Introduction
Preventing falls in delirium patients is of utmost importance in hospital settings. Leaders must take charge and ensure staff are well-equipped to handle patients and implement new hospital changes to improve patient safety. Nursing leadership requires medical expertise and the ability to coordinate and organize a team to achieve specific goals. Developing strong leadership skills in nursing is crucial for delivering high-quality care to patients with delirium and for reducing the risk of falls.
Leaders in healthcare settings can face numerous challenges when implementing change, including resistance from colleagues and patients, insufficient funding, scarce or unreliable resources, and the need for staff training. To effectively overcome challenges, it is worth dispersing leadership strategies and choosing the most suitable one for the situation.
This essay presents several practical strategies and ways of their implementation. Furthermore, it includes an overview of two leaders and their behavioral approaches in this context. In addition, it is essential to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of introducing changes to the hospital’s usual operating mode.
This essay will also discuss the importance of leadership and innovation in nursing, introducing a wearable device to prevent falls among delirium patients. An innovative update is introducing a mobile application to an existing device. This application can collect, analyze, and transmit data to the medical institution for further decisions and actions. Despite the apparent advantages, installing the application raises concerns about data security and prompts the search for ways to address them.
The Importance of Preventing Falls and Delirium in Hospitalized Patients
Hospitals’ main task is to provide professional training for personnel to create a safe environment for patients. Falls among delirium patients can result in serious injuries, such as hip fractures, head trauma, and even death (Busby-Whitehead et al., 2022). However, innovations that use new technologies to track patients’ movements and whereabouts can significantly enhance nursing competence in this context. Therefore, the use of new approaches to training healthcare professionals to care for delirious patients is vital to ensuring high-quality nursing practice and preventing falls among delirious patients in the hospital setting.
Leadership skills can be developed through study and practice. Strong leadership skills are essential for the effectiveness of fall prevention measures and for more effective management and coordination among team members (Delavar et al., 2020). A leader who is well-versed in the latest technologies can help ensure their effective use and equip the team with the knowledge and skills to work successfully with new techniques.
A well-established leadership team can develop guidelines to help nursing staff follow protocols and procedures to prevent falls. A high level of mutual understanding and empathy in the team will help the leader better analyze challenges and find ways to overcome them (Hofmeyer & Taylor, 2020). Therefore, developing leadership skills in nursing is essential to ensure quality care for patients with delirium and reduce the risk of falls. A leader with solid nursing expertise and leadership skills can be an essential team member in achieving specific goals and developing effective strategies to prevent falls and improve the quality of care.
Leader 1: Dr. John Doe
Dr. John Doe is the hospital department’s leader and has worked in this profession for over 20 years. His approach to patient interaction is primarily dedicated to providing a comfortable environment and high-quality service. Dr. John Doe must be 100 percent confident that the staff understands the essence of his approach and has the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure patient safety (Chopra et al., 2020). He is also very personable and encourages workers to ask questions and seek guidance when necessary.
His tactics not only help prevent falls but also foster a positive working atmosphere and ensure the development of staff professional competence. Dr. John Doe knows that this can be achieved through a systematic staffing approach that includes education, training, knowledge testing, and a reporting system. He always encourages his staff to ask questions and seek advice when necessary to ensure patient safety.
Leader 2: Nurse Jane Smith
Another iconic leadership figure in nursing is nurse Jane Smith, who has gained remarkable experience over the years of practice. Over this period, she has honed her extraordinary communication skills, enabling her to achieve great success. With a reputation as a capable team player, she has excellent communication skills with patients and colleagues. (Gardiner & Webb, 2022).
Jane Smith built her approach to preventing delirium-related falls exclusively on behavioral principles, assessing each patient in detail. She implements necessary actions to reduce the risk of falls based on the results of this evaluation. This method has been quite beneficial, and Nurse Smith’s patients have benefited from her knowledge.
Challenges That Leaders May Face When Implementing New Changes
Healthcare leaders can face many challenges when implementing change. Introducing new procedures, technologies, and policies can create significant obstacles, requiring leaders to be focused, efficient, and flexible (Sukhera et al., 2020). Some challenges may include resistance from colleagues, instability in financial resources, difficulty implementing new technologies, and difficulty coordinating across departments and employees. Overcoming these challenges is possible only with the coordinated work of a team towards a common goal under the wise guidance of a leader.
To manage a team effectively, it is necessary not only to have practical skills but also to understand each colleague’s needs and emotional state. Therefore, a leader must possess appropriate personnel management skills and high emotional intelligence to reduce staff resistance (Ayedee, Dr et al., 2021). Accordingly, one should not simply suppress manifestations of resistance and disagreement but instead understand the root causes and the essence of the issue to find ways to improve one’s work and relations with colleagues. In addition, one challenge may be limited resources when implementing changes (Oleribe et al., 2019). In such cases, it is essential to set priorities to ensure productive team activity.
