Description
The theoretical framework is a critical element of your work. A theoretical framework is the general representation of relationships in your problem and is based on existing theory. The conceptual framework is your idea on how the problem should be explored, and it is generally based on a theory. The difference between the two is the scope. Theory is broad; concept is narrow.
In most research studies, your framework can be either theoretical or conceptual in nature. For the purposes of this project, you will most likely follow a conceptual framework, which is your idea on how the research problem will be explored (although you could have both).
For example:
Theoretical framework: Stimulus is applied to elicit a response
Conceptual framework: A new teaching method is applied to elicit improvement in midterm test scores.
In this section of your change project paper, state the perspective through which the problem and/or phenomenon may be explored, and include the following:
Select a minimum of two theories.
Identify the process and logic in selecting these theoretical frameworks or conceptual frameworks for your study.
Discuss how each theory or model applies to the individual project.
Present the framework guiding your study.
Describe the assumptions of the framework.
Describe each key component of the framework.
Discuss how each element of the phenomenon applies to the framework.
Apply each element of the theory to the elements of the phenomenon under study.
Develop the rationale for the sample selection criteria.
Discuss, analyze, and critique pertinent research that uses the framework.
Remember that research never proves theory. Your research project can only support or refute the theoretical propositions you are using as your framework. But if you do not use theory or conceptual frameworks in your research, you may not be able to put your findings in a context that could strengthen the nursing education profession!
This section should be 3–4 pages in length, not including the cover or reference page. You must reference a minimum of 3 scholarly articles.
Use current APA format to style your paper and to cite your sources. Review the rubric for more information on how the assignment will be graded.
Points: 75
Due: Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Rubric
NURS_691A_DE – NURS 691-A Rubric Week 5: Theoretical Framework
NURS_691A_DE – NURS 691-A Rubric Week 5: Theoretical Framework
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent
60 to >49.2 pts
Meets Expectations
Identifies independent theories or conceptual models that relate to the change project topic and describes how they will be applied to the change project. Thoroughly discusses how each element of the phenomenon applies to the framework. Clearly applies each element of the theory to the elements of the phenomenon under study. Develops the rationale for the sample selection criteria, and expertly discusses, analyzes, and critiques pertinent research that uses the framework.
49.2 to >45.0 pts
Approaches Expectations
Identifies independent theories or conceptual models that relate to the change project topic and describes how they will be applied to the change project. Discusses how most elements of the phenomenon apply to the framework, but may be lacking specific details. Attempts to apply each element of the theory to the elements of the phenomenon under study but may not make clear connections. Develops the rationale for the sample selection criteria, and briefly discusses pertinent research that uses the framework, but may be somewhat lacking in analysis and/or critique.
45 to >35.4 pts
Falls Below Expectations
Identifies independent theories or conceptual models but they may only indirectly relate to the change project topic. May not discuss how elements of the phenomenon apply to the framework. Connections to each element of the theory to the elements of the phenomenon are vague and unclear. The rationale for the sample selection criteria and pertinent research that uses the framework may be missing or severely lacking in analysis and/or critique.
35.4 to >0 pts
Does Not Meet Expectations
Fails to identify a theory or conceptual model or it is written in such a way that no relationships can be identified.
60 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization
7.5 to >6.15 pts
Meets Expectations
Content is well written throughout. Information is well organized and clearly communicated.
6.15 to >5.63 pts
Approaches Expectations
Content is overly wordy or lacking in specific language. Information is reasonably organized and communicated.
5.63 to >4.43 pts
Falls Below Expectations
Content is disorganized in many places and it lacks clarity.
4.43 to >0 pts
Does Not Meet Expectations
Content lacks clarity and information is disorganized, or may be an outline or a list.
7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA Format/Mechanics
7.5 to >6.15 pts
Meets Expectations
Follows all the requirements related to format, length, source citations, and layout. Assignment is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
6.15 to >5.63 pts
Approaches Expectations
Follows length requirement and most of the requirements related to format, source citations, and layout. Assignment is mostly free of spelling and grammatical errors.
5.63 to >4.43 pts
Falls Below Expectations
Follows most of the requirements related to format, length, source citations, and layout. Assignment contains some spelling and grammatical errors.
