NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper – Step-by-Step Guide
The first step before starting to write the NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment.
It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.
How to Research and Prepare for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list.
You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.
How to Write the Introduction for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.
How to Write the Body for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.
How to Write the In-text Citations for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:
The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.
How to Write the Conclusion for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.
How to Format the Reference List for NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper
The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication.
Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:
References
Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456
Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.
NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper Instructions
Purpose
Infectious disease occurs worldwide and must be addressed just as chronic disease is approached. This assignment will present the learner an opportunity to explore a communicable disease, to apply the epidemiological triad, and to discern the demographic and at-risk background data for a specific infectious disease agent. Have a look at NR503 Week 6 Epidemiological Analysis: Chronic Health Problem.
Activity Learning Outcomes
1. Identify appropriate outcome measures and study designs applicable to epidemiological sub-fields such as infectious disease, chronic disease, environmental exposures, reproductive health, and genetics. (CO3)
2. Identify important sources of epidemiological data. (CO6)
Requirement
1. Syphilis is the topic. Apply the concepts of population health and epidemiology to the topic.
2. Synthesize Course content from Weeks 1-5 according to the following sections:
o Introduction: Analysis of the communicable disease (causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment) to include demographic break down that includes age, gender, race, or other at-risk indicators (da ta per demographics should include mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence).
o Determinants of Health: Define, identify and synthesize the determinants of health as related to the development of the infection. Utilize HP2020.
o Epidemiological Triad: Identify and describe all elements of the epidemiological triad: Host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. Utilize the demographic break down to further describe the triad.
o Role of the NP: Succinctly define the role of the nurse practitioner according to a national nurse practitioner organization ( National Board of Nursing or AANP, for example) and synthesize the role to the management of infectious diseases (surveillance, primary/secondary/tertiary interventions, reporting, data collecting, data analysis, and follow-up). This includes the integration of a model of practice which supports the implementation of an evidence-based practice. Refer to your course textbook for models of practice examples.
Preparing the paper
Submission Requirements
1. Application: Use Microsoft Word to create the written assessment.
2. Length: The paper (excluding the title page and reference page) should be limited to a maximum of four (4) pages. Papers not adhering to the page length may be returned to you for editing to meet the length guidelines .
3. A minimum of three (3) scholarly research/literature references must be used. CDC or other web sources may be utilized but are not counted towards the three minimum references required. Your course text may be used as an additional resource but is not included in the three minimum scholarly references.
4. APA format current edition.
5. Include scholarly in-text references and a reference list.
6. Adhere to the Chamberlain College of Nursing academic policy on integrity as it pertains to the submission of student created original work for assignments .
7. Do not write in the first person (such as )
Best Practices in Preparing the Project
The following are best practices in preparing this project:
1. Review directions and rubric thoroughly.
2. Follow submission requirements.
3. Make sure all elements on the grading rubric are included. Organize the paper using the rubric sections and appropriate headings to match the sections.
4. Rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation are followed and consistent with formal, scientific writing.
5. Title page, running head, body of paper, and reference page must follow APA guidelines as found in the current edition of the manual. This includes the use of headings for each section of the paper except for the introduction where no heading is used.
6. Ideas and information that come from scholarly literature must be cited and referenced correctly.
7. A minimum of three (3) scholarly literature references must be used. **See above section on Preparing the Paper.
NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper Example
Infectious Disease Paper
Infectious diseases are significant health issues because they inflict a massive burden on people and healthcare systems. For instance, their transmission patterns impact population health, increase the costs of care, and lead to other adverse consequences, including high mortality rates, prolonged hospitalizations, comorbidities, and compromised quality of care. Shigellosis is an ideal example of an infectious disease that poses a significant challenge in current healthcare systems.
According to the Mayo Clinic (2020), Shigella is a bacterium responsible for an intestinal infection that manifests through diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. The bacterium is highly infectious and primarily affects people grappling with poor social determinants of health. Baker and The (2018) argue that Shigella-associated diarrhea is responsible for about 1.3 million deaths annually, including approximately 500,000 young children globally. This paper analyzes epidemiological information about Shigellosis, including causes, symptoms, transmission patterns, complications, and treatment, as well as the demographic breakdown of the at-risk population, determinants of health, epidemiological triad, and the role of nurse practitioners in managing infectious diseases.