Effective teamwork and change implementation can often only be achieved with the help of co-factors. Therefore, leaders should consider engaging other organizations through partnerships and grants (Carr et al., 2019). Speaking of personnel training, workshops and additional courses are necessary not only at the start of a career but also throughout a medical worker’s entire career. A leader’s job is to spot potential and provide appropriate opportunities to their team (Casciaro et al., 2019). In addition, the leader must provide quality feedback to ensure the comfort and effectiveness of the introduced changes.
Interestingly, in addition to colleague resistance, changes can cause patient dissatisfaction. In this case, the leader must accurately inform patients about the importance, advantages, and procedural changes. In addition, it is essential to provide information about potential disadvantages and risks, as patients have the right to receive up-to-date information about their treatment in a medical institution (Nagarale et al., 2022). Ultimately, leaders may need more consistency in the data needed to implement change. Given this issue, it is worth conducting research in collaboration with academic institutions and using proven research methods.
Leadership Strategies
A leader’s successful overcoming of professional challenges requires selecting an optimal strategy. Therefore, in health care, transparency in communication is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, transparency of communication with patients and their relatives helps maintain trust in medical professionals and the healthcare system (Iserson, 2020). When people receive open and accurate information about their health condition and treatment process, they can be more confident that their health is in good hands (Vieira, 2020). If patients feel their doctor or health care system is withholding information or not providing sufficient detail in their answers, this can lead to feelings of uncertainty and mistrust.
Secondly, transparency in communication is also essential for preventing epidemics and other health care emergencies. If health workers and organizations report viruses and other dangers openly and honestly, it will allow more effective control of their spread and reduce the risk of epidemics (Chew et al., 2021). In contrast, withholding or insufficient provision of information about dangerous diseases can lead to incorrect conclusions and worsen the situation.
Moreover, directing change is another vital leadership strategy. Such tactics enable medical workers and health organizations to evaluate new methods and technologies that can improve the quality of patient care (Javaid & Khan, 2021). It helps reduce risks and increase the chances of success when implementing new approaches to patient care. In addition, directing change allows health professionals and organizations to reduce the risks of implementing new approaches and technologies.
It is imperative in the healthcare industry, where errors and omissions can have severe consequences for patients’ lives and health. Directing change allows health professionals and organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to patient care and modify them as necessary. It can help ensure that new approaches to patient care are successful and effective, improving care outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Healthcare is an ever-changing industry where new research and technology emerge quickly. Consequently, another leadership strategy worth considering is providing staff training. Training helps one stay up to date on medical trends and advances (Mlambo et al., 2021). Effective leadership is an essential factor in the successful functioning of any health care organization. Professional training allows one to develop team management, problem-solving, and other leadership skills that help improve the quality of healthcare delivery.
Finally, constant training and exchange of experience with specialists is the key to professional success. One of the learning functions is to inspire one’s coworkers, leading to improved healthcare delivery quality and better outcomes (Drigas & Papoutsi, 2019). Speaking about health care, lectures, and workshops can be a valuable experience. Lectures can offer in-depth knowledge of new treatments, while workshops provide hands-on skills and experience with new equipment or treatments (Milota et al., 2019). Such activities are a necessary change in the situation and allow one to rethink approaches to professional activity.
Moreover, the exchange of experience helps avoid stagnation in work and provokes new ideas and approaches. In addition, attending lectures and workshops can help healthcare professionals develop their skills in interacting with patients and their families. Knowing how to communicate effectively with different types of patients and their families can help health professionals provide better support and treatment. Therefore, hospital employees need to master high emotional intelligence and apply this knowledge alongside practical skills.
The atmosphere and environment in which colleagues have to work are essential. With this in mind, managers implement a culture of continuous improvement in the team. Continuous improvement means the team always aims to improve its work, no matter how well it is doing (Taouab & Issor, 2019). It may mean improving work processes, improving employees’ skills, using new technologies and methods, and establishing a quality control system.
In the medical field, a culture of continuous improvement is significant since the health and lives of patients depend on the quality of medical care. Even the slightest mistake can have serious consequences, so doctors and medical professionals must always work to the limit of their abilities and constantly improve. A leader who fosters a culture of continuous improvement creates a favorable environment for development and growth within their team. He encourages his employees to improve themselves and allows them to participate in seminars, training, and other events that help improve their skills and gain new knowledge.
The Good and the Bad of New Changes
When introducing new modifications in the hospital to avoid falls in delirium patients, there are both good and negative things to consider. On the one hand, the introduction of new methods can ensure an adequate level of safety for patients. Accordingly, such changes will positively affect the institution’s service level and significantly increase its rating (Lin et al., 2020).
However, on the other hand, it takes time for employees to get used to and introduce novelty into their practice. One must overcome this reluctance as a leader by integrating employees into planning and providing the required training and tools (Ignatavicius et al., 2020). Awareness is a fundamental aspect not only of implementing changes but also of establishing communication in general.
In addition, introducing updates can be expensive if considering implementing the latest technology or replacing medical devices. Therefore, it is crucial to allocate the necessary resources in advance from the budget of the medical institution in order to avoid a lack of funding for other areas. It is also critical to convey the advantages of the modifications to employees and patients so that everyone knows why the changes are required.