4.43 to >0 pts
Does Not Meet Expectations
Does not follow format, length, source citations, and layout requirements. Assignment contains many spelling and grammatical errors.
7.5 pts
Unformatted Attachment Preview
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Language Barrier Among the Hispanic Population in Miami, FL
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Language Barrier Among the Hispanic Population in Miami, FL
Description of the Problem
Currently, minority populations across the U.S. are continuously growing, and as these
numbers increase so are the healthcare disparities individuals from these groups face. One of the
healthcare disparities is language barriers. As a result of language limitations and the increasing
number of diverse providers, individuals from minority populations, including the Hispanic
population, face several challenges concerning access to medical treatment and healthcare
services. Sohn (2017) outlines that most individuals from minority groups are less likely to have
health coverage and to access preventive care than other Americans. In addition to language
barriers, other aspects such as increased poverty levels, especially among the Hispanic
population, significantly contribute to uneven health outcomes for persons from these groups.
In Miami, FL, a significant number of the residents receive their care from general
hospitals. The hospitals provide numerous and different healthcare services for patients
regardless of their age and disease conditions. This clinical setting encompasses organizations,
health professionals, and ancillary healthcare employees who offer healthcare to those in need. In
Miami, FL, all residents are allowed to access services provided by these hospitals, but the level
of care may differ depending on one’s ethnicity. There are several problems I see in hospitals
within Miami, including disparities in health insurance and care associated with low-income and
poor living conditions, among other elements, inadequate access to mental/behavioral health
services, low health literacy, and increased substance use. According to Buchmueller and Levy
(2020), minority groups still have a difficult time accessing optimal healthcare, despite the
introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has played a significant part in lowering
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health disparities. In Miami, these challenges are prevalent in hospitals, and most affected are
those people from minority groups.
Statement of the Problem and Target Population
As previously mentioned, the language barrier is among the challenges that contribute to
poor health outcomes among individuals from the Hispanic population. For this reason, among
others, Hispanic Americans have an elevated chance than White Americans to die from various
health conditions or to get hospitalized. Funk and Lopez (2022) outline that when it comes to
circumnavigating the healthcare system, most Hispanics describe that communication problems
associated with language differences significantly contribute to their poor health outcomes. As a
result of these language differences, Hispanic Americans are less likely to utilize preventive and
clinical services. Also, due to these language limitations, healthcare providers tend to provide
Hispanic persons with low-quality or inferior medical care. All these factors together
demonstrate why individuals from the Hispanic population in Miami have generally worse and
poorer health outcomes when compared to other populations in the area.
To lower health disparities and improve health results, person-centered care is essential.
However, person-centered care cannot be achieved if there exist language differences that hinder
the delivery of ideal care. This is because, according to Amirehsani et al. (2017), person-centered
care is based on effective communication and interaction between healthcare providers and
patients. Generally, healthcare delivered in an individual’s primary language has a high
probability of positively influencing the health status of that individual. However, with language
differences and discordance, interaction and understanding between healthcare providers and
patients will be poor and this may lead to patient dissatisfaction and poor health outcomes. This
is the same problem Hispanics located in Miami are facing because most of them are still not
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able to obtain top-notch medical care. This will continue to be a problem not only in Miami, FL
but across the U.S. because the ratio of nurse practitioners and Hispanic nurses does not match
the growth of the Hispanic population.
Significance of the Evidence-Based Project
An example of an evidence-based project that could be introduced in general hospitals
within the Miami area to the nursing profession is the use of interpreter resources. These
resources generally consist of in-person interpreters either employed by the organization or
contracted externally. In the selected setting, the use of interpreter resources is important because
these resources will help bridge the communication gap resulting in effective and interactive
communication. As previously mentioned, most persons from the Hispanic population are less
likely to utilize preventive care and other medical services because of problems associated with
language differences and this, in one way or another, has contributed to worse health outcomes
within this population. With the utilization of interpreter resources, general hospitals in Miami
can improve communication and this will not only increase the number of persons seeking
medical care but also contribute to better health outcomes. This project is important because it
will play a major part in reducing health disparities as well as mitigating challenges faced by
persons from minority groups.
