Current Trends in Nursing Practice

Among the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was providing Quality, and inexpensive/affordable health care for all Americans citizens (Bucci, 2014). In the short term, affordable health care has brought about an imminent shortage of nursing professionals that may threaten to destabilize patient care. However, increased need for nurses will subsequently lead to increase in opportunities in the field of nursing, especially for fresh graduates. Accordingly, the long-term consequences of Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will not only be impressive but revolutionary in health care (“Summary of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable care act,” 2012). Recruiting new nurses who have been recently trained in the institutions will spontaneously stimulate career progression within the nursing field. Consequently, the act has given me hope that there is a secure opportunity as soon as I finish my studies. Correspondingly, it will enhance delivery of quality patient care because of improving the ratio of patient to nurses and also reduce workload (Bucci, 2014). Another provision is Federal support for the development of the nursing workforce. Improved financing for nurses’ education through federal loan program especially for higher learning will enable me to pursue masters and doctorate degrees. Continuing higher education will allow me to acquire additional research skill that is vital for addressing complex challenges in this profession (“Summary of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable care act,” 2012). It will also give me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills that will enable me to participate in leadership and decisions in healthcare sector which are my ultimate objective in my profession. The Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also requires the enrollment of a grant program that gives precedence to schemes that will train students to take part in patient-focused medical homes (Bucci, 2014). This training will be useful to me because acquiring skill that will enable to take care of vulnerable populations. At the same time, such training will allow me to institute official relationship and interactions with qualified health institutions and another treatment center that serve underprivileged communities.

Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Model of Care is an excellent example of innovative health care delivery model that incorporates an interdisciplinary care delivery team. The model is shared by geriatricians’ and physicians and their respective teams (Malone et al., 2014). Although elderly citizens are 13% of the population in the United States, they spent forty-three percent of hospital days and consumed 96% of the entire Medicare budget. Besides, elderly citizens are functionally and physiologically more heterogeneous compared to younger adult and have higher multimorbidity (“ACE units improve complex patient management,” 2017). The model integrates general geriatric assessment into the patients’ nursing care and optimal medical in an interdisciplinary approach. The multidisciplinary team aims at affording patients the best, safe, timely, patient-centered health care.  At the same time, the attention is given from admission, during the period that the patient is hospitalized for the date of discharge (Malone et al., 2014). The plan brings together family, nurses, physicians and the patient such that the patient lives in an environment that is like a home. The program mostly takes care of the elderly group. The plan is so effective that it improves care processes, enhances patients physical functioning and provides satisfaction. Moreover, Acute Care of the Elderly decreases the period that the patient is placed in the nursing home, reduce readmissions and lower the cost of treatment (“ACE units improve complex patient management,” 2017). The program also brings various health stakeholders together to deliberate on issues facing the elderly and offer a lasting solution which in most cases increases patient’s confidence, strength and the chances of accessing high-quality care. Effective collaboration enhances the likelihood of developing novel strategies and developing solutions to complex medical issues because of heterogeneity of ideas (Malone et al., 2014).