Introduction
The provision of quality health care services in America has become a headache for most presidents and governments (Halstead 78). There seems to be very little progress towards improving this sector even though the government has invested heavily in research, debates, and reforms to ensure its citizens get good health care services. The recent Affordable Care Act was formulated to improve the delivery of services by nurses and ensure patients get quality medical assistance (Valiga 18). The following issues are worth noting in this act, and it is necessary to explain that there is hope that in the future Americans will not struggle to get quality health care services.
Nurses and Their Roles in the Affordable Health Care Act
Financing health care services is a nightmare for most Americans, but this act has offered a lasting solution to this problem. The federal government will finance medical covers for eligible adults starting April 2014. This means that old people that were locked out of these services will get access to them because they will not have to pay to get medical assistance (Barr 13). This will increase the population of patients seeking medical services, especially those suffering from chronic and old age related diseases.
Medical facilities will be funded to equip them with what they need to offer quality services. This will help nurses to perform their duties and offer quality services to patients because they will have all the necessary equipment for their jobs. In addition, health facilities will be given information technology systems and data that will help them to offer quality and timely services to patients (Institute of Medicine 32). The act will give nurses the power to participate in decision making and ensure that they are actively involved in the planning and budgeting for their needs.
Advantages to Nurses
This act will promote transparency in health care institutions and allow nurses to know what is happening in various departments. It is necessary to explain that sometimes nurses fail to do their duties well because they do not know how to manage various issues that affect their work (Barr 31). However, this policy will ensure they offer preventive and treatment services that include community based plans. It is necessary to explain that this act will help nurses and patients to have good relationships that are important in improving community health. In addition, funding and budgetary allocations to the health care sector will improve and reduce the stress of using poor technology and inadequate equipment in providing health care services.
New Roles for Nurses
Traditional nursing practices barred nurses from offering independent services to patients. They were thought to be inexperienced and unable to offer health care services without the assistance of doctors (Halstead 82). However, it is necessary to explain that the role of nurses in providing health care services has been expanded to include community based palliative care that was traditionally reserved for doctors. In addition, most nurses were not allowed to manage their patients without consulting doctors and this was a serious impediment to the development of their career.
However, this act and other recent changes in the heath care sector will give nurses opportunities to participate in the provision of health care services as full professionals and not learners (Valiga 26). The internship period and other requirements for nurses to get practicing licenses were a serious blow to this career and discouraged students from pursuing nursing courses. However, these problems have been eliminated by the Affordable Health Care Act that requires nurses to start using their skills when they complete their training (Barr 49). In addition, health care facilities will be adequately funded and this means that they will have better equipment and technology to manage complicated situations.
It is necessary to explain that the roles of nurses are determined by their levels of education, experience and specialization. Most nurses specialize in community health and this makes it difficult for them to manage various health issues. In addition, nurses support doctors in offering services to patients and this has made most of them to abandon this career (Institute of Medicine 41). However, recent changes in this profession will ensure nurses are given different roles in providing health care services.
In addition, it is necessary to explain that nursing institutions have changed their syllabuses to ensure the roles of nurses are expanded to include community based health services, palliative care, disease prevention and treatment. In addition, nurses will specialize in various courses and this will make them acquire professional freedom (Mason 54). It is very disheartening for nurses to offer supportive roles to doctors yet they can perform other important duties. Therefore, these changes will ensure that nurses are independent and offer their services without the need to be supervised by experienced doctors. In addition, this will allow them to use their knowledge and skills to help patients and doctors to have time for rest and other activities (Halstead 118).
Importance of Individualized Practices to Nurses and Patients
American nursing institutions experienced a decline in admissions and graduations in the last decade because students were discouraged from pursuing this course (Mason 59). However, the past few years have seen Americans being admitted to pursue nursing courses because there is hope that this profession will be recognized and respected. People go to school to get the knowledge and skills that will help them to improve their societies. However, nursing was a contradiction of this fact because nurses trained very hard but their internships took too long before they were allowed to practice. However, the recent changes in this profession allow them less time for internship and licenses are readily available to qualified nurses (Valiga 38). This has promoted individualized practices that have helped nurses to open their medical facilities.
Over dependence on public hospitals has reduced because nurses continue to open private health care facilities. In addition, they are allowed to offer home based medical services to patients and this reduces the burden of traveling to and from health facilities. Moreover, this has ensured that nurses get first hand experience in managing patients and using their skills to improve their health (Halstead 122). Private hospitals are expensive and this means that nurses who operate them make a lot of money because people believe that private hospitals offer better services than public ones.
Conclusion
Nursing will attract many students because of the transformations that are taking place to improve it. This means that the provision of health care services will improve and there will be enough staff to manage the needs of patients. Nurses will enjoy offering their services because they will be independent and perform duties without interference. Also, patients will get quick and quality services because of increased funding and transparency in the provision of health care services. America is hopeful that health care will no longer be a serious problem to its citizens if the recent developments in this field produce the expected results.
Works Cited
Barr, David. Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America. Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. Print.
Halstead, James. Issues and Trends in Nursing: Essential Knowledge for Today and Tomorrow. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 2010. Print.
Institute of Medicine. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington: National Academies Press, 2011. Print.
Mason, David. Nursing Profession: Development, Challenges, and Opportunities. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass, 2012. Print.
Valiga, Titus. The New leadership Challenge: Creating the Future of Nursing. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company, 2011. Print.