Summative Assessment Implementation Plan and Project Proposal

Sample Answer

Research Proposal

The successful implementation of a project requires the development of a carefully thought plan. The plan should consider the critical interventions that are needed for the outcomes of the project to be achieved. Therefore, this section of the project examines the implementation plan that will be used in the project. It also provides a reflection of my experience with the project.

Comprehensive Implementation Plan

Stroke is one of the health problems that affect a significant proportion of the population in the US. Stroke affects the American populations disproportionately. For example, Filipinos are highly at a risk of developing stroke when compared to the American natives. The risk of stroke among Filipinos in Orlando is significantly high. Their high risk of predisposition is attributed to factors such as poor diets and low level of awareness on healthy lifestyles and behaviors that reduce the risk of stroke.

An assessment performed in Orlando region reviewed that most of the Filipinos have moderate to high level of education. Interventions to promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors among this population have also been adopted in the region. For example, the Orlando Filipino Seventh-Day Adventist Church has been providing health education about stroke.

However, the educational interventions have not been effective because they do not consider the knowledge, skills, and needs of those at risk of stroke. Therefore, it is proposed that patient and population-centered health education is an appropriate approach that can be used to raise awareness and reduce the risk and rates of stroke among Filipinos in Orlando.

The proposed project will have a number of goals. One of them will be to raise the level of awareness of Filipinos at risk of stroke on the causes, symptoms, risk factors, and prevention of stroke. The second goal will be to promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors among Filipinos at risk of stroke through health education. The third goal will be to achieve sustainable change in the lifestyle and behaviors of Filipinos at risk of developing stroke. The proposed strategy is the provision of patient and population-centered health education on stroke to Filipinos at risk.

The successful implementation of the project will require input from a number of stakeholders. One of them will be the pharmacists. Three pharmacists will be involved in the project. They will educate the patients about the medications used in treatment of stroke and other related issues such as medication adherence, and side effects to report should they be experienced.

The other team members will comprise of two dieticians. The dieticians will provide nutritional education to the population and those at risk of developing stroke. Nutritional education is important in minimizing adverse outcomes and worsening of outcomes in stroke and those at risk. The last team members will comprise of five registered nurses. The registered nurses will perform assessment of the population to identify those at risk and provide health education on issues related to stroke.

One of the potential barriers that may be experienced in the project is the low level of participation by the target population. The low level of participation is attributed to factors such as lack of awareness, fear of the unknown outcomes, and the adoption of ineffective communication plan. The other anticipated barrier is resistance from the target population. Resistance may also be attributed to the aforementioned factors. The Plan, Do, Study, and Act (PDSA) model will be used in the implementation of the project.

The implementation steps for the project will include needs assessment, staff training, and collection of baseline data, provision of health education, follow-up, data collection, analysis, and communication of evaluation outcomes. The duration for the project will be six months. Open communication strategy will be used to pass information such as training needs, objectives, follow-up, and evaluation of the project. The resources needed for the implementation of the project will include booklets, projectors, training, remuneration of the staffs, printing materials, and data collection and analysis expert. The estimated cost of the resources is $75000.

The performance measures of focus in the project will include level of knowledge and behavioral change among the population, consistency of use of the project interventions, and the attitude of the population towards the interventions. The process of measuring the success of the intervention will entail the comparison of the differences obtained in the baseline and data obtained in the end of the project. An improvement in the baseline outcomes will imply success in the project while a decline will translate into the lack of realization or failure of the project.

Detailed Project Proposal

Need for the Project

Stroke is one of the public health concerns in America. According to statistics, stroke is considered the fifth leading contributor of mortalities in the US. The prevalence of stroke in ethnic minorities such as Filipinos in America is high. Stroke is associated with significant adverse outcomes. Accordingly, the need for frequent hospital visits increases due to the complications of stroke. The consequence includes the high costs of care that patients incur in seeking the care that they need. The CDC estimates that stroke-related costs incurred in the US were about $46 billion in the years 2014 and 2015 (CDC, 2021). The costs included those for healthcare services, missed days of work, and purchase of medicines to treat the disease.

Stroke also results in the loss of social and occupational functioning of the patients. The loss is attributed to the increased hospital stay and absenteeism at work seeking for the required medical attention. Patients with stroke also suffer from low quality of life. The patients’ experiences health issues such as loss of independence in undertaking their activities of the daily living, lowering their quality of life. The risk for mortality is also significantly high.