Analysis of the Communicable Disease
Causes
Shigellosis is a bacterial disease caused by the highly contagious Shigella bacterium. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2022), various factors increase the individual propensity to the pathogen. These factors include getting into contact with infected surfaces and foods, consuming raw foods, swallowing recreational water, and engaging in unprotected sexual activities. Cleveland Clinic (2022) contends that uncooked vegetables, contaminated water, and sexual contact with infected persons are the major causes of shigellosis and its subsequent transmission. The knowledge of these risk factors can inform preventive interventions and improve self-management interventions.
Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of shigellosis involve various symptoms that stem from the primary sign: diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2021) argues that infected people demonstrate shigellosis symptoms within two days after contact with the pathogen. These symptoms include bloody, watery diarrhea, stomach cramps and pain, fever, and vomiting. Equally, the disease may result in colicky abdominal pain and tenesmus (Aslam & Okafor, 2022). In children and the elderly, shigellosis can lead to death and other ramifications due to the immune system’s failure to resolve the condition before and after the onset of symptoms.
Mode of Transmission
Shigellosis is a multifactorial condition, meaning it has multiple transmission pathways. According to Aslam & Okafor (2022), the primary transmission path for shigellosis is the fecal-oral route during sexual contact with infected persons. In less developed regions, the disease is transmitted through water- and food-borne transmission paths. Based on these transmission patterns, it is essential to note that children, the elderly, and people with poor social determinants of health, including poor housing, food insecurity, poverty, and low-level educational attainment, are at-risk people for shigellosis.
Complications
Often, the immune system combats the Shigella infections to prevent the advancement of symptoms. However, in cases where the immune system fails to protect the body from pathogens, the disease advanced to result in multiple complications that compromise individual health. Mayo Clinic (2020) identifies dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome, rectal prolapse, bacteremia, reactive arthritis, and toxic megacolon as the long-term complications of untreated shigellosis. Dehydration, rectal prolapse, and hemolytic uremic reaction are among the concerns that render Shigella infections deadly, especially in children.
Treatment
Various pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are effective in preventing and treating shigellosis. Firstly, medical approaches focus on alleviating the disease’s symptoms. Aslam & Okafor (2022) identify hydration and electrolyte management as profound medical measures for addressing Shigella symptoms, including dehydration. Other pharmacological actions include administering second-generation medications, such as cephalosporins, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. For children with Shigella infections, healthcare professionals can administer azithromycin, cefixime, ceftibuten, and other first-line drugs.
On the other hand, non-pharmacological strategies focus on self-management and improving determinants of health that contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to Shigella infections. The Cleveland Clinic (2022) identifies hand hygiene, adherence to safe food and water instructions, avoiding sexual contact with infected persons, and disinfecting diaper-changing areas as proven options for preventing Shigellosis. These strategies aim to intercept the transmission patterns of disease-causing pathogens. Therefore, they are crucial for reducing the population’s propensity to the disease.
Demographic Breakdown
Although everyone is susceptible to Shigellabacillus, the disease results in disproportionate effects on children, the elderly, and people with poor social determinants of health, including inadequate housing, food insecurity, and poor sanitation. According to Aslam & Okafor (2022), the disease’s incidence is approximately 188 million annual cases, with about a million deaths. In developed countries, the disease’s incidence is around 1.5 million cases annually.
Aslam & Okafor (2022) contend that Shigella infections are common among young children (≤4 years) with a prevalence rate of 28 cases per 100,000 children. Similarly, children aged 4-11 years are vulnerable to the disease, with a prevalence rate of about 25 cases per 100,000 children in this age group. The understanding of age as a core determinant of an individual’s propensity to the disease enables healthcare professionals to implement evidence-based and population-centered interventions for preventing and managing the disease.
Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health are “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks” (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). The five domains of core determinants of health are economic stability, access to quality education, access to quality healthcare, neighborhood and built environment, and social/community contexts. These factors create preventable health inequalities and disparities that expose people to multiple healthcare issues.
In the context of Shigella infections, different aspects of these social determinants of health contribute to disproportionate effects and prevalence. For instance, about 9% of children live in poverty in Alameda County, California (County Health Ranking & Roadmaps, 2022). Further, about 8.8% of people struggle with unemployment, while 8% of Alameda residents grapple with food insecurity. These factors can increase their susceptibility to Shigella infections.
Epidemiological Triad
The prevalence and incidence of Shigella infections rely heavily on the interactions between hosts, agents, and environmental factors such as sanitation, overcrowding, and housing. The epidemiological triad encompasses the three components that enable healthcare professionals to understand the factors contributing to the disease’s disproportionate effects, prevalence, and incidence.
