Topic - The importance of regular oral care in the dependent patient population being reinforced through teaching and implementation of policy in health care settings.
Description – Dependent patient populations require a health care professional to perform basic activities of daily living for them, including oral care. Oral care is one activity that often has less importance placed upon it by the health care team. The lack of oral health care can have a negative effect upon the dependent patient’s quality of life. I will investigate ways in which education and policy changes can redirect the attitudes of the health care professionals involved.
Purpose – The promoting of the practice of …show more content…
• Is it pragmatic to have oral health care as part of a written policy manual in institutions?
• How can we change attitudes of health professionals towards the importance of oral care?
Description of Research Findings – In my research it became evident that there is a continual lack of oral care regimes in institutions even though oral care is an integral part of overall health and well-being. Incidence of caries and gingivitis among residents of long-term care facilities are on the rise. Daily oral hygiene is often difficult for patients who are dependent. Health care professionals can be resistant to change, but resistance can decline with positive results are seen. Tentative Organization – I will be using the rhetorical patterns; cause and effect, showing the effects of having or not having oral care, and narration, using a story of a nurse’s experiences on her unit.
Provisional Thesis Statement – Health care professionals do not ensure adequate oral care for the dependent patient populations, causing a lower quality of life, necessitating further education and policy