Consequently, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), an avid advocate for the evidence-based recommendations for change and advancement of health care and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in recognizing these challenges in 2008, partnered to establish a two-year Initiative on the Future of Nursing. The committee was tasked with producing a comprehensive report with recommendations for action-based blueprint for the future of nursing, redesigning the role of nurses, expansion of nursing faculty besides attraction and retention of well-prepared and qualified nurses in various care settings capable of handling present and future the nation’s health care needs..(IoM.edu, 2015). After two years of vigorously working, the committee formulated four key messages that formed the basis of their recommendations which
My future nursing practice is now changed because I understand the importance of patient advocacy. I need to trust in myself that I know when I am seeing something wrong, so I can speak up before it is too late. Because of this reflection I can see how trivial it was to be worried about my own professional risk over my patient’s quality of care. I am sure that I will never make that mistake again. As a health care provider, the well-being of patients should be a top priority,
Despite the frequency of verbal interactions, miscommunication of patient information occurs that can lead to patient safety issues. . . . ‘Effective communication occurs when the expertise, skills, and unique perspectives of both nurses and physicians are integrated, resulting in an improvement in the quality of patient care’ (Lindeke & Sieckert, 200...
As stated before they are the backbone of the healthcare team. Healthcare facilities must learn the value of nurses and what they bring to the table. They are the patient's advocate. Nurses have the ability to express the patients’ needs or desires to the interdisciplinary team. With the critical thinking and exquisite communication skills, a nurse is a vital component when it comes to patient care. Hospitals must understand recognize that without a sufficient number of nurses the quality of care declines substantially. By adopting this legislation, the states there will be more hospitals with a higher quality of care performance. The job of a nurse goes beyond just performing a medial task. A nurse must be able to connect with the patient based on their needs. A nurse has the to the ability to strategize and design a care plan that fit the patients and will reach every one of their needs. A nurse’s role is a lot more that than just administering medication, it goes beyond that and hospitals need to consider the effect it will have if they cut back on their nursing
Nurses that were once an invisible self-sacrificing profession needs to bloom and evolve into a noticeable and confident profession equivalent to other roles in healthcare (i.e doctors). Nurses need to collectively be proactive in showing the public that with out nurses the healthcare world would not of been as great at it is today. Nurses in one’s opinion are the heart of healthcare, through the knowledge, passion, and skill of a nurse contributes the drive the healthcare role to
ANA describes “The Scope of Nursing Practice (as) the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how’ (8).’ In other words, it is the responsibility of the nurse to know who their patient is, what the patient’s diagnosis and treatment are, where it is they will be delivering treatment, the rationale behind their actions, and how they will deliver the care. By following the scope of practice, nurses reduce avoidable errors and are aware of the liability their actions entail. The ANA also puts forth a nursing process to guide nurses in treatment. The constantly evolving process is currently assessment, diagnosis, identification of outcomes, planning, implementation, and evaluation (ANA 9). Though this method has dramatically improved nursing care, it may be necessary to repeat steps to adapt to a patient’s changing needs and pathologies. By following guidelines set by the ANA, nurses are able to better connect with their patients and instill the image of professionalism to the public while also optimizing safety
“We keep moving forward, opening new things, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” –Walt Disney (Smith, 2001).
In closing, as the healthcare climate consistently changes across the United States, it is imperative that registered nurses understand the demand for superior knowledge and lifelong commitment to nursing. As nursing theory and practice expand, our role as leaders is to place a high priority on our commitment to educate and guide nurses, thus improving the lives of their patients through the support of transformational leadership. The Institute of Medicine’s recent report, The Future of Nursing – Leading Change, Advancing Health, specifically calls for nurses to advance and embrace leadership roles on all levels and fronts – from collaborative improvement to positive identification of areas facing challenges within the healthcare setting.
Some aspects of the nurse’s job have been made easy and facilitated with the aid of other well trained professionals within their working environments. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) (2012), registered nurse’s performance has greatly improved over the years as a result of their coordination and partnership with the health care system with other health care providers. As a result, registered nurses are today seen to occupy important leadership positions in the healthcare system and they participate when they are making decisions for patients as well as for other
Nurses are active, they see policies as what they can restructure or change, instead of taking it as what has been imposed on them. They are involved in policy development as well as working together as one profession. As nurses, they participating in decision making regarding health policies, as well as taking part in implementations associated with changes in health care. Currently, nurses are serving “on advisory committees, commissions, and boards” (Cohen, M. & Walker, A. 2010). Policies and decisions in these areas will help to advance patient care in health
Heath care is currently, and has been, a hot topic in politics and the average person's life today. Since Obama has come into office he has brought up the issue of providing every American with health care coverage while keeping costs low. Since his re-election, we have been faced with a healthcare reform that tears our country, and politicians, down the middle. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” is “A federal statute signed into law in March 2010 as a part of the healthcare reform agenda of the Obama administration. Signed under the title of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the law included multiple provisions that would take effect over a matter of years, including the expansion of Medicaid eligibility, the establishment of health insurance exchanges and prohibiting health insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions” (Affordable Care Act). The reform is meant to help those who cannot cover the costs of coverage due to low income, or no jobs, as well as those who have been denied because of pre-existing heath conditions; it is essentially there to help those ultimately in need. Unfortunately, Obamacare is not beneficial to those who are currently covered, typically known as the average American, as it it is not cost effective nor constitutional.
Nurses play a critical role on patient’s health; the relationship that a nurse and patient develop can in some cases be life altering. Applying these characteristics and being a servant leader to patients establishes life long impressions and makes critical difference in treatment allowing for optimal care to be received. Always listen to patients concerns, be empathetic in their concerns, and help while committing to their personal growth, one never knows whom they are actually a leader for. Some individuals look up to nurses and count
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
Furthermore, there should be enough trust between the nurses and physicians where they can easily put aside their egos and ask for a second opinion when they have any doubts concerning a patient's safety. This was clearly exemplified when the nursing staff attending to Lewis Blackman failed to contact the physician when various side effects arose; instead they tailored the signs to fit the expected side effects. Even after Blackman’s health was deteriorating, the nurses remained in their “tribes” and never once broke out of it to ask for help. The entire hospital was built on strong culture of remaining in their tribes instead of having goals oriented towards patients care and safety.
Healthcare is viewed in an unrealistic way by most individuals. Many people view a physician as the only means to find a solution to their problem. Nurses are still seen by some as simply “the person who does what the doctor says.” This is frustrating in today’s time when nurses are required to spend years on their education to help care for their patients. In many situations nurses are the only advocate that some patients’ have.