Evolving Practice of Nursing and Patient Care Delivery Models
The nursing profession is expected to change in the next few years. Nurses will be given more responsibilities and the methods of treatment and care will change (Shalala, 2014). Currently, nurses have their core domain in primary health care. They provide the most basic forms of treatment for the patients under their care. In addition, nurses are currently tasked with making sure that the patients get the attention they need. However, as Meleis (2012) observes, nurses will soon be encouraged to take leadership roles in the hospitals. Thus, instead of being ‘helpers’, nurses will be decision makers. They will be tasked with administrative duties and opportunities to counsel and suggest possible ways of treating patients.
It suffices to mention that currently, very few nurses are involved in Accountable Care Organizations. Cherry and Jacob (2013) explain that the Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) involve numerous health practitioners, including doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists, and nurses, who form a coordinated group that works together to save lives. On many instances, very few nurses are asked to join such health groups. However, more nurses will be invited to join such coordinated groups due to the evident upcoming crucial role of nurses. Moreover, nurses will also muster the courage to approach a group they would like to join.
As mentioned, the nursing practice will change for the better in numerous ways. The methods of treatment used by nurses are going to be affected during this change. Currently, nurses use traditional methods of care. These methods allow them to be the primary source of care for the patient. However, as Greenhalgh (2013) asserts, there are numerous factors that make traditional nursing difficult. One such difficulty is the inability of the nurse to indulge with other patients and do other things. The nurses are either too overwhelmed with all the patients they have to take care of, or they focus on just a few of the patients assigned.
It is expected that nurses will manage health clinics on their own in the near future. So far, nurses have to be supervised. However, Meleis (2012) explains that the changing role of the nurse will empower them to be supervisors. The nurse manager position has been debated for years, and it appears that the time to implement it has arrived. Indeed, there are hospitals that have already started giving their nurses such positions.
Additionally, it should be noted that it is expected that the nursing profession will accept more individuals. In other words, there will be more work for people who want to undertake the nursing profession. However, such individuals will only get opportunities to work as nurses in general health. It is expected that several categories of nursing, just like the categories given to doctors, will be initiated following the increase in the numbers of nurses (Shalala, 2014). For example, there will be nurses who will specialize in skin health, while others will specialize in cancers, and so forth. This will allow nurses to develop their careers by ensuring that they focus on one area they like and become experts in that area.
In conclusion, a lot will change in the nursing profession. However, this will be a good change, change that will help nurse develop their careers and become more satisfied by their work. Similarly, the expected change will help other health practitioners respect nurses. Nurses will be given more responsibilities, such as health clinics to manage. The nursing manager position has already been introduced in some health facilities. However, in the near future, a majority of health care facilities will have such administrative positions for nurses.
References
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2013). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, and management (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
Greenhalgh, T. (2013). Primary health care: Theory and practice. Oxford, UK: Wiley
Meleis, A. I. (2012). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.
Shalala, D. E. (2014). Nursing leaders can deliver a new model of care. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 31(2), 1-16.