Introduction
Nursing care models can be defined as the conceptual outlines and methodologies that are used by nurses to carry outpatient care. Also, the models stipulate the theoretical frameworks about the people, their surroundings as well as the duties of nurses. The nursing care models vary from one health care institution to another depending on the patients as well as the settings of the facility. Furthermore, the model of care that is utilized in a particular facility represents the work environment as well as the clientele. Nurses often refer to the models to guide them on matters education as well as during the processes of healthcare delivery.
The nursing care model I observed
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a healthcare facility that is located a few kilometers from our church. According to my observation, I concluded that the nursing care model that was in use was the team nursing model of care. The reason for this is that while in the facility I observed that the health care professional worked in groups to deliver care to a group of patients who were admitted to the inpatient department. Each group of professionals was made up of a nurse in charge who was also the leader of the group nurse of and their assistants.
The role of the nurse in charge/group leader was to assign patients to the nurses in the group. Moreover, the group leader also sought to be informed about the patients in the department and even the plans of healthcare delivery to those patients. The responsibility of the nurses who were the members of the group was to work together with their assistants to deliver healthy care to the patients who were assigned to them. I noticed that the nurses delegated duties that fell within their qualifications and areas of expertise to their assistants.
When a patient is admitted to the facility, I observed that the team of healthcare professionals would gather and review information concerning the patient. The patient information is obtained from the nurse in charge of admissions and also by looking at the patient's file. It is also in this instance that the team leader/nurse in charge assigns roles to the nurses concerning the care of the patient. The nurses develop a plan of care and inform their leader/nurse in charge.
During my visit, I also noticed that the nurses communicated to their assistants all the details concerning the patients to enable them to care for the patients and prevent any errors from occurring. The same thing also happened during the change of shifts. The nurses could communicate to the ones who were taking over from them things like the medications given to the patients the vital signs that were being kept under observation as well as all the other necessary details about the nature of the patient as observed during the shift. Sometimes, a nurse could call to request to be allowed to take a day off due to sickness. At this instance, I discovered that the team leader assigned the duties that were supposed to be accomplished by the absent staff and for that reason, the process of patient care was not interrupted.
Review and summary of sources regarding team nursing
According to the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The team nursing model was developed in 1950 as a result of the changes in the nursing skill mix (Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing). The article also highlights the requirements needed for a successful team nursing model of care. Among the conditions are an exceptional leadership and proficient communication skills that will make it possible to place the caregivers into groups that are led by the nurses in charge and to enable them to cooperate to ensure the delivery of quality care for the patients.
Furthermore, the article provides a lot of insight into the importance of teamwork in healthcare delivery. Some of the benefits include the fact that the healthcare professionals tend to be more productive while working in groups than when they are working alone.
Furthermore, errors are reduced, and there is an improvement in the quality of patient care. In this regard, the nurses are more satisfied with their work which enables the facilities to retain them. The nurses benefit from the improved relationships they build with their colleagues which allows them to share duties and also gives them the opportunity to work together. The patients are also satisfied because of the continuity of safe and quality care that they receive. Nevertheless, the journal also draws attention to some of the issues and challenges of team nursing model of care. The problem is the lack of enough preparation to work in teams, and also some nurses have cited the fact that they are overworked because of unfair allocation of duties by team leaders.
The team leaders also complain of increased responsibilities as well as confusion of roles among the group members. Indeed this is a challenge because while observing the facility I visited, I realized that some team members had more workloads than the others which could a times lead to protests and dissatisfaction among the members of staff. Despite the challenges, the journal indicates that there has been an improvement in both the patient and nurse satisfaction.
The international journal of Evidence-based healthcare states that since the implementation of the team nursing model was marked decrease in the number of medical errors recorded. The reason for this is that the patient is assigned to more than one health care professional each with unique skills. In addition the plan of care is reviewed by the nurse in charge and all the caregivers of a given patient are required to stick to it. Moreover, during a change in shifts the nurse who is handing over provides the details of the condition of the patient under his or her care to the nurse who is taking over. Besides, according to the journal the novice nurses have an increased chance to learn from the experienced members of the group which helps them improve their performance.
Review and summary of resources regarding primary nursing care model
The article by Jennifer Neisner and Brian Raymond : Nurse Staffing And Care Delivery Models, is very intuitive concerning the primary nursing model of care. According to the article the model was developed as an alternative to the team nursing model with the aim of improving the quality of care and nurse’s satisfaction 2017. Also, the article states that in this type of care one nurse (registered nurse) is responsible for caring for a patient from the time of admission to the time of being discharged. Also, with this model, if the registered nurse is absent, an associate nurse stands in for him or her until they return. In other words, the registered nurses do not work in shifts. Instead, they are required to care for the patient during the entire period that they are admitted to the hospital.
Another article about primary nursing care model is the journal of clinical nursing which indicates that the implementation is focused on providing the patient with individualized health care by the same nurse from the time the patient arrives at the inpatient department to the time they leave. In this model of care, there is continuity in the patient care because the same nurse is responsible for the patient throughout their stay in the hospital.
How the current nursing care model is being implemented
During my visit to the healthcare facility that uses the team nursing model of care, I was able to make observations about how it is being applied. The team leader/nurse in charge was always engaging the team members to ensure that the model of care was meeting the set objectives. Also, I realized that the composition of the team was designed in a way that could provide the inclusion of individuals who had expertise regarding patient care and those novice nurses who learned a lot from their senior colleagues.
Furthermore, the team members could develop the plan of care which could be thoroughly reviewed during group meetings which took place before the beginning of shifts. It was during these meetings that the team leader gave feedback regarding the plan of care. The feedback included the recommendations for change that could improve the quality of care. Communication between the team members and their patients was also paramount during the implementation. I would recommend the patient-centered nursing model of care which refers to providing care for a patient in a way which is helpful and meaningful to them. In this model, the caregiver explains to the patient everything they need to know about their condition as well as prognosis.
Additionally, they listen to the patient to find out their needs and preferences regarding the treatment plan. This is done in recognition of the fact that every individual's needs and values are unique and also concerning the preferences of the patient. Involving the patient in the treatment process enables them to receive quality care and also improves their safety because they understand the treatment plan and are updated on the prognosis of their condition.
The family members are also involved, and the patient receives both physical and emotional support from their caregivers. Staff satisfaction will be improved because of improved treatment outcomes and the development of positive relationships between the nurses and the patients.
Conclusion
The
nursing care models are theoretical guidelines that are used as points of reference by the health care professionals while providing care for the patients. The models of care vary from one hospital to another depending on the types of patients they receive, the staffing as well as the capacity of the facilities. The different nursing models of care that are mostly used include team nursing, primary care, functional care as well as the patient-centered model of care.