NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 4

NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 4 Proposal for Intervention Student Name Capella University NURS FPX 4905 Professor Name Submission Date   Proposal for Intervention The inconsistencies in the use of non-pharmacological methods to treat anxiety disorders among patients in LTCFs in New York can be seen as an important practical problem that can result in increased financial burden for patients and a decrease in their safety and quality of health care. The reason for that lies in the fact that anxiety disorders are common both among elderly patients suffering from several diseases and cognitive disorders upon their admission to LTCFs and among those who do not have any contact with the outside world and thus are very likely to face troubles related to anxiety disorders. According to the findings of the World Health Organization (2023), about 14% of people older than 70 suffer from psychological disorders with anxiety being the most widespread. Practice Issue of Concern In the LTCF care setting, the nursing practice problem that was identified as a problem of inconsistency in the application of non-pharmacological interventions in the management of anxiety symptoms that nurses deal with. Based on the observation carried out in the course of the practicum, the anxiety symptoms of patients in the LTCF care setting were only addressed through pharmacological means. Some of these symptoms can include irritability, restlessness, agitation, insomnia, withdrawing from others, and emotional expression (Penninx et al., 2022). Despite having various non-pharmacological interventions based on evidence, there seems to be inconsistency in the application. The nursing practice problem mentioned above is quite important as far as BSN-prepared nurses are concerned, since they will have to make a significant contribution so that patients can have a more promising outcome. According to the American Nurses Association (2023), these nurses must make sure that patient outcomes of patients are improved, that evidence-based practice is implemented, and that change is provided. Healthcare professionals do not regularly apply non-pharmacological interventions in the current situation. The consequences of such a scenario can be numerous, some of which can be emotional disturbances, fall risk, and overmedication. Current Practice Currently, assessment of nursing, administration of drugs, behavioral observation, and multidisciplinary care planning are employed in the LTCF as mechanisms for managing the anxiety problem experienced by the patients. The observations of the patients’ behavior and feelings are documented in the patient’s electronic health record by the nurses. The main strategy used in managing excessive anxiety is drug administration. Nurses will probably face situations when they will use relaxation and communication techniques and music therapy. On the other hand, there are no guidelines for the nurses on how to use these strategies in the various departments of the LTCF. Moreover, the electronic patient records, which are employed in this LTCF, do not mention whether or not the interventions, which should be aimed at reducing the anxiety of the patients, should be documented. Lastly, there are no training programs aimed at addressing the problem of anxiety of elderly people. Strategy to Improve Current Practice The following measures will help in achieving the intervention strategy through the use of the structured nursing intervention program by use of technology. The following is the approach that will be used when realizing the anxiety management intervention strategy. This method involves the use of a combination of different strategies such as mindfulness methods, relaxation, breathing exercises, music therapy, therapeutic communication, and counseling, among others. To measure anxiety, it will be necessary to employ several evidence-based tools that will aid the assessment of the anxiety, and one of these tools will be the use of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7) (Casares et al., 2024). Speaking of the integration of reminders and alerts within EHRs, both the reminders and alerts will assist nurses in determining the level of anxiety of their patients. Nurses will be trained on the assessment and other processes such as therapeutic communication through workshops. Changes Needed for People and Processes The application of the intervention will call for radical change in terms of the role that healthcare practitioners will play and the processes that will have to be altered to enable them to manage anxiety issues among the residents. This implies that the role of nurses and mental health professionals will be expanded to include dissemination of evidence-based practices in dealing with anxiety among the residents (Tushe, 2024). It implies that the functions of the nurses will concern evaluation of the state of the patients, offering them non-pharmacological therapy, recording the outcomes and reporting them to the other health workers in case of some alterations of behavior. Such roles will imply the development of the required skills, therapeutic communication, emotional assessment of the patients, documentation, and CDSS/EHR use. Rather than being reactive in response to the anxiety problem among their patients, health professionals will adopt proactive approaches to deal with the problem. The SBAR model will help in enhancing communication across disciplines. Assumptions It is believed that this strategy will be easier to implement by using LTCF by educating employees and enhancing technology and processes. The proposed strategy assumes that the assumption will be fulfilled, which means that nurses and other professionals will be engaged in learning and applying evidence-based approaches in dealing with anxiety (Singh et al., 2025). Furthermore, another of the assumptions related to the strategy implementation would be the involvement of older people and their caregivers in the non-pharmacological anxiety treatment. Enhancing Quality, Safety, and Cost-Effectiveness The outcome of the intervention is the improvement of the quality of care by adopting evidence-based practice to address the problem of anxiety experienced by a patient. The mindfulness practice will stabilize the patient’s emotions and allow him to rest in a calm environment. Additionally, the use of mindfulness exercises will allow the patient to get more social and improve their quality of life (Alvarado-Garcia et al., 2025). It will be clear sooner than later that the situation in the patient is worsening and, accordingly, the corresponding reaction to the issue will be prompt.