Proper health increases the workforce of a nation. This is because healthy people spend most of their time in productive activities. Sicknesses and diseases greatly affect humanity. In eradicating diseases, medical practitioners are required. To this end, nurses play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare services. Proper healthcare helps to thwart illness; deliver continuing care to the aging human population (Crowel, 2016). This paper addresses the role of nurses in healthcare delivery, especially with the dynamic world in which humanity lives.
First in any hospital setting when a sick person arrives at the hospital he or she is allotted a registered nurse. The main work of the nurse at this stage is to attend to the patients throughout their stay in the hospital and even after discharge. The nurse at this point establishes a rapport with the client and her/his caregivers. The nurse should also ensure that the team of caregivers follow a well-coordinated plan in their delivery. Thus the nurse ensures continuity of healthcare. This becomes their leading role. Nurses are always available for patients from the time of admission and even after discharge offering their consultatory services as the patient continues to recover fully (Crowel, 2016). This improves the quality of healthcare service.
Nurses also help to eliminate the burden of patient admission into hospitals. This they do by availing more inexpensive, more expedient, and more patient-centered principal healthcare in the community hospitals and settings. This also helps in preventing medical errors due to a patient being handled by several medical personnel. Nurses also help in the coordination of medical care from several providers. This they do through the management of patients who have deep medicare needs. They also help patients in transitioning out from the hospitals and back into their homes. This means that nurses work as health coaches, promoting healthiness by preventing illness. In so doing nurses also advance emerging fields in healthcare such as telehealth, informatics, and genetics. Thus they are the lead scientists in the village societies.
Advanced nurses have been further chartered and can operate their own private clinics. This helps to reduce congestion in the seemingly limited public health facilities. This is boosted by the fact that nurses can operate without the supervision of a physician. The nurses can also operate retail pharmacies to dispense over-the-counter drugs. The result is boosted clinical performance and improved experience for patients. This is because nurses are able to offer face-to-face service to the patients. Once efficiency is guaranteed then the cost of healthcare becomes affordable. With a proper team of nurses who understand their role, there is a paradigm shift towards patient-centered healthcare (Crowel, 2016).
The new policies that have been put forth have also seen a change in what the patients pay for after treatment. As it has been in the past, patients paid for service. However with the current developments, embracing the role of nurses, patients are now seen to pay for outcomes rather than service. This, in turn, boosts accountability amongst the medical nurses. The introduction of healthcare insurance and coverage all serve this course and also maximize nursing contribution. This shift toward patient satisfaction increases answerability and accountability amongst the nurses.
The nurse managers, who report to the nursing administrator, have several roles to play as well. One of their major responsibilities is to direct, organize and supervise the operations of the nurses under their watch. They are also involved in coordination nursing labors to guarantee effective patient care. Nurse Managers also work to ensure quality standards are not only met but also safeguarded. They also undertake the evaluation of the nurses under them (Swansburg & Swansburg, 2002). This enables them to provide feedback to the nurses, mentor them and develop education curricula which are aimed improving the professional standards of the nurses under them. Nurse Managers are also charged with the responsibility of preparing departmental budgets, keeping inventory records. It is also their responsibility to interview and hire new nurses.
Humans are encouraged to join the various health care schemes to ensure the cost of healthcare is contained. This is because in most cases meeting the cost of medication from one’s own pocket becomes nearly untenable.
Accountability, which is the practice of doing the right thing always regardless of who is watching, is basically at the core of nursing care. It serves to energize the entire nursing staff. Nurse Managers must uphold and campaign for high levels of accountability amongst the staff. When the philosophy of answerability is well established, nurses are obliged to do whatsoever they commit to doing (Swansburg & Swansburg, 2002). This shapes credibility in the staff. People who lack accountability develop a habit of giving excuses for failing to hit their targets.
- Crowell, D. M. (2016). Complexity leadership: Nursing’s role in health care delivery.
- Swansburg, R. C., & Swansburg, R. J. (2002). Introduction to management and leadership for nurse managers. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.