Introduction
The ultimate goal of nursing practice is to ensure that high-quality medical services are available to the greatest number of patients. Practitioners can use various care delivery models in their respective units or settings. Such approaches can be combined with evidence-based concepts to improve the health outcomes of different patients. This paper identifies and discusses various nursing care models that can be embraced by practitioners.
Identified Nursing Care Model
The model observed in my unit is that of team nursing. The nurse leader (NL) encourages us to form groups that can deliver desirable services to more patients. This specific model was observed when a child aged six years was admitted to the facility. The NL formed a team of six practitioners to take good care of this patient. The members of the group collaborated and acquired adequate resources to deliver quality services. The leader also encouraged two pediatricians to be part of the process. Within a week, the patient’s health status had improved significantly. This means that team nursing is an evidence-based model that can be used to deliver superior medical services.
Team Nursing: Summary of Articles
Article One
The authors of the article “Determining Workload and Size of Nursing Team in the Pediatric Emergency Department” support the power of team nursing whenever focusing on the needs of patients. They indicate that nurses and professionals working together will identify the needs of an individual much faster and design the most appropriate care delivery model (Rossetti, Gaidzinski, & Bracco, 2014). Such professionals will also tackle problems such as dissatisfaction, loss of morale, and burnout. The model encourages patients to be part of the process, thereby recording positive health outcomes.
Article Two
In the article “Factors Contributing to Nursing Team Work in an Acute Care Tertiary Hospital”, the authors acknowledge that the use of team nursing in healthcare delivery can address the challenges affecting both patients and practitioners. This nursing model empowers caregivers to deliver evidence-based, timely, and superior services (Polis, Higgs, Manning, Netto, & Fernandez, 2017). It can also make it easier for the nurses to address their challenges. The model is associated with attributes such as efficient communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. NLs can go further to use their competencies to improve their teams’ effectiveness.
Primary Nursing Model: Summary of Articles
Article One
The authors of the article “Establishing a Primary Nursing Model of Care” indicate that critical care patients should receive quality care and medical support. In a normal healthcare setting, such individuals might not have their needs met. This is the reason why the primary nursing care model is appropriate for such patients (Payne & Steakley, 2015). The article goes further to encourage every practitioner to establish meaningful relationships with his or her patients. This approach will ensure that many people’s health problems are identified and addressed promptly. The model guides nurses to communicate with their patients efficiently, make timely decisions, and prevent medication errors.
Article Two
In the article “Perceptions of a Primary Nursing Care Model in a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit”, the authors support the power of primary nursing since it maximizes or improves the nature of communication between patients and their caregivers. When this model of care delivery is embraced, nurses can understand the unique issues facing their patients. Every practitioner will establish a positive relationship with the targeted individual, thereby increasing the level of efficiency (Nadeau, Pinner, Murphy, & Belderson, 2017). The caregiver can use his or her cultural competencies to offer quality support to the intended patient.
The beneficiary can also receive timely information that can result in quality health outcomes. The authors go further to acknowledge that a primary nursing model can result in continuity of service or care delivery. This practice maximizes patients’ health outcomes and reduces medical costs.
Implementation of Team Nursing
The above discussion has indicated that my nursing unit promotes appropriate practices to ensure that quality services are available to different patients. After the mentioned child was admitted to the facility, different practitioners, pediatricians, and caregivers were encouraged to work as a team. The NL encouraged such professionals to communicate efficiently and liaise with the patient (and his parents and relatives) in an attempt to record positive results. The practitioners also engaged in shared decision-making and problem-solving processes.
Throughout this period, the child’s parents were allowed to ask questions and express their views. They were also encouraged to be part of the process in an attempt to ensure that positive results were realized. The team leader was keen to empower the practitioners and offer adequate resources. This strategy created the best environment for pursuing the targeted health goals. The targeted patient recorded positive outcomes within a week. The observations made in the unit reveal that team nursing is a powerful model for transforming the experiences of many patients (Polis et al., 2017). The use of this approach has made it easier for the facility to support the diverse health needs of many individuals in the community.
Recommendation: A Different Nursing Care Model
Team nursing is a powerful model that has been observed to deliver positive results in many healthcare settings. However, another approach to care delivery can be considered in the targeted facility to support the needs of many patients. This model is known as progressive patient care (PCP). Flynn, Evanish, Fernald, Hutchinson, and Lefaiver (2016) indicate that the concept is informed by the increasing costs in healthcare delivery. The model is used to group patients depending on their health conditions, expectations, or needs. Different professionals can work as a team in an attempt to address emerging challenges and offer quality services.
The proposed nursing model is appropriate since it ensures that available resources are used efficiently. This approach can also be used to tackle the current challenge of the nursing shortage. My facility can embrace this model to deliver timely, evidence-based, safe, and high-quality medical services to the greatest number of patients. Practitioners who embrace this concept will be able to share resources, introduce superior competencies, and achieve their potential (Flynn et al., 2016). They will also overcome most of the challenges affecting nurses such as burnout.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that practitioners can use different models to address their patients’ health needs. NLs should also consider the best approaches, support their followers, offer adequate resources, and create the best environment to ensure that positive results are realized. The identification and implementation of an effective nursing model can transform the lives of many patients. The lessons, ideas, and concepts gained from this exercise will encourage me to improve my care delivery model, embrace the power of teamwork, and strengthen my nursing philosophy. These initiatives will make it easier for me to meet the needs of my patients.
References
Flynn, F., Evanish, J. Q., Fernald, J. M., Hutchinson, D. E., & Lefaiver, C. (2016). Progressive care nurses improving patient safety by limiting interruptions during medication administration. Critical Care Nurse, 36(4), 19-35.
Nadeau, K., Pinner, K., Murphy, K., & Belderson, K. M. (2017). Perceptions of a primary nursing care model in a pediatric hematology/oncology unit. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 34(1), 1-13. Web.
Payne, R., & Steakley, B. (2015). Establishing a primary nursing model of care. Nursing Management, 46(12), 11-13. Web.
Polis, S., Higgs, M., Manning, V., Netto, G., & Fernandez, R. (2017). Factors contributing to nursing team work in an acute care tertiary hospital. Collegian, 24, 19-25. Web.
Rossetti, A. C., Gaidzinski, R. P., & Bracco, M. M. (2014). Determining workload and size of nursing team in the pediatric emergency department. Einstein, 12(2), 217-222. Web.