Nursing Care Model
Healthcare organizations utilize different nursing models in order to organize their work so that it managed to benefit both professionals and patients. Depending on a particular model selected by a facility, nurses receive an opportunity to enhance the quality of provided care and make team collaboration more effective (Finkelman, 2015). In addition to that, they allow healthcare systems to decrease their operating costs and develop an efficient way of staff utilization.
Personally, I do not have much experience in the field yet. Nevertheless, I have had enough practice to speak about a nursing model that is currently used by my leaders. Working in a long-term care facility, I noticed that it is vital for nurses to be aware of patient-related information because it determines client satisfaction and affects eventual health outcomes. In my healthcare facility, floor assignments were distributed among registered nurses who had to provide care to all patients within their limits. Nevertheless, they were not the only ones concerned about people’s health, as at least one practical nurse with a license was also assigned at the floor (their concrete number was tightly associated with the census). All tasks for a shift were distributed by registered nurses so that they were definitely aware of all operations. The priority was placed on acute cases that required the most immediate response.
Registered nurses were responsible for the work associated with the intake of drugs and intravenous fluids. There also were professionals who focused on the insertion of central catheters. However, due to the lack of personnel, they had to deal not only with their usual tasks connected to intravenous therapy but also helped with other practices on the floor. Licensed practical nurses are responsible for checks of patients’ condition, control of Foley catheter and medical dressing, help with drug administration. All these activities, professionals perform under the supervision of registered nurses, as well as a couple of certificated nursing assistants. They focus on clients’ basic needs and ensure that patients’ hygiene is appropriate, they obtain new bed linen and are properly fed. In some cases, these professionals are also expected to help patients with appointments.
Thus, I consider that the primary nursing model is used by my healthcare facility. Registered nurses are in charge of all operations and provide others with their tasks. Rather often, nurses have additional tasks they manage to accomplish successfully, which overcomes the issue of staff shortage.
Implementation
The implementation of a primary nursing model is discussed by numerous professionals because it is believed to be advantageous for practice. For instance, Payne and Steakley (2015) discuss its use within a Health Clinical Center that has several units. The process of implementation is maintained in the unit that works with patients who abuse substances. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of this unit, the authors recommend paying much attention to patient safety, education, and empowerment. In addition to that, nurses need to build positive relationships with nurses, as they turn out to be the basis of the discussed model. Payne and Steakley (2015) consider that patient outcomes depend greatly on the created environment.
Similar ideas are supported by Ongaretto, Villardino, Faggion, Tosatti, & Croso (2014), as they state that the primary nursing care model is based on “an individualized patient-nurse relationship” (p. A48). In order to establish it, organizational leaders need to select a primary coordinator of clients’ help who manages to be tightly connected to patients and their needs so that they can communicate principles of self-care without any critical difficulty. In addition to that, the continuity of care is critical, because it is easier for both clients and professionals to communicate if they have well-established relations during a particular period of time. During their shifts, primary nurses obtain a total responsibility for care provided to their clients. They assist in cooperation between patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. As a result, client satisfaction increases, as they become better informed and obtain qualified, personalized services while nurses enhance their competence and start interacting with other care providers better. In addition to that, patients became able to govern themselves. Thus, the number of conflicts can also be greatly reduced.
Recommendation
Even though the primary nursing care model has numerous advantages, it is not used by many healthcare facilities because they consider it to be too costly. An alternative model that can be utilized in this situation is progressive patient care that presupposes the focus on patients and their health condition. Guarinoni, Motta, Petrucci, and Lancia (2013) emphasize that the implementation of this model requires to group patients according to the needs defined by illnesses so that they can be placed in the most appropriate settings. This nursing model consists of several levels that include “intensive care, intermediate care, self-care, long-term care, home care” (Guarinoni et al., 2013, p. 205). Thus, specialties do not value as much as clients and their needs.
According to Gabutti, Mascia, and Cicchetti (2017), the progressive patient care model is beneficial for those healthcare facilities that are patient-centered. In its framework, patients are grouped according to their needs instead of their personal characteristics. This model requires minimum cost that is why it appeals to many providers. Moreover, this approach increases the level of patient care in those clients who can communicate their needs and require supervision, support, and education. The progressive patient care model benefits professionals, assuring efficient use of their skills and resources, allowing care provision per need, and ensuring the possibility to build positive relations with clients. Patients, in their turn, can obtain specialized attention and assistance in the adjustment process. Finally, healthcare facilities receive a chance to use free beds and nursing power effectively and improve the way it is perceived by patients.
Conclusion
Thus, I managed to enhance my knowledge and understanding of nursing care models due to this assignment. My observations of current practice allowed me to reveal that tasks are allocated by primary providers and designated to other nursing professionals. Moreover, I learned what scientists think of the nursing care model used in my workplace and its implementation. I managed to understand that it appeals to professionals because of the focus on nurse responsibilities and the development of appropriate patient-provider relations. Nevertheless, this model appeared to be rather costly while its alternative (the progressive patient care model) allows saving funds. It is based on the ability to group patients regarding their healthcare needs and to place them in an appropriate setting. As a result, nurses can increase the effectiveness of their performance and increase patient satisfaction and safety. However, I realize that the decision to select a nursing care model cannot be based only on this discussion because it is to focus on the characteristics of real practice.
References
Finkelman, A. (2015). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
Gabutti, I., Mascia, D., & Cicchetti, A. (2017). Exploring “patient-centered” hospitals: A systematic review to understand change. BMC Health Services Research, 17, 364-380.
Guarinoni, M.G., Motta, P.C., Petrucci, C., & Lancia, L. (2013). Progressive patient care model and its application into hospital organization: A narrative review. Professioni Infermieristiche, 66(4), 205-214.
Ongaretto, R., Villardino, F., Faggion, F., Tosatti, S., & Croso, A. (2014). The primary nursing implementation in late preterm. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 40(2), A48.
Payne, R., & Steakley, B. (2015). Establishing a primary nursing model of care. Nursing Management, 46(12), 11-13.