According CDC, stroke contributed to one in every six deaths due to cardiovascular disease in 2018. The statistics from CDC further shows that a person develops stroke in every 40 seconds in America while a person dies from the disease in every 4 minutes. The yearly incidence rate due to stroke in America is estimated to be 795000 with 610000 of the cases being new cases (CDC, 2021). Based on the above evidences, stroke is a critical public health problem that needs to be addressed.

As noted above, Filipinos in America are highly predisposed to stroke due to health problems such as hypertension, heart disease and obesity. The needs assessment performed in Orlando Filipino Seventh Day Adventist church and its residents showed that Filipinos have moderate to high level of education. Despite their level of education, Filipinos in Orlando engage minimally in activities that minimize their risk of developing stroke. The Orlando Filipino Seventh Day Adventist church recently implemented health education programs that aimed at raising the level of awareness and behavioral change among Filipino adults at risk.

The program has however been ineffective due to the failure of the program to meet the diverse needs of the Filipino adults at risk of developing stroke (Moya et al., 2020). The dietary habits of Filipinos also predispose them significantly to stroke and other diseases such as obesity, hypertension and heart disease. For example, the Filipinos continue adopting American eating habits without knowing the associated health effects. The use of patient and population-centered interventions has however not been explored or used in this population in Orlando. Therefore, it informs the need for the proposed intervention.

Patient or population-centered health education is an important tool that promotes knowledge and skill development. The health education aims at ensuring that the target population is empowered to develop the desired knowledge as well as behaviors that will contribute to the optimum management of the disease. Population-centered interventions take into consideration the knowledge, skills and abilities of the patient, individuals or the community.

The use of such interventions is highly effective due to the use of the available resources and population abilities to address the needs of the population (Yang et al., 2017). Therefore, it is anticipated that its use in Filipino populations at risk of developing stroke will be effective.

What is the Project and Intended Accomplishments?

The proposed project is a lifestyle and behavioral change intervention. The project seeks to create awareness in the target population to promote the development of the desired lifestyles and behaviors. The focus of the project will entail the provision of patient and population centered health education to Filipino adults about stroke to promote lifestyle and behavioral changes.

The provision of population-centered health education will aim at empowering the Filipinos to explore their available resources that can be used to reduce the risk and rates of stroke among the population (Grech & Grech, 2021). It is assumed in the project that creating awareness among the Filipinos at risk of developing stroke will stimulate the desired lifestyle and behavioral changes to minimize the risk and rate of stroke in Orlando.

The project intends to achieve a number of accomplishments. One of the accomplishments is raising the level of awareness among the Filipinos on stroke and its associated issues. It is expected that the provision of population-centered health education will increase the level of knowledge among the Filipinos on stroke, its causes, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. The second accomplishment is the developing of effective skills for prevention of stroke among those affected and those at risk of developing it.

The population-centered health education will aim at informing the Filipinos about health promotion interventions such as screening, nutritional modifications and engaging in active physical activity to prevent and minimize the risk of stroke. Filipinos will also be educated on the emergency response interventions such as calling 911 should they experience symptoms of stroke. The development of the above skills is expected to minimize the risk and rate of stroke among this population.

The other intended accomplishment of the project is promoting sustainability of change interventions. It is anticipated that the successful implementation of the project will influence Filipino adults to use the recommended interventions consistently in their daily routines, hence, the optimum promotion of their health. The last accomplishment of the project is to promote the development of positive attitude among the Filipinos towards the lifestyle and behavioral interventions for preventing and managing stroke. A change in attitude will be important in promoting sustainability of the project.

Participants and Stakeholders to be impacted by the Project

The project will comprise of both direct and indirect stakeholders. The direct stakeholders will comprise mainly of the beneficiaries of the project. The indirect stakeholders would be the implementers of the project. The direct participants of the project will comprise mainly of the Filipinos. Filipino adults and elders will be targeted in the project. They will be provided with population-centered health education on issues related to stroke such as signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, prevention, and treatment. The Filipinos will be impacted by the project in a number of ways. Firstly, they will be informed about the various issues related to stroke.

