Polypharmacy modalities in geriatric populations must be modified since

admixtures of multiple medications can lead to falls, liver problems and other
endogenous maladies. There is a dearth in the current literature of studies stipulating
how different cocktails of medications affect one another in primary and secondary
ways. Thus, it is much more effective to only prescribe one principal medication to
elderly patients, or be able to assiduously verify that a cocktail of medications work in
harmony with each other without engendering dangerous and maladaptive side effects
and adverse reactions. The topic of geriatric polypharmacy warrants attention since
elderly patients can typically run into problems when numerous healthcare provides,
working independently of each other, prescribe multiple medications to the patient. The
danger is that no healthcare provider is knowledgeable regarding the compete
medication picture of the patient (Hajjar, Cafiero & Hanlon, 2007). Moreover, the
incidence of geriatric polypharmacy rates is staggering. Over 45% of men over 65 and
57% of women over 65 take 5+ medications per week; and over 10% of these selfsame
patients take more than 10 medications per week (Hilmer & Gnjidic, 2009). These
statistics show that the great majority of elderly patients are imbibing many medications
on a weekly basis without a single healthcare provider having comprehensive
knowledge of all of the medications they are taking. This is problematic in terms of
charting potential side effects and adverse reactions that such patients could
experience as a result of taking so many medications together.
I plan to participate in the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) in
order to develop and hone my skills as a nurse so that I can offer the highest quotient of
quality care and rehabilitative finesse to patients. I also want to be a part of an
organization that effectively pushes for positive reforms in healthcare policies while also
upholding standards for nurse and patient safety. Moreover, the ACNL promotes
extensive training initiatives so that nurses in the field can constantly work on bettering
their skills and keeping up with new technological and procedural innovations which
help to optimize the function of nursing. The fact that the ACNL cares so much about
keeping the workforce sharp, as skilled as possible, and prepared, is touching to me,
because it shows that when nurses come together and support each other anything is
possible and real proactive reform within the healthcare industry becomes possible. I
believe that the ACNL correlates with my DNP scholarly project in that the mission
statements, core values and strategic initiatives of the ACNL coincide with the
externalities and modalities that will be touched upon in my scholarly project. The ACNL
is a comprehensive organization that works for the betterment of nurses, patients and
the healthcare structure as a totality. As such, the ACNL will be in alignment with my
DNP scholarly project since my project will highlight and underscore processes
regarding progression and betterment as a nurse while also delving into current policy
problems and initiatives that need to be addressed within the overarching healthcare
structure in America.

Reference List
Hajjar, E. R., Cafiero, A. C., & Hanlon, J. T. (2007). Polypharmacy in elderly patients.
The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy, 5(4), 345-351.
Hilmer, S. N., & Gnjidic, D. (2009). The effects of polypharmacy in older adults. Clinical
Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 85(1), 86-88.