeing in the news (NRA, AMA, AARP etc.) NORML has slowly worked it’s way into the public eye with the multiple states allowing medical marijuana as well as Colorado and Washington legalizing recreational use of marijuana. Right now the main focus of NORML is ensuring that the CARERS Act will be upheld in the future, the CARERS Act would keep medical marijuana programs that take part in “production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, laboratory testing, recommending use, or delivery of medical marijuana in instances where these activities comport with state law” exempt from federal prosecution (Strekal 2017).

A large part of NORML’s tactics involved grassroot lobbying and providing scientific data to bolster their cause against marijuana prohibition. They have also been holding local meetings across states to help educate the public on the the benefits of medicinal marijuana to combat opioid addiction and epidemic in the nation, as well as providing education attempting to debunk the stigma that comes with marijuana use. NORML has been heavily using grassroot lobbying to gain momentum, NORML has brought together over 150 local chapters that are active in their states (NORML 2017). A recent study has shown that “Hospitalization rates for opioid painkiller dependence and abuse dropped on average 23 percent in states after marijuana was permitted for medicinal purposes” and a study conducted in 2014 by Dr Marcus Bachhuber found that deaths from opioid overdoses fell by 25 percent in states that legalized medical marijuana (Fox News 2017). With studies like these seemingly having a hard time making it to a large amount of the public, NORML pushes to reform marijuana laws by bringing studies such as this to the light of the public.

Evaluate the current compensation philosophy for your organization or an organization of your choosing (from a third-person perspective). Write a four-to-five page paper (not including the title and reference pages). Your paper should be written in a scholarly third-person tone; it should be in APA format. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, your paper should address the following:
a.Evaluate the organization’s current compensation philosophy and propose ways to enhance or revamp the current compensation philosophy to meet the changing needs of the organization and its employees.
b.Examine key factors within the internal and external environment including the mission and strategic focus of the organization, as well as the financial and cultural aspects of your organization (i.e., they cannot have a compensation philosophy where they “lead” the market if the organization does not have the financial resources) that should influence this philosophy. The proposed philosophy itself should be no more than a short paragraph.
c.Identify the key factors that should contribute to the organization’s development based on your proposed organizational philosophy.
Remember to write from a third-person perspective. Do not include wording like “my company’s philosophy is …” Instead include wording like “XYZ Company Name’s philosophy is …” Remember to write about the company and the company’s philosophy; do not refer to you or your connection to the company.
In addition to the text, cite at least two scholarly references to support your discussion.
martocchio, J. J. (2017). Strategic Compensation: A Human Resouce Management Approach. Hoboken, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 978-0-13-432054-0.