Baccalaureate prepared nurses mostly work in the frontline of providing primary healthcare services in a more general set-up due to their lower levels of specialization as compared to their Registered Nurses who have advanced education qualifications (Bodenheimer, & Grumbach, 2012). Baccalaureate-prepared nurses have more contact with patients because they handle less severe to moderate cases under instructions from nursing practitioners. As such, they are more placed to improve the health care delivery system.
Baccalaureate prepared nurse practitioners can make healthcare safer by reducing potential harm to patients during the delivery of care. This can be achieved through methods that cause less pain in the administration of medication (Jansson, 2011). For example, they can incorporate intravenous medication in the drip instead of a direct injection hence reducing pain suffered by the patient. Also, they can extract body samples for testing in the least painful way possible. These nurses can involve all people concerned with the affairs of the patient to ensure they are well informed of the type of care required by the patient. This ensures cooperation and coordination of the services and all individuals are aware of their roles (Jansson, 2011). Effective communication with the circle of caregivers will ensure accurate update of the patient’s progress.
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Nurses with a baccalaureate degree can also improve the health care delivery system by promoting activities towards the efficient prevention and treatment of the most regular causes of illnesses and deaths. These activities include creating awareness on proper sanitation, regular health check-ups and means of acquiring timely assistance when care is needed (Jansson, 2011). They can also engage with the community in promoting practices that enable healthy living. Such practices include proper diet techniques, reduction of activities that expose patients to risks of substance use and proper physical exercises.
Patient access to healthcare services in public and private healthcare agencies
Access to healthcare services in the United States is backed by the ability to fund the services provided. The payment methods for the services differ or vary depending on the type of healthcare facility and the costs incurred (Smith, Wertheimer & Fincham, 2013). The fee-for-service model dictates that the patients pay for each health care service provided. It is considered more expensive compared to other methods because there is little focus on preventive care. The pay-for-coordination model brings together different health care providers where payment is unified. This increases efficiency because the care-providing agency outsources any specialized care required for the sake of the patients and their families. In the value-based reimbursement system, payment is based on efficiency and quality levels of the care provided. This method ensures high-quality healthcare service is provided (Smith, Wertheimer & Fincham, 2013).
Bundled payment compensates health care providers for an episode of service, for example, duration of admission. The upside shared savings program is where savings are made towards healthcare programs and when care is needed, the patient and the health care facility share the costs at a given ratio. The downside model is similar to the upside one, only that it factors in the risk of excess costs of healthcare provided and also a gain in share potential (Bodenheimer, & Grumbach, 2012). There is also a full or partial capitation whereby the holder is assigned a ‘per member per month’ service after consideration to the health issues surrounding the patient. The payment is fixed regardless of the number of visits. It is similar to the global budget model only that it does not have a fixed annual payment amount (Smith, Wertheimer & Fincham, 2013).
Public vs. Private Healthcare Providers
The public healthcare providers are those health care professional working in government-owned facilities. Private health care providers, on the other hand, are those health care practitioners working in privately-owned health care facilities. While public hospitals offer services for free or at subsidized amounts because the government funds them, all services in the private sector are charged to fund the operations of the entity as well as to meet the profit motive. Private entities are associated with increased efficiency and better quality care as compared to the public set-up. This is because they need a big client base for profitability and perpetuity (Bodenheimer, & Grumbach, 2012).
References
Bodenheimer, T., & Grumbach, K. (2012). Understanding health policy: A clinical approach . New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
Jansson, B. S. (2011). Improving healthcare through advocacy: A guide for the health and helping professions . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Smith, M. I., Wertheimer, A. I., & Fincham, J. E. (2013). Pharmacy and the US health care system . London: Pharmaceutical Press.