The Importance and Challenges of Innovations in Healthcare
Innovations in the hospital setting may include the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment, high-tech equipment, the development of new drugs, and the use of artificial intelligence and assistive gadgets. Introducing these innovations is very important, as they improve the quality of medical care and increase the effectiveness of treatment. Even the most straightforward gadgets, such as mobile phones, can be widely used for “delivering bulk health information on prevention and promotion programs” (Kola, 2020, p. 2). However, high-tech innovations require a high level of staff qualification and, as a rule, can only be introduced into an institution with additional training of medical professionals.
Additionally, innovations require organizational changes in the structure of the hospital setting. Earlier in this essay, the possibility of resistance was discussed among employees as one of the potential challenges in implementing change. Therefore, the leadership skills of the management team will come in handy for managing the organization’s activities. Despite the challenges mentioned above, innovations play an important role in improving the recovery rate and providing the population with the healthy lives they deserve. They allow one to reduce the risk of disease, decreasing the likelihood of future medical expenses.
Innovation: Wearable Device to Prevent Falls in Delirium Patients
Fitness trackers come to mind when considering innovations that improve the quality of life and promote health. These electronic devices help track physical activity and other health indicators, such as the number of steps, calories, and heart rate. They can be worn on the wrist, belt, around the neck, or in the pocket.
Fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular among active individuals who enjoy tracking their performance to monitor their progress. Such a device is a stylish addition to one’s image and a helpful tool, motivating one to lead a healthy lifestyle. However, fitness trackers provide a somewhat limited picture of the entire state, and to obtain complete information, an expansion of the functionality is necessary.
I propose introducing a mobile application, “SecureFall,” as an addition to existing fitness trackers. They collect and transmit data to the nursing station (Warshaw et al., 2021). Moreover, the application will promote awareness and avoid many unnecessary questions.
The gadget collects and processes helpful information about the patient’s health and vital signs (Lord et al., 2021). Additionally, the fitness bracelet is convenient and requires minimal maintenance, making replacement rare (Moini et al., 2022). Therefore, my “SecureFall” application is innovative in its practicality, as it raises patient-nurse interaction to a new, trusting level.
My proposed application has several potential advantages that can take tracking and analyzing indicators to a new level. For example, if the application receives data indicating an increase in the patient’s heart rate or blood pressure, it can automatically notify the medical institution. Therefore, doctors can quickly react and provide the necessary medical assistance.
However, implementing this function requires compliance with the requirements for protecting the personal data of patients, as the data sent to the medical institution may contain confidential health information. One of the future updates and expansions of the functionality may relate to improving the analytics of the data collected by the fitness tracker and the mobile application. For example, new tools may emerge that enable users to analyze their health indicators in greater detail and accurately assess their condition.
Potential Dangers and Disadvantages of the “SecureFall” Application
With the introduction of a mobile application that receives personal information for health analysis, the question of data security arises. No matter how secure an app is, data leaks and privacy breaches are always a risk. Mobile apps are often the target of hacking, especially when sensitive health data is involved. In such cases, installing additional security programs and entering only that data that cannot reveal any inappropriate information is recommended. For application developers, it is essential to attract as many intellectual and financial resources as possible to ensure the security of user data. In addition, significant and influential investments in data security at the start of the application can significantly minimize potential costs in future cases.
Moreover, excluding the human factor does not always yield absolute data accuracy. On the one hand, it is natural for medical professionals to make mistakes; therefore, the mobile application aims to enhance the accuracy of processing patient health data. However, on the other hand, any program can fail, and no one is immune to failure. It can lead to incorrect measurement of indicators or accidental data deletion. In this case, developers should ensure the proper functioning of creating backup copies and inform consumers about the necessity of this function.
Conclusion
In conclusion, preventing delirious patients from falling in the hospital setting is a crucial task for the healthcare system, as this issue significantly impacts people’s health, safety, and quality of life. One way to achieve the desired level of safety is to introduce innovations and the latest technologies into the diagnosis and treatment process. Innovations are a necessary and natural bottleneck in the development of medicine.
However, implementing changes involves several challenges, which are faced primarily by the leaders of medical teams. These challenges include resistance from colleagues and patients, which is often associated with a lack of preparedness and reluctance to change. Additionally, there are likely issues of insufficient funding, a lack of information resources, and inadequate staff training.
Overcoming these challenges is possible by choosing the appropriate leadership strategy. Leadership skills include high emotional intelligence, transparent communication, and access to staff training. The successful application of leadership tactics is illustrated in the example of Dr. John Doe and Nurse Jane Smith, notable figures in the medical field.
The introduction of innovations into the diagnosis and treatment process involves the inclusion of technical devices. Thus, I introduced the mobile app as a supplement to the fitness tracker. The application’s primary functions are collecting, processing, and transferring patient health indicators data to the medical institution. Although the application offers a high level of data analysis and a convenient solution for patients and doctors, the issue of personal data protection arises, which requires further research.
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