Any state organization for registered nurses is supposed to provide a set of standards encompassing all levels of nursing practice that can serve as a template of professional activity for nurses. Some aspects of performance are common for nurse practitioners, educators, and leaders whereas others may differ (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014).
An advanced nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has acquired theoretical background, developed problem-solving skills, and competencies necessary by the context in which he/she is going to operate. A master’s degree is usually required for successful practice.
A nurse practitioner’s role encompasses the following functions (Masters, 2015):
- assessing patients’ health status;
- identifying risk groups;
- being responsible for patients’ histories and physical examinations;
- collecting required data;
- performing some diagnostics and preventive procedures;
- conducting and interpreting the results of examinations and diagnostic tests;
- administering drugs;
- providing unceasing patient care;
- ensuring monitoring and safety;
- assisting in minor surgeries;
- communicating the importance of proper health behavior patterns to patients;
- rendering emergency aid;
- assisting in health care research.
According to the National Patient Safety Goals, the role of a nurse practitioner is defined as clinical as he/she is primarily expected to provide direct care to patients in hospital settings under the direct or indirect supervision of a physician. Moreover, he/she is involved in diagnostics, prevention, and prescription of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies. However, there is also a non-clinical role a nurse practitioner plays. This is connected with the informational function he/she has to perform is a medical advisor for patients and their family members in issues concerning health promotion (Masters, 2015).
How a Nurse Practitioner Promotes Patient Safety
Patient safety policy covers technological safety, education of both the personnel and the patient on security issues, rewarding initiatives, identifying risk factors, doing research, etc. Nurse practitioners play one of the major roles in ensuring the safety of the clinical environment, which encompasses the safety of patients (no matter if they are under their or another professional’s care), sanitation and cleanness of the settings, infection prevention, and education of patients and their families on safety issues. Nurse practitioners have to develop strategies and techniques to manage all the aspects of patient safety with equal efficiency (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014). They have to demonstrate the highest level of concentration while performing their duties.
It is especially crucial in unexpected situations when the administration of one patient has to be interrupted because of an emergency case. Nurse practitioners must be able to deal with such situations without undermining the safety level of the facility. However, it would be wrong to assume that safety measures are required only in cases of alert – on the contrary, nurse practitioners should ensure safety on the daily basis making regular visits to patients to be able to detect hazardous changes in their condition and prevent possible consequences. Moreover, they have to assist injured patients needing physiotherapy during the rehabilitation process to make sure that they are out of danger of receiving other injuries. Last but not least, nurse practitioners monitor the condition of patients after discharge as their safety is a guarantee that they will successfully avoid readmission (Masters, 2015).
Articles Summary
The article Patient Safety: A Shared Responsibility written by K. Ballard claims that there is no single professional or sector in health care facilities that could be ultimately and solely responsible for providing safety to patients as this issue is so complicated that it requires shared responsibility achieved through united efforts. The researcher believes that the simultaneous use of technology and human labor makes the system vulnerable and puts it under the risk of erratic behavior. Therefore, the provision of safety cannot be attributed to a specially appointed person – all stakeholders must contribute to the success of the process. The key to the success of every department is to follow security principles without waiting for directions from the top. According to the article, the patient safety is currently being undermined because of the lack of nurses (Ballard, 2015).
The study Interprofessional Education in Team Communication: Working Together to Improve Patient Safety by D. Brock et al. argues that the safety of a health care facility is often at risk because of communication errors that can bring about negative consequences for patients as well as for the personnel. According to the authors, it is highly important to train nurses to participate in teamwork and enhance patient safety by implementing collaborative strategies. The study concludes that the team approach is not only capable of changing attitudes of health care professionals to the problem but can also enrich their knowledge on the topic (Brock et al., 2013).
The expert opinion expressed by P. Chen in her speculation The Gulf between Doctors and Nurse Practitioners presents an interesting view on the problem of the safety provision. The author believes that a lot of health care professionals are against the idea of expanding the scope of practice of nurse practitioners and increasing their number to achieve better safety provisions. Many doctors consider that increasing the number of nurse practitioners may even bring about deplorable consequences as far as patient safety is concerned. Finding a resolution to this disagreement requires a lot of time and effort whereas safety issues cannot be postponed until the consensus is reached (Chen, 2013).
References
Ballard, K. A. (2015). Patient safety: A shared responsibility. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 8(3), 4, 15-24.
Brock, D., Abu-Rish, E., Chiu, C. R., Hammer, D., Wilson, S., Vorvick, L.,… Zierler, B. (2013). Interprofessional education in team communication: Working together to improve patient safety. BMJ Quality & Safety, 22(5), 414-423.
Chen, P. (2013). The gulf between doctors and nurse practitioners. The New York Times. Web.
LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2014). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Masters, K. (2015). Role development in professional nursing practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.