The nurse spends more time with the patient than other specialists and understands his needs better than many. Nurses and nursing assistants help the patient perform basic procedures that people cannot commit themselves to due to their physical condition. There are many nursing care sections, each aimed at specific work with patients of different groups. A group of practicing nurses treat adult gerontological patients with critical and acute diseases. Adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners (AGACNP) work in trauma departments, emergency rooms, and patients in intensive care.
The AGACNP’s direction focuses on providing emergency care to adult patients with acute and chronic diseases and injuries. Nurses in this direction must provide comprehensive, consistent care, which will also be cost-effective. The responsibilities of AGACNP also include writing prescriptions, monitoring patients’ response to the prescribed treatment, and prescribing additional treatment (Landsperger et al., 2016). Nurses have the skills to decipher ECG results, which allows them to work with patients admitted to the emergency department, together with cardiologists, to diagnose and prescribe treatment.
As an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, I will be endowed with many responsibilities. For example, I need to provide a comprehensive examination of adult and gerontological patients in such a way as to prevent complications of their diseases in the future. In addition, my actions should be aimed at improving the current health of patients in order to provide them with a comfortable life. Furthermore, I need to use evidence-based practice to educate patients and enhance the well-being of the adult and gerontological population.
The speed of recovery and rehabilitation of the patient depends not only on the quality of treatment and prescribed medications. The psychological impact plays a considerable role here on the patient by a medical professional. Direct psychological contact with the patient occurs more often in the employees of the secondary medical staff. As a nurse, I must be able to communicate correctly with patients at different stages of disease development and various social, racial, religious, and age groups. Communication with each person requires the nurse to show such qualities as benevolence, patience, empathy, and tolerance.
The main goal in nursing practice is a positive result of interventions to solve the patient’s problem. This means that any patient care activities should be aimed at achieving a result. The definition of the goal is orienting; that is, it is necessary to choose the direction of patient care and evaluate the effectiveness of the nurse’s work. To define the goal more precisely, it is essential to involve the patient in the care planning process. The patient’s participation in care planning should be independent and in determining priorities and making decisions.
The features of adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners include the organization of medical care for age-related diseases, considering their mutual influence. In addition, nurses ensure the long-term and continuous nature of senior care provided to the patient on the territory of residence, in the hospital, or at home (Landsperger et al., 2016). Nurses must also ensure the interaction of senior service units with other healthcare institutions and social service organizations.
Nurse practitioners specializing in adult gerontology acute care should use theoretical foundations to form evidence-based practices. In addition, nurses should use the main five qualities of a healthcare professional, which include caring, professionalism, leadership, communication, and competence. Care is at the heart of the work of any nurse practitioner. Nurses are also expected to be competent throughout the work and to approach each patient with knowledge. As evidence-based practice evolves in the coming years, competencies and standard protocols for practice will evolve. Qualified communication is another critical element of ensuring safe and effective patient care. A professional will demonstrate competence in activities related to ethics, education, evidence-based practice and research, teamwork, effective communication, leadership, resource use, professional assessment, and the general state of the environment.
The profession of an emergency nurse practitioner in gerontology for adults is significant and necessary. Even though the work is quite tricky, since nurses in this area are forced to work regularly in stressful conditions, they often help patients save their lives and make their future life healthy and with the absence of diseases. Nurses need to periodically upgrade their qualifications in order to update their knowledge in the field of emergency care. Nurse practitioners conduct the necessary research and make various appointments for patients in emergency physical conditions, which demonstrates how important and vital the nursing profession is.
In conclusion, adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners perform many job duties, have good practical and theoretical skills, have specialized secondary education and have appropriate qualifications. The responsibilities of a nurse include comprehensive monitoring of organs, decoding and interpreting ECG results, and developing treatment plans to improve the patient’s current and future health. Proper organization of the work of nurses in the department contributes to the timely and high-quality provision of medical care to patients.
Reference
Landsperger, J. S., Semler, M. W., Wang, L., Byrne, D. W., and Wheeler, A. P. (2016). Outcomes of Nurse Practitioner-Delivered Critical Care: A Prospective Cohort Study. Chest, 149(5), 1146–1154. Web.