The improvement in their level of knowledge will contribute to the lifestyle and behavioral change that are needed to prevent and minimize the rates of stroke among Filipinos in Orlando. The other way in which the Filipinos will be impacted by the project is their development of skills needed for the prevention and management of stroke. The Filipinos will be informed about the lifestyle and behavioral interventions that they need to adopt to prevent stroke and improve its management. They will be educated about self-management interventions alongside the need for dietary and lifestyle modifications (Denny et al., 2017). They will also be educated about the importance of utilizing screening services for conditions that cause stroke such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

The other participant that will comprise the indirect stakeholder in the project will be the healthcare providers. Nurses, pharmacists, and dieticians will comprise the indirect stakeholders. They will perform needs assessment of the Filipinos, provide health education, collect, interpret and communicate data for use in determining the effectiveness of the project. The healthcare providers (implementers) will be impacted by the project in some ways. One of them will be the acquisition of knowledge and skills on the use of population-centered health education strategies to promote health of ethnic minority groups.

The healthcare providers will also develop the cultural knowledge and skills needed in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds to address their health-related needs. The other way in which they will be impacted is through their acquisition of knowledge and skills in the promotion of evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare. The healthcare providers will obtain insights into translating evidence into practice. The last way in which the project will affect healthcare providers is through their identification of gaps in practice that can be addressed through research (Baatiema et al., 2017). Consequently, it is expected that both the implementers of the project and Filipinos will benefit from the project.

Where will the Project Take Place

The project will take place in Orlando, Florida. Population-centered health education will be provided to the Filipino adults and elderly populations at Filipino Seventh Day Adventist Church, Orlando.

When will it Take Place

The proposed project will be initiated next month (July 2021). The project is expected to be completed by the end of six months. It is anticipated that the outcomes of the project would have been achieved by the end of six months.

Implementing the Project and How the Intervention will address the Need

The implementation of the project will be done with a consideration of a number of steps. The first step will be performing needs analysis. Needs analysis of the Filipinos and healthcare providers will be performed. Needs analysis performed on the healthcare providers will provide insights into the knowledge level and skills related to stroke among the Filipinos. Needs assessment will also provide insights into the attitude, beliefs and practices that the Filipinos have towards the prevention and management of stroke. Needs assessment performed among the healthcare providers will provide information related to their knowledge and skills and gaps that need to be addressed.

The information obtained from needs assessment will be used to develop the training objectives for both the healthcare providers and the target population.
The second step in the implementation of the project will be the provision of training to the healthcare providers. Healthcare providers will be trained on the essential knowledge and skills that they need for the successful implementation of the project. Training is also needed to minimize resistance from them. The resistance to active involvement in the project is eliminated due to the enhanced level of knowledge and skills among them (Tappen et al., 2017). Training will therefore build the confidence and competence that the healthcare providers need for their successful implementation of the project.

The acquisition of baseline data will then follow training. A trained nurse will obtain baseline data from the Filipinos prior to the delivery of the project interventions. Self-administered questionnaires will be used to facilitate easy collection of data from the audience. Self-administered questionnaires are also desirable due to their ability to acquire extensive data from the participants. The data can be easily ordered and analyzed. Baseline data will be used for comparative purposes with the data obtained by the end of the project.

The next step will be the provision of health education to the target population. Population-centered health education will be provided on issues related to stroke, its causes, effects, signs and symptoms, prevention, and management. The health education will utilize mixed methods of education such as face-to-face discussions, demonstrations, role-plays, and lectures. PowerPoint presentations will be used to deliver the needed content. Booklets will be provided to the participants to increase their level of knowledge about the topic.

The next step will be follow-up of the participants to determine their consistency of use of interventions for the management and prevention of stroke. Follow-up services will be provided to clarify any issues and concerns that the participants may have with the implementation of the project interventions. Close follow-up will be needed to strengthen the consistent use of the project interventions to promote the effective management and prevention of stroke. The step will follow is data collection. The data collection will utilize similar tool that used for baseline data. The aim of collecting data at this point will be to determine the impacts of the project on the participants.

The data obtained at the baseline and at the end of the project will then be analyzed. The results will be compared to determine the differences, which will imply the impacts of the project. The last step in the project will be communicating the findings. Findings will be communicated to the institutional stakeholders as well as participants to inform them about the impacts of the project. Communicating the outcomes of the project will provide the opportunities to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and interventions that should be embraced for the success in future projects.

