- Step 1: Identify the model of nursing care that you observed. Be specific about what you observed, who was doing what, when, how and what led you to identify the particular model.
When I started observing a unit in the hospital, I have noticed that there was a fluctuating demand for nursing care from patients. Moreover, new nurses were recently hired by the management team; thus, they needed guidance and the establishment of high patient care standards. There was one nurse that assigned patients to other nurses, which led me to the assumption that the care model is a team nursing, according to Dickerson and Latina (2017).
There were separate tasks for nurses and nursing orderlies, for instance, senior nurses oversaw medications, while nursing assistants were in charge of bathing, inserting catheters, performing electrocardiograms. The team of several nurses provided full patient care for 8 hours, which reassured me that the model was the team nursing.
- Step 2: Review and summarize one scholarly resource (not including your text) related to the nursing care model you observed in the practice setting.
The team nursing model was profoundly studied by scholars who were observing nursing management. The authors of an article Introduction of a team-based care model in a general medical unit assessed one healthcare center. They suggested a team-based approach due to the need for acute care and collaborative practice (Hastings et al., 2016). They introduced small teams of three people, according to the team nursing model, to support care processes and assigned a group leads to guide the staff and provide feedback. The authors state that the medical unit gained a positive impact on patient care because of an increase in acute practices established by the model and enhancement of communication and collaboration in small teams.
- Step 3: Review and summarize one scholarly resource (not including your text) related to a different nursing care model than you observed in the practice setting.
There is another patient care model that I observed in practice that was the progressive patient care model when patients were assigned to staff according to their level of illness. There were three units, intensive care, intermediate care, and self-care, where were different patients. In the article Intermediate care units in progressive patient care model: a systematic literature review, authors conveyed that the segregation of patients leads to substantial positive results, such as an enhancement of nursing care and cost reduction per patient (Colamesta et al., 2018). Scholars highlighted that hospital patient influx logistics is essential when it comes to caring assistance intensity and management of human resources at the unit.
- Step 4: Discuss the different nursing care model from step 3 and how it could be implemented to improve quality of nursing care, safety and staff satisfaction. Be specific.
The progressive patient care model can be implemented in the medical unit discussed to improve specific areas of healthcare. Grouping and classification of patients depending on their level of care needed rather than on their illness or sex may help the nursing management team to identify the right equipment, services, and staff.
According to Colamesta, Milia, Dugo and Somella (2018), a progressive patient care model can increase the quality of nursing care and safety because nurses are focused on specific medical situations of patients that have a similar degree of disease. The reorganization based on the model may be implemented by assigning small teams to different care units. It may foster a collaborative approach and increase staff satisfaction rate because nurses can get both mentorships from a nurse lead and efficiency from a systematic classification.
- Step 5: Summarize this assignment and what you learned about the two nursing care models discussed.
The two nursing care models that were discussed in this assignment helped me understand that there can be established different approaches to patient care depending on hospitals’ needs and systems. Each model has its benefits that can lead to an enhancement of services, including patient safety, nurses’ communication, and cost savings. Therefore, it is essential to assess the initial state of the medical unit and apply a patient model that will be the most effective.
References
Colamesta, V., Milia, D., Dugo, V., & Somella, L. (2019). Intermediate care units in progressive patient care model: a systematic literature review. Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health, 15(4), 1-9. Web.
Dickerson, J., & Latina, A. (2017). Team nursing: a collaborative approach improves patient care. Nursing2020, 47(10), 16-17. Web.
Hastings, S., Suter, E., Bloom, J., & Sharma, K. (2016). Introduction of a team-based care model in a general medical unit. BMC Health and Service Research, 16(245), 1-12. Web.