What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.

What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.

The stakeholders identified in this study were the administrator, staff members, recreation staff, the program manager, two dietary staff, six licensed practice nurses (LPNs), nine healthcare assistants (HCAs) and the research and innovative practice manager. The beneficiaries of the program evaluation are the patients. The program evaluation results are positive, which will lead to support for the program, hence better patient care and subsequent outcomes. For example, mealtime practices affect patient satisfaction, and the further implementation of the program will enhance care outcomes in the facility.

Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?

The program met its intended outcomes because the study results showed that the FASCCI model led to a positive change in long-term care by “improving the physical and social environment, relationship-centered care, and the overall dining environment, the overall quality of dining environment, improved leadership, enhanced communication, improved decision-making.”

Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?

The program was specific to long-term care facilities, but I work in a hospital, and it would thus not be easy to implement at my place of work. However, I would recommend using the program to improve care delivery for patients with underlying mental health issues and promote quality outcomes.

Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after one year of implementation.

As a nurse advocate, I would participate in program or policy evaluation by collecting and analyzing data. Nurses are vital professionals close to patients whose roles, such as patient data collection, can override program evaluation activities. As a nurse advocate, I would also help prepare evaluation tools to ensure the evaluation is robust and addresses all vital aspects of the course (Adams & Neville, 2020). Planning for evaluation is an integral aspect of project evaluation and dictates the efficacy of the evaluation process. As a nurse advocate, I would also participate in developing policies that support policy evaluation practices by availing resources required for evaluation processes.

Conclusion

The researchers in the article of interest evaluated the effectiveness of a staff engagement program implemented in a long-term care facility to improve mealtime practices. The program demonstrated effectiveness in the physical environment, social environment, relationship-centered care, the overall quality of the dining environment, improved leadership, enhanced communication, and improved decision-making. The study results also showed that supportive team environments can improve dementia patients’ care. The evaluation results will be significant to the patients because they will help improve care delivery interventions. Nurses should play advocacy roles in program evaluation and improve care outcomes 

References

Adams, J., & Neville, S. (2020). Program evaluation for health professionals: What it is, what it is not and how to do it. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1609406920964345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920964345

Black, A. T., Ali, S., Baumbusch, J., McNamee, K., & Mackay, M. (2019). Practice‐based nursing research: Evaluation of clinical and professional impacts from a research training programme. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(13-14), 2681–2687. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14861