Care Delivery Model for Nursing Staff in the Medical Surgical Unit Term Paper

Introduction and background

Healthcare centers all over the US have been looking for cost- cutting techniques whilst simultaneously retaining the superior quality of their patient care delivery. Considering the present economic scenario, cost- cutting is vital for healthcare organizations’ continued functioning. An estimated growth in the number of patients lacking the funds to pay for services and Medicare/ Medicaid reimbursement decline together contribute to a financially trying time for the health sector. Facilities’ inability to be proactive in responding to the aforementioned shifting trends may result in dramatic cuts, capable, successively, of greatly limiting small communities’ access to health care. Such a scenario compels healthcare organizations to come up with creative solutions to save, financially. Making adjustments to a facility’s nurse assistant, registered nurse (RN) and licensed nurse practitioner skills mix in a given nursing unit may facilitate the delivery of more effective patient care, thereby enhancing both provider and patient satisfaction (Gier, 2013). Without a sound, competent nursing workforce, healthcare organizations’ care delivery expenses increase in numerous ways. Increased personnel resignations, for instance, mean greater expenditure in the area of recruiting and training. Further, salary hikes are typically needed to draw in fresh candidates (Berlin & Grote, 2013).

Healthcare facilities need to endeavor towards improving their patient flows, decreasing hospitalization duration of patients, and employing more bedside tools and techniques. Planning and developing evidence- based practices necessitates a critical analysis of proofs from prior studies, followed by integrating those proofs with patient requirements and the clinical expertise of nursing staff. Another important factor is the healthcare facility’s extant financial standing. Modern- day patients are more knowledgeable on medicines and treatment as compared to their forebears, which naturally means they anticipate efficient, superior- quality care. Nurse care theories offer the basis to plan and deliver patient care. Furthermore, they are a reflection of the current company culture’s and patient care’s philosophical basis. Nurse care is grounded in every consumer’s unique evolving requirements and condition. Patient care necessitates better planning, interdisciplinary teamwork and coordination. Lastly, the care delivery model adopted impacts human resource numbers, their flexible utilization and, consequently, organizational spending (Mattila et al., 2014).

Proposed solution

Traditionally, medical- surgical divisions have depicted high RN percentage in comparison to other direct- care provider skill levels. RNs perform a large number of functions that nurse assistants are generally not assigned. Several such functions actually belong to nurse assistants’ practice scope and ought to be assigned for the delivery of more effective patient care. The move towards a team care delivery model enables three-member units (which could be 2 RNs and 1 nurse assistant, or 1 nurse assistant, RN and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) each) to shoulder the responsibility of caring for a fixed patient cluster. Such a novel model of patient care delivery has the potential to ensure nursing staff deliver improved patient care owing to the fact that nurse assistants can then fulfil their patients’ fundamental needs in a quicker and more effective manner; further, LPNs and RNs involved would enjoy more time for carrying out the tasks critical for their part. The above skills mix can also enhance patient care quality outcomes. With the adoption of the “Purposeful Rounding” practice, nurse assistants can be proactive in their anticipation of patient requirements, fall prevention and reduction in pressure ulcer occurrences. This successively reduces hospitalization duration and overall organizational expenses (Fowler, Hardy & Howarth, 2006). Cost cutting thus enjoyed could be actual cash as well as savings associated with a reduction in healthcare institution- acquired complications.

Akin to other healthcare providers, nursing personnel will typically exhibit dissatisfaction with their jobs in the absence of appropriate involvement with their organization. Collective governance may be counted among the strongest tools which may be employed in increasing nurse engagement, as it accords them increased autonomy, allows them to express their opinions and ideas with regard to workplace conditions, and allows them to team up with other people over an institutional area or unit. Essentially, the concept of collective governance aids nursing personnel in collectively speaking out and contributing to their workplace atmosphere, thus reinforcing their capacity of bringing about patient care improvements (Berlin & Grote, 2013).

Proposed change process to implement delivery model

The changes put forward employ the change theory of Kurt Lewin. The theorist segregated change into the following phases: 1) Unfreezing; 2) Moving; and 3) Refreezing. The first phase entails considerable planning for ensuring acceptance of change and equipping people to adapt to…