Essential IV – VI

Essential IV – VI

In essential IV, the main focus is on how information management and information technologies are used in healthcare (AACN, 2008). In the modern world, technology is involved in all aspects of society, and health care is no option. In health care, the use of technology is associated with several positive outcomes, especially in information management, contributing to the whole concept of improving patient safety. The inclusion of technology in information management is credited with the reduction in medical errors like medication errors that have harmful side effects. However, though the use of technology in information technology has proven to be very useful in nursing, it is also associated with adverse effects. One such adverse side effect is that technology is increasingly encouraging laxity among the nurses. According to Powell-Cope et al. (2018), in as much as the use of barcoding in medication administration helps in reducing medication errors, over-reliance on the mechanism is believed to be one of the reasons that have led to the reduced tendency in nurses to review the accuracy of medication accuracy. Therefore, the processes resulted in both positive and negative impacts in the area it is applied. I came across this essential in my learning courses during the intermediate med Surg clinical rotations at the VA Central California Health Care System. This facility is beginning to adopt the barcode medication administration software, which has significantly reduced medication administration errors by encouraging medication verification against patient information before issuing medication.

Additionally, the automated wireless system is integrated with electronic medical records. I was lucky enough to observe how patient information is fed into the system and even witnessed the medication dispensing process. As explained by my assigned nurse, one of the essential considerations of the system is how it impacts patient care. For example, the nurse explained that healthcare is required, under the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990, to submit annual reports to the FDA of any incidences of medication errors that are directly associated with the system (Powell-Cope et al.,2018).

Essential V

In this essential, the focus is creating awareness in nurses of the various given to healthcare policies that govern the nursing process. As nurses, we need to have an in-depth understating of the multiple policies in healthcare, including how the various involved regulatory agencies affect nursing practice. The essential also takes into consideration the involvement of nurses in the policy creation process (AACN, 2008). Of significant concern is the effects of the Nurse Practice Act on the nurses. One of the core governing features of healthcare in the United States is ensuring the safety of patients. The Nurse Practice Act aims to ensure that safety in healthcare is achieved. The aim of the Nurse Practice Act, as enacted in the different states, is governing the nursing practice by providing the minimum requirements that individual nurses need to attain before practicing at the different levels of nursing practice in the states. One way of ensuring public safety is by providing standards for potential applicants to meet for them before they registered as nurses (Burke, 2016).

One of the skills I learned in the leadership course is how to come up with appropriate policies that positively influence nursing practice standards and ensure the quality of care. As nurses, we should be active in policy formation in the areas of resource allocation, equity, and even social justice (AACN, 2008). In doing so, we play the crucial role of being patient advocates. In nursing advocacy, the main aims of nursing include ensuring human dignity is maintained, ensuring the patient is free from suffering, and ensuring equality between the patients (Hanks, Eloi, & Stafford, 2019). Therefore, since nurses are in direct contact with the patients, we can come up with policies that directly influence the quality of care to the patients. For example, nurses are in a position to advocate for patients living below poverty and who are unable to pay for their prescriptions or even other healthcare services. In my intermediate med Surg clinical rotation, my assigned nurse explained that nursing advocacy extends beyond the healthcare facility also to influence the lives of the patient. For example, for the patient who is not able to raise resources for their medication, we as nurses should inform our patients about the different social amenities available that ensure the patient gets the care they require. An example of such a facility is the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Essential VI

The field of healthcare entails interprofessional collaborations between the different departments involved. Therefore, to ensure effective delivery of patient needs through a collaborative approach between the persons involved, communication should be paramount. This essential, therefore, focuses on the impacts of effective communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals in healthcare. Through effective communication, all health care professionals can ensure patient-centered care, ensure the quality of medical the approach in use is maintained, and even ensure that future clinicians gain these qualities (AACN, 2008). Despite the many benefits that interpersonal communication and collaboration within the healthcare industry brings, it is bound to face several challenges. One common challenge is the scheduling of meetings for different professionals. With the tight schedules in the healthcare industry, finding time for the various professionals to meet and share information is one huge challenge. In addition to that, consultations between the different professionals involved may lead to wastage of valuable time otherwise used in attending to the patient.

I experienced this essential during my experience in the intermediate med Surg clinical rotations. I observed that sharing of information between team members aids the team in effectively achieving the treatment goals for the patient. I realized that every team member has their way of collecting data. When they bring their individual information together, they can adequately consider the various aspects of the health issues, therefore, come up with accurate and appropriate care in time (Kreps, 2016). For example, nurses who are in daily direct contact with the patients are in the best position to observe any changes following the treatment procedures undertaken on a patient.

On the other hand, pharmacists have access to the medication history of the patient. By sharing this information among the team members, the most appropriate treatment plan is developed with ease. To that effect, I realized that the collection and sharing of information among team members are crucial when it comes to the implementation of this essential (Kreps, 2016).

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/portals/42/publications/baccessentials08.pdf

Burke, S. A. (2016). Influence through policy: Nurses have a unique role. Reflections on Nursing Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.reflectionsonnursingleadership.org/commentary/more-commentary/Vol42_2_nurses-have-a-unique-role

Hanks, R. G., Eloi, H., & Stafford, L. (2019, April). Understanding how advanced practice registered nurses function as patient advocates. In Nursing forum (Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 213-219).

Kreps, G. L. (2016). Communication and effective interprofessional health care teams. Int Arch Nurs Health Care, 2, 051.

Powell-Cope, G., Nelson, A. L., & Patterson, E. S. (2008). Patient care technology and safety. In-Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US).