Moreover, due to language barrier among other factors, most Hispanic Americans do not
seek differential treatment because they are likely to obtain low-quality medical care when
compared to their counterparts. Also, this limitation prevents most healthcare providers from
providing people from this population with advanced medical care because of the fear they may
not align the treatment with their preferences and health needs (Funk & Lopez, 2022). However,
with the use of interpreters, these healthcare providers will be confident to provide advanced
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medical care as an interpreter will close the communication gap. This will not only help improve
the communication between the healthcare provider and the patient but will also build trust
between the two parties. With trust and effective communication, healthcare providers can
deliver patient-centered care and in doing so, achieve better health outcomes and decrease the
prevalence of health disparities within the minority populations.
Effective communication is essential in healthcare because communication failures and
misunderstandings can negatively influence patient outcomes. According to Tiwary et al. (2019),
poor communication in healthcare settings is associated with misdiagnoses and other medical
blunders that can result in avoidable health problems as well as the death of patients. Hence,
language differences between healthcare providers and Hispanic patients could contribute to
miscommunication and this could lead to these patients receiving the wrong medical procedure
or treatment, delays in vital tests and treatments, or being given the wrong medication. Hence,
the use of interpreter resources within Miami hospitals would be essential in addressing the
language barrier.
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References
Amirehsani, K. A., Hu, J., Wallace, D. C., Silva, Z. A., Dick, S., West-Livingston, L. N., &
Hussami, C. R. (2017). US healthcare experiences of Hispanic patients with diabetes and
family members: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 34(3),
126-135. https://doi.org/10.1080%2F07370016.2017.1340556
Buchmueller, T. C., & Levy, H. G. (2020). The ACA’s impact on racial and ethnic disparities in
health insurance coverage and access to care: An examination of how the insurance
coverage expansions of the Affordable Care Act have affected disparities related to race
and ethnicity. Health Affairs, 39(3), 395-402. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01394
Funk, C., & Lopez, M. H. (2022). Hispanic Americans’ experiences with health care. Pew
Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/06/14/hispanic-americansexperiences-with-health-care/
Sohn, H. (2017). Racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage: Dynamics of gaining
and losing coverage over the life-course. Population research and policy review, 36(2),
181-201. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11113-016-9416-y
Tiwary, A., Rimal, A., Paudyal, B., Sigdel, K. R., & Basnyat, B. (2019). Poor communication by
health care professionals may lead to life-threatening complications: examples from two
case reports. Wellcome open research, 4.
https://doi.org/10.12688%2Fwellcomeopenres.15042.1
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Language Barrier Among the Hispanic Population in Miami, FL
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Language Barrier Among the Hispanic Population in Miami, FL
Project’s Benefits
This project has several benefits in terms of addressing the requirements of persons
within the Hispanic group experiencing language barriers. Given that language barriers bring
about various challenges when it comes to attaining high satisfaction levels among health
professionals and patients from this population, this project will aim to provide ways to address
these barriers. Specifically, this project will focus on ways to achieve high-quality healthcare and
sustain patient safety in the Hispanic population. At present, various healthcare organizations and
institutions serving the Hispanic population are offering interpreter services to advance
healthcare access, communication, and patient involvement and satisfaction (Kwan et al., 2023).
However, these interpreter resources increase the duration of treatment approaches as well as the
cost. For these reasons, this project will aim to provide useful insights into the influence of
language barriers on healthcare access within this population and recommend solutions to
address these challenges.
Also, language difficulties significantly influence the cost and healthcare quality,
especially when it comes to the Hispanic population. Despite the language limitations, healthcare
providers serving this population need to deliver top-notch healthcare that aligns with their
healthcare needs and follows the principles of health equity and human rights. As a result, this
project will aim to address health disparities faced by members of this population. More
importantly, this project will venture into health inequalities such as unequal treatment and
discrimination related to language differences. This is because these health disparities within this
population often result in unequal health outcomes as well as inadequate access to healthcare. A
study by Al Shamsi et al. (2020) outlines that individuals who have dialectal difficulties tend to
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experience various challenges concerning healthcare services access and as a result, these
patients often have poorer health results in comparison to patients who speak or understand the
local language. Considering the evidence that language barriers within this population in one
way or another influence the quality of healthcare they receive, this project will focus on ways to
advance communication between Hispanic patients and their medical professionals.
