According to AACN, the role of a nurse practitioner (NP) in adult- gerontology acute care includes such components as the leadership implications, collaborative implications to ensure effective interdisciplinary partnership, and direct patient care provider role (7). This means that the unique scope of practice for this type specialist is considerably wider than one may think at first glance. This paper will observe my role as an adult-gerontology acute care NP in detail to provide information about such aspects as management of a patient, NP relationship with other participants of the working process and the client, teaching-coaching function, and healthcare quality insurance, to name just a few.
First, essential components of adult-gerontology acute care NP role delineation are direct patient care, leadership, couching, interdisciplinary partnership, and quality insurance (NONPF 25). To illustrate, when patient is assigned to an NP in adult- gerontology acute care unit, the task of this professional is to provide integrative care for this client elaborating the efforts of physicians, support staff members, other colleagues, whose participance might be needed to ensure the ultimate patient outcomes, and collaboration from family and friends.
Next, the particular aspect of management of a patient includes such components as (1) health assessment and diagnosis making; (2) ordering interventions and medication; (3) clients’ and family members’ education; (4) building the client-NP relationship; and (5) providing culturally-competent care (Eliopoulos 22, 27). In this area, I would specifically focus on NP-patient relations building, coaching function, and being culturally competent. Contemporary healthcare is a complex process requiring synergy from all participates of the process and this is especially to for the client him- or herself. NP’s task is to partner with the patient and one’s family members and to provide them education on how to improve the quality of life even when serious health endpoints are present. Undoubtedly, such cooperation requires constant efforts aiming to build productive client-NP relationships based on trust and ethical norms (AACN 21). This approach also requires cultural competence because modern U.S. society is a blend of people from all over the world with their unique mentality and traditions in terms of healthcare and disease prevention (Goodman, Reidy, and Cartier 59).
Focusing on an adult-gerontology acute care NP leadership role, it is important to note that this professional needs to act as a collaboration facilitator in the collective body of workers and in interdisciplinary partnerships (Hamric 126). Overall, the leadership activities the role involves are (1) incoming data processing; (2) legal and ethical issues consideration; (3) ancillary staff coordination; and (4) staff development through education and coaching (Kress par. 5). The leadership aspect also deals with healthcare quality assurance. This aspect implicates the evidence-based practice facilitation, contribution to the science of nursing, and evaluating one’s own and team members’ practice against acquired information (AACN 24). Another point relevant to the leadership aspect is negotiating healthcare delivery systems. In this field, the adult-gerontology acute care NP needs to have the following competences: assist patients and family members in transformation of care quality they get; promote interdisciplinary collaboration; and identify and handle challenges to optimal patient outcomes (AACN 23).
In conclusion, an adult-gerontology acute care NP role has the broad scope of such aspects as direct patient care and leadership with their multiple peculiarities and details. The ultimate goal of an adult-gerontology acute care NP is to ensure the best-practice of cost-effective and providing optimal patient outcomes care.
Works Cited
American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Adult-gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Competences. 2012. Web.
Eliopoulos, Charlotte. Gerontological Nursing, New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013. Print.
Goodman, Janice, Patricia Reidy, and Jeanne Cartier. “Role Preparation for Advanced Practice Nursing: Practicing Consultation and Collaboration Skills.” Journal of Nursing Education 51.1 (2012): 59-60. Print.
Hamric, Ann. Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach, New York: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2013. Print.
Kress, Elizabeth. Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 2015. Web.
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies. Washington, DC: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2011. Print.