Post a 2-paragraph response (of at least 350 words) to one of the options below. Develop and post cohesive paragraphs and use evidence to support your ideas. The practice of writing paragraphs is essential to good writing. Focus each paragraph on one main idea or goal. Use the writing resources, writing samples, and Discussion Rubric to develop your post.
Option 1
As a result of its deliberations, the IOM committee formulated four key messages to support efforts to improve the health of the U.S. population through the contributions nurses can make to the delivery of care. Provide one or more examples of how you or a colleague has practiced one or more of the IOM recommendations to take the lead effectively or be in charge of an issue or patient rather than just “being at the table.”
OR
Option 2
Fitzpatrick (2015) describes how certain characteristics and competencies set nursing and nurses apart from other professions and practitioners. Describe how your nursing practice and ethical decision-making skills have furthered the quality and safety of patient care.
The article by Fitzpatrick (2015) outlines the need for nurses to get back to the basics of nursing for the purpose of maximizing on the full potential of the nursing profession. Being new in the nursing profession, I was expectant that everything will be centered directly on the care of patients while utilizing basic nursing skills. However, everything has turned out to be different. I have understood that the documentation of patient care is central to high-quality care and ultimately patient satisfaction (Olshansky, 2011). When these requirements are met, it is certain that a hospitals income automatically increases.
I feel that technology is receiving a lot of critiques yet, it contributes to a lot of time being used in the documentation of the care that has already been provided to patients rather than providing the actual care. In my practice as a nurse, I spend more time explaining to clients about a procedure they are supposed to undergo, informing them about the potential risks and benefits, conducting family and patient updates on client progress and health outcomes. I have routinely developed this norm since I realized that patients and their families spend more time with nurses as compared to professionals from other health cadres. This presents nurses with the opportunity to share some knowledge with them about their health concerns and those of their loved ones, which improves patient satisfaction (Auerbach et al., 2013). This means that, by furthering education, nurses gain more knowledge on a wide range of conditions and some of the best ways available that nurses can uniquely approach the needs of each patient. This is an assurance that patients receive safe and high-quality care. As a result, patients experience less anxiety and are able to make more informed health decisions (Thorne, 2015).
The article by Fitzpatrick (2015) mentions how technology has helped to improve the care given to patients. However, it is also worth noting that, the same technology takes us away from the basic skills and care that was learned in school. Although technology seems to make work easier and improve efficiency in healthcare delivery, it is worthwhile to apply critical thinking to determine if patients’ needs are adequately met. Nurses have the ethical responsibility to act in the best interest of patients and their respective families (Gatchel, 2018). Similarly, nurses have the ethical obligation to do no harm to patients and this may include using technology that they might believe to improve the provision of care, without doing a thorough evaluation to ensure that a patient’s well-being may not be affected. For instance, it is not only significant to do no harm to patients than doing good. It is also very significant to have knowledge of how likely the use of technology or a specific treatment may harm a patient.
By applying this ethical thinking in my nursing practice, some of the most relevant questions that I seek to answer when providing care to patients include; did I meet the needs of the patient to the best of my ability? Is there anything that I could have done differently? This analysis ensures that areas which need improvement are sought for and addressed. A perfect example of applying nursing knowledge and efforts to improve safety and quality in our healthcare organization is the use of the SBAR tool to communicate patient care to colleague staff. While it promotes shared perspectives on patient care, nurses are provided with a platform where they can positively critique areas which need improvement to provide safe patient care (Thorne, 2015).
References
Auerbach, D. I., Staiger, D. O., Muench, U., & Buerhaus, P. I. (2013). The nursing workforce in an era of health care reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(16), 1470-1472.
Fitzpatrick, M. A. (2015). The essence of nursing: It’s time to put basic nursing care back in the spotlight. American Nurse Today, 10(5). Available at http://www.americannursetoday.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Essence-Supplement_page-2.pdf
Gatchel, R. J. (2018). The importance of the profession of nursing in health care: Current and future issues. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 23(1), e12127.
Olshansky, E. (2011). Nursing as the most trusted profession: Why this is important. Journal of Professional Nursing, 27(4), 193-194.
Thorne, S. (2015). Does nursing represent a unique angle of vision? If so, what is it?. Nursing Inquiry, 22(4), 283-284.