Host Factors
Humans are the primary natural reservoirs for all four Shigella serotypes. However, the disease’s effects rely heavily on intrinsic factors such as immunity and age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2021), people with poor underlying health conditions like HIV or undergoing various medical treatment interventions like chemotherapy for cancer are highly susceptible to the disease. In this sense, diseases like HIV and medical treatment options weaken immune systems, affecting the body’s ability to combat Shigella infections.
Agent Factors
Shigella bacteria have four serotypes that are responsible for shigellosis: Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, Shigella boydii, and Shigella sonnei. According to Aslam & Okafor (2022), these pathogenic serotypes are resistant to acid in the stomach and multiply in the small intestine before entering the colon. Also, these bacteria produce Shigella enterotoxins and serotype toxin 1, causing bloody diarrhea.
Environmental Factors
Although host and agent factors are responsible for Shigellosis transmission and prevalence, pathogens require appropriate environmental aspects that bridge the chasm between vectors and hosts. Chen et al. (2019) identify climatic factors, such as changes in weather variables like temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed, as aspects that impact the three epidemiological components of infections: pathogens, hosts/vectors, and transmission. Poor sanitation, water pollution, overcrowding, and inadequate housing are equally fundamental in determining the transmission, prevalence, and incidence of Shigellosis.
Role of the Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Nurse practitioners (NPs) participate in collaborative health interventions and provide multiple healthcare services, including health promotion, disease prevention, health education, counseling, and the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic conditions (American Association of Nursing Practitioners, n.d.). In all-concerted efforts to prevent Shigellosis, nurses can participate in surveillance, data collection, early screening, data analysis, and follow-up. Equally, they spearhead pharmacological and non-pharmacological preventive and treatment interventions by administering oral hydration treatment, educating people on hygienic measures such as hand-washing practices, conducting timely screening for Shigella infections, participating in food safety policies, and assessing social determinants of health that increase people’s susceptibility to the disease.
Finally, nursing practitioners are responsible for incorporating evidence-based interventions for improving individual and community health in response to Shigella infections. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model (JHNEBP) is among the most profound frameworks that enable nurses to implement evidence-based practice (EBP) and utilize research as a tool for informing practices and decisions. According to Speroni et al. (2020), this model requires nurses to develop foreground questions using a team approach, select and appraise evidence, and translate theoretical knowledge to practice. The PET (Practice question, Evidence, and Translation) steps are effective as problem-solving and decision-making approaches.
Conclusion
Shigellosis is a highly transmissible disease that results in poor health outcomes and other adverse consequences, including deaths, life-threatening conditions like diarrhea, and prolonged hospitalization. Equally, the disease results in a massive economic burden associated with medications and other clinical processes. Healthcare professionals should understand the epidemiological triad, which encompasses the interactions between hosts, agents, and the environment, to implement informed and evidence-based preventive interventions. Nurse practitioners should play a forefront role in preventing and managing Shigellosis by surveying and tracking cases of Shigella infections, collecting, analyzing, and reporting data to policymakers, educating at-risk populations, following up on the progress of infected people, and incorporating evidence-based practices for managing the disease.
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d.). Scope of practice for nurse practitioners. Retrieved May 9, 2022, from https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/scope-of-practice-for-nurse-practitioners#
Aslam, A., & Okafor, C. (2022). Shigella. StatPearls. https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/28966
Baker, S., & The, H. C. (2018). Recent insights into Shigella. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 31(5), 449–454. https://doi.org/10.1097/qco.0000000000000475
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Shigella – Shigellosis. https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Sources of infection & risk factors. https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/infection-sources.html
Chen, C.-C., Lin, C.-Y., & Chen, K.-T. (2019). Epidemiologic features of shigellosis and associated climatic factors in Taiwan. Medicine, 98(34), e16928. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000016928
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Shigella infection (shigellosis): Causes, symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17826-shigellosis#
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. (2022). Alameda, California. https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/california/alameda?year=2022
Healthy People 2030. (n.d.). Social determinants of health. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Shigella Infection – Symptoms and Causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shigella/symptoms-causes/syc-20377529
Speroni, K. G., McLaughlin, M. K., & Friesen, M. A. (2020). Use of evidence‐based practice models and research findings in magnet‐designated hospitals across the United States: National survey results. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 17(2), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12428