Considering that Hispanic patients with language difficulties are likely to utilize more
preventive and clinical healthcare services and have more adverse events, this project will
provide strategies on how to improve the utilization of these services, especially among persons
with limited English proficiency. Also, research indicates that patients who receive medical care
from healthcare professionals who do not speak the local language have challenges
comprehending medical instructions, resulting in increased occurrence of medical errors and
poor treatment adherence (Green & Nze, 2017). Taking that into account, this project will aim to
provide patients from the Hispanic population with the means to adhere to medical follow-ups so
that they do not miss health appointments due to language barriers. One benefit associated with
this is that these patients will have higher levels of satisfaction with the quality of healthcare they
receive.
Goals and Objectives
The project’s goals and objectives include:
1. To increase and improve patient satisfaction concerning access to healthcare access by
90% among members of the Hispanic population with language limitations within 6
months.
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2. To demonstrate the importance of interpreter resources when it comes to healthcare
access among the Hispanic population within the first month of the project
implementation.
3. To advance the utilization of interpreter resources in all healthcare centers serving
members of the Hispanic population within the first year of introduction of these
resources.
4. To increase the use of inpatient services and medical care follow-ups using interpreter
services in the first month of project implementation.
5. To reduce healthcare disparities and improve patient safety as well as healthcare delivery
within the Hispanic population by 60% by the first year of the project implementation.
6. To minimize miscommunication between healthcare professionals and patients by 100%
to achieve better patient outcomes and advance healthcare delivery quality in the first two
months of project initiation.
7. To minimize indirect healthcare costs associated with language barriers within the
Hispanic population by 50% in the first year of project implementation.
Variables to be Considered
Several variables need to be considered for this project to be successful. One of these
variables is patient satisfaction. According to Funk and Lopez (2022), most members of the
Hispanic population tend not to utilize preventive and clinical services due to a lack of health
coverage as well as language and cultural obstacles. These limitations in one way or another
contribute to disparate health results for members of the Hispanic population, resulting in low
levels of patient satisfaction. Therefore, patient satisfaction needs to be considered within this
population because high levels of satisfaction indicate Hispanic Americans are receiving
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equitable healthcare that aligns with their healthcare needs. Healthcare providers serving
members of this population experiencing language barriers do not have control over patient
satisfaction as this factor depends on the quality of care delivered and the patient’s perception of
that care.
The other variable that needs to be considered when it comes to addressing the needs of
the members of the Hispanic population with language difficulties is interpreter resources. This
is because to overcome some of the language obstacles faced by this population concerning
healthcare access, interpreter services are essential. However, the implementation and utilization
of these resources are associated with various challenges such as misinterpretation, confusion,
and financial burden (Al Shamsi et al., 2020). For these reasons, some healthcare providers may
opt out of utilizing interpreter services or they may access subpar interpreter resources. Given
that these interpreter resources may contribute to high levels of patient satisfaction as well as
improved patient care among members of the Hispanic population with language differences,
this variable must be considered by healthcare providers. These providers have control of this
variable because they either choose to hire language assistants or provide healthcare services
without interpreter resources as they are associated with several challenges, including increased
healthcare costs and length of physician visits. Lastly, if I were to implement this study, I would
apply mixed-method research to obtain both qualitative and qualitative data.
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References
Al Shamsi, H., Almutairi, A. G., Al Mashrafi, S., & Al Kalbani, T. (2020). Implications of
language barriers for healthcare: A systematic review. Oman Medical Journal, 35(2),
e122. https://doi.org/10.5001%2Fomj.2020.40
Funk, C., & Lopez, M. H. (2022). Hispanic Americans’ experiences with health care. Pew
Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/06/14/hispanic-americansexperiences-with-health-care/
Green, A. R., & Nze, C. (2017). Language-based inequity in health care: who is the “poor
historian”? AMA journal of ethics, 19(3), 263-271. https://journalofethics.amaassn.org/article/language-based-inequity-health-care-who-poor-historian/2017-03
Kwan, M., Jeemi, Z., Norman, R., & Dantas, J. A. (2023). Professional interpreter services and
the impact on hospital care outcomes: An integrative review of the
literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6),
5165. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph20065165
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