Introduction
The number of patients suffering from kidney problems is increasing at a high rate worldwide. Most patients with chronic kidney diseases do not seek any form of treatment, especially in developing countries (Bayliss et al., 2019). Thus, it is important to formulate programs that will help in addressing these problems. The programs will improve the physical well-being as well as the general welfare of sick people. This paper encompasses an interview transcript about my view on the nephrology program, its issues, and the target population.
The costs and projected outcomes of this program
The nephrology healthcare program includes issues associated with kidney diseases in individuals aged 50 to 65 years. The nurses in this program focus on kidney problems. Besides, they treat and take care of patients suffering from kidney conditions, including those at risk of kidney failure. The program projected cost is about 40 million US dollars. The amount includes the charge for hiring specialists in all departments, which is approximately 20 million dollars together with the cost of procuring the relevant machines within the facility. For instance, machines for dialysis costs 15 million dollars. The health professionals will have to be adequately trained on the use of the machinery among other operations of the program; the training should cost about 5 million dollars.
The target population
The program aims at reaching African American individuals whose age ranges from 50 to 65 years. Most of these individuals cannot take care of the costly bills to treat kidney diseases. The Nephrology Health Care Program will also help those involved in other programs, for example, Medicaid and Medicare. The program will be first focused in states where there is a high number of African Americans in need of medical help.
The nurse’s role in providing input for the design of this healthcare program
Nurses are instrumental health personnel in different phases of healthcare programs. They are important in all stages, right from getting information from patients under their care to the process of disease detection or screening. Since nurses are professionals at the lead of healthcare set-up, their inputs in the program will be significant because one of their key roles is to advocate for the patients’ wellbeing (Bowles et al., 2019). Healthcare is considered an enterprise; therefore, patients are considered a special type of client, and their satisfaction indicates the success of the implemented program.
Nephrology nurses are authorized and registered to take care of patients with serious kidney diseases. They are also responsible for training patients to perform home hemodialysis. The nephrology nurses’ activities in this program include assessing, diagnosing, identifying outcomes, planning, executing, and evaluating the condition (Powell & Milstead, 2019). They are responsible for developing nephrology guidelines and testing the necessary interventions.
The nurses’ guideline is important in determining the prevalence of kidney diseases to help plan, allocate resources, and guide policy prevention, together with early recognition and treatment of kidney complications. The nurses’ responsibility is aimed at the health and well-being of the patient, preserving the kidneys’ function, implementing therapeutic strategies, conducting dialysis, and assisting in transplant care.
As an experienced and qualified nephrology nurse understanding the plight of African Americans in the healthcare sector, I will help in justifying focusing on the target population. I will be part of the Nephrology Healthcare team of experts who will brainstorm and develop a workable process to implement the program and ensure its success (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). As a nurse, I will contribute by fully being at the forefront of transforming the healthcare sector changes. For instance, I will focus on participating in the shift from an episodic-based service provider to a patient-centered caregiver who offers quality care that all patients can afford.
The role of the nurse in healthcare program implementation
Nurses are always experienced in how the health care program operates, and they are aware of the problem of accessing the services, their quality, and cost. They can help implement the Nephrology Healthcare Program by diagnosing the condition in the patients with complications and screening the patients who need serious healthcare. The Nephrology nurses ensure they diagnose, educate and treat the patients under their care. A nurse involved in designing the program can be considered a planner who administers and provides input for sectors that need upgrading. For example, a nurse who assists in implementing a program directly takes part in applying for the program, just the same way nurses at the hospitals directly take care of the patients.
The healthcare team members that are most needed to implement a program
Healthcare consists of several disciplines, and several healthcare practitioners take part in the implementation of programs necessary for taking care of patients under critical conditions. Proper health care provision is achieved through teamwork, especially for individuals with chronic diseases. The health care providers always contribute to the patients’ care; therefore, their relationship should be good to enhance the quality of service rendered. The team members include doctors, technicians, therapists, and experts who help patients who need physical and emotional care.
Doctors are the main team leaders responsible for treating patients and monitoring them after the treatment. For instance, nephrologists take care of kidney patients before and after kidney transplants (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). They also take patients’ medical histories and further advise the nurses and other medical staff to perform necessary tests. Licensed nurses are experienced in taking care of patients under chronic conditions. They always coordinate patient care with other members of the team (Kelly et al.,2017). Some are always trained to educate patients and other caregivers.
Patient care technicians are mainly associated with the dialysis treatment of the patients. They are responsible for monitoring the patient’s pre and post-treatments. Patients and their families are the most important members of the team. They can actively participate in care by learning important information and cooperating with the provided treatment plan. Licensed social workers always counsel the patients and their relatives to cope with the prevailing situation (Kelly et al., 2017).
They help patients organize treatment to fit their way of life and daily activities. Their services are critical in identifying the sources of emotional support that the patients need. Social workers can help patients and their relatives enhance their way of living. The therapist provides one-on-one counseling to patients who need immediate assistance with their health conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healthcare providers are vital in treating chronic diseases such as kidney diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. Thus, they should focus on becoming successful in achieving the set objectives of the program. All the members should effectively implement their roles to ensure the accomplishment of the program. Therefore, understanding the roles of all professionals is critical to the success of the program. The program will improve the health of the target population and improve the country’s health status.
References
Bayliss, G. P., Cobb, J., Decker, B., Hellman, R., Vasavada, N., Mackelaite, L., & ASN Workforce Committee. (2019). Kidney mentoring and assessment program for students: A guide for engaging medical students in nephrology. Clinical kidney journal, 12(6), 761-766. Web.
Bowles, J. R., Adams, J. M., Batcheller, J., Zimmermann, D., & Pappas, S. (2018). The role of the nurse leader in advancing the Quadruple Aim. Nurse Leader, 16(4), 244-248. Web.
Kelly, M. M., Dean, S. M., Carayon, P., Wetterneck, T. B., & Hoonakker, P. L. (2017). Healthcare team perceptions of a portal for parents of hospitalized children before and after implementation. Applied clinical informatics, 8(1), 265. Web.
Powell, D. L., & Milstead, J. A. (2019). The impact of globalization: Nurses influencing global health policy. Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse’s Guide, 6th ed.; Milstead, JA, Short, NM, Eds, 193-213.
Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare transformation and changing roles for nursing. Orthopedic nursing, 36(1), 12. Web.