Critical Issue Pressentation

tamarina13 · Jul 14, 2004

As an assignment in my last semester of nursing school, I am required to give an hour and a half pressentation on a critical healthcare issue. I was wondering if any of you experienced nurses could offer me any good topics. Thanks

The AIDS epidemic in Africa would be a great topic. There is even a new experimental drug for women that is being tried now. It is a lady partsl gel with a 20% lemon juice solution. The results are looking promising so far. Who knew!!

smk1, LPN · Jul 14, 2004

not a nurse yet bu thow about something on the severe bloodbank shortage in this country and worldwide? (some countries people have to find and pay for their own blood for a procedure.) i did an english research paper on this subject (also tied in the new bloodless surgery technology and how it can help ease the problems caused by the shortage.) anyway i got an "A" and the teacher and other students (we had to present to the class) all were very interested. i did a variation on this subject in my speech class and got an "a' and a great response from that class and teacher as well. I think bloodless medicine techniques/ solutions to the blood bank shortages are not subjects that are often done. Good luck finding a topic!

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 14, 2004

If you need to fill 1.5 hours with your presentation, I would recommend picking a topic that is not just one in which you will "present the facts." No one wants to listen to facts for 1.5 hours. You might have a more entertaining presentation if you picked something controversial -- a topic about which you can find a lot of disagreement. You can then use the time to present all sides (demonstrating to your teacher that you have a sophisticated, balanced understanding of the topic) ... perhaps draw some conclusions after looking at it from all sides, etc.

If you want to avoid controversy, you might want to pick a topic that has a long history so that you can show how it has evolved over time. .... or how it varies in different parts of the country or in different parts of the world.

For a presentation that long, you are going to want material to "liven it up" a bit -- whether it is good pictures, dramatic stories, a little controversy, etc. Keep that in mind as you pick a topic. What type of material will grab the attention of your audience? You'll not them to start nodding off while you present a mere recitation of facts, figures, and practice recommendations.

Some possible topics off the top of my head: 1. Nursing and unionization/collective bargaining 2. Specialty certification: necessary or not? 3. Should you carry your own professional Liability Insurance or not? 4. Is there a place in nursing for nurses with physical disabilities? 5. Nurses and war. etc. etc. Just look at the other threads on this board for lots of possible topics.

If you want something more physiological ... 6. Should you get a flu shot every year? -- complete with stories from the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed many more people than WWI -- would make a great presentation. 7. Infection control practices -- and why nurses don't always practice according to the current guidelines and latest information. 8. Antibiotic resistence and the increase in use of antibacterial cleaning agents and people who want an antibiotic for every virus they catch.

llg

CinnamonRN · Jul 16, 2004

One topic you might consider, which could be both interesting and contraversial is the effect that the increasing numbers of morbidly obese patients is having on our healthcare system; ie, the amount of dollars they eat up as a result of their obesity - the diseases which they acquire or have and are exacerbated by their obesity - CAD, PVD, NIDDM, COPD - the effects that obesity has on patients who must undergo surgery - here's one link that could get you started, if you wanted to pursue this as a topic

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/economic_consequences.htm