The proposed intervention of providing health education to Filipinos addresses the identified need in a number of ways. One of the ways is through increasing the level of knowledge of the Filipinos on the prevention and management of stroke. The assessment of the Filipino population showed that despite them being moderately to highly educated, they engage minimally in activities that promote their health. The other way in which the intervention addresses the need is promoting skill development.

The project imparts Filipinos with skills related to self-management and prevention of stroke and its related comorbidities. The last way it addresses the need is changing the attitude of the Filipinos towards lifestyle and behavioral interventions for the management and prevention of stroke (Denny et al., 2017). The project aims to improve the attitude and perception that Filipinos have towards self-management and prevention of stroke. Cumulatively, the above outcomes will contribute to positive management and prevention of stroke in Filipino populations in Orlando.

Reflection

Undertaking this project has been both exciting and challenging to me. I experienced a number of challenges in developing my project proposal. One of the challenges was identifying the most appropriate sources of evidence and data for the proposal. Statistics on the rates of stroke among Filipino population in Orlando, Florida, and the US as a whole is limited. As a result, I had to utilize closely related data and assessment data to determine the need in the population. The other challenge I experienced is time management. The successful completion of the project required significant amount of time, which was difficult to achieve due to work, personal, family, and academic demands. The last challenge I experienced was obtaining data from the target population. Covid19 restrictions implied that I could not access a larger population to provide the information that was needed for the project.

My most significant takeaway from the needs assessment is the fact that health literacy is important for individual, group, and community health and wellbeing. Populations should be adequately informed about health-related issues for them to make sound decisions. Healthcare providers have a critical role to play in ensuring that the population is informed about health issues affecting it. Clinical experts are important in facilitating the realization of project objectives. The experts have diverse knowledge, skills and experience in project implementation. As a result, they provide inputs on ways in which optimum outcomes can be achieved in the project. One of the challenges I foresee in implementing the proposed challenge is having Filipino adults to participate in the health education sessions. Most of the Filipinos are highly engaged in their social and occupational roles. They might not find time for the project.

This challenge will be addressed by holding the health educational sessions during weekends when most of them are not working. The second challenge that may be experienced is withdrawal of some of them from the project. This issue will be addressed by active follow-up of the participants to minimize their withdrawal from the project. I have applied reflection in the development of the project by ensuring its relevance. I have ensured that the project addresses the critical needs of the Filipino populations, as identified during needs analysis. One of things that I have learned that I will carry to my second practicum course is time management. I have learned the importance of time management in getting practicum activities done within the stated schedule. The second aspect is the importance of teamwork in undertaking project activities. The last aspect is remaining updated on course issues that influence the progress of the project.

References

• Baatiema, L., Otim, M. E., Mnatzaganian, G., de-Graft Aikins, A., Coombes, J., & Somerset, S. (2017). Health professionals’ views on the barriers and enablers to evidence-based practice for acute stroke care A systematic review. Implementation Science, 12(1), 74. https //doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0599-3
• CDC. (2021, May 25). Stroke Facts | cdc.gov. https //www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm
• Denny, M. C., Vahidy, F., Vu, K. Y. T., Sharrief, A. Z., & Savitz, S. I. (2017). Video-based educational intervention associated with improved stroke literacy, self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction. PLOS ONE, 12(3), e0171952. https //doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171952
• Grech, P., & Grech, R. (2021). The role of health promotion theories in Stroke Awareness and Education. Applied Nursing Research, 58, 151415. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2021.151415
• Moya, A., Cheng, E., Grospe, V., Brock, J., & Vo, L. (2020). Understanding Cultural and Knowledge Barriers to Acute Stroke Care in the Los Angeles Filipino American Community (5343). Neurology, 94(15 Supplement). https //n.neurology.org/content/94/15_Supplement/5343
• Tappen, R. M., Wolf, D. G., Rahemi, Z., Engstrom, G., Rojido, C., Shutes, J. M., & Ouslander, J. G. (2017). Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Change Initiative in Long-Term Care Utilizing the INTERACTTM Quality Improvement Program. The Health Care Manager, 36(3), 219–230. https //doi.org/10.1097/HCM.0000000000000168
• Yang, L., Zhao, Q., Zhu, X., Shen, X., Zhu, Y., Yang, L., Gao, W., & Li, M. (2017). Effect of a comprehensive health education program on pre-hospital delay intentions in high-risk stroke population and caregivers. Quality of Life Research, 26(8), 2153–2160. https //doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1550-4