Since the NICU program is based on reducing fatalities, the focus is to identify deficits and reveal protective features ideal to the setting. The results of the study conducted are critical in the formulation of evidence-based modifications to the program. Continuous improvements would also warrant positive outcomes, thus achieving the program's goal. The fragility of Newborns, coupled with high-risk procedures and medication errors, were some of the identified concerns for doctors working around newborns. The previous report identified training as one fundamental tool available to nurses to support, thus reduces fatalities.
Objectives
According to Stacey, Osborn, & Salkovskis, (2015) , at least one in every four physicians lacks time to enlighten patients. In such a situation, through training, a nurse can assess the educational need of a patient and advise them accordingly, meaning they may have to adapt to the educational level of the patient, something that may not exist in the policy guideline. In a particular setting, group education can be efficient in reducing maternal stressors since the NICU is not a familiar environment. In such a case a nurse can use evidence-based strategies to pursue improvement and feedback to enhance the effectiveness
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This document reiterates the position that:
Nurses should be actively involved.
The NICU program should achieve clearly defined goals.
Outcomes
Promote Interdisciplinary and inter-professional education on patient safety.
Integrate and improve available practice guidelines using practice-based experiences
Why Nurse coordinated NICUs?
Many disease management approaches are not purely medical but rather education and communication. According to Hall et al. (2015), a physician's time is quite limited, thus expensive as a focus on diagnosis and medical rather than non-medical procedures. Research has indicated that clinical assistants have more time with patients, thus better positioned to implement a multifaceted approach to training. They are also more accessible, therefore, could act as a change agent coordinating teams involved in developing, implementing, and evaluating new procedures as desired. This requires several organizational strategies discussed below.
Organizational strategies
According to Lippincott Nursing Center, there exist several strategies for managing human and financial resources that promote human health. Some of the organizational resources that facilitate strategy execution include senior management interest and financial support, human resources expertise, training and development, and compensation, among others. "Managing human resources for successful strategy execution," n.d.
Senior Management Interest
The interest and support of senior management are highly recommended as they influence the behavior of their followers. They are tasked with raising performance through proper management of people an activity that requires investment in employee relations, continuous training, thorough performance appraisal, fair compensation, and a safe workplace
Human Resources Expertise
Healthcare managers rely on the expertise of human resources in managing people to achieve desired results. Human resources make choices that affect careers and motivation performance and commitment of the workforce. They are responsible for facilitation to the training and development of the workers through relative compensation to improve productivity. A capable human resource group plays a critical ant part in supporting the objective of senior management
Organizational Resources Needed
Financial Budget
The future is always uncertain, and a narrow short term strategy towards patient safety will not yield progress. For this reason, funding can be sought from the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation, the Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning, and Change (IGL&C), among others. Funding or support from government agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, and the community at large is equally appreciated and encouraged. The budget estimates for the task is $1million.
Collaboration
As a sector-wide exercise, grantees will sign a collaboration agreement that allows them to participate in projects through webinars, conferences as well as check-in calls. There will also be live sessions to capture lessons learned.
Interdisciplinary and Inter-professional Team Focus
There exists a substantial amount of research work on interdisciplinary and interprofessional care for patients. A critical review on a number of them reveals the need for practitioners to assess the situation before administering them. Others emphasize the need for education initiatives and collaboration among healthcare workers in addressing a spectrum of activity. The recommendation made by Rahmah, Febriana, & Abdullah (2016, August) on knowledge of nurses on developmental care advances the need for training of nurses in addressing issues within teams. Moreover, nurses are in every department in the healthcare sector, making interdisciplinary training essential. Another report by Stacey, Osborn, & Salkovskis (2015) emphasizes the need for interprofessional education in parents to cope with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Patient Safety Overview
Research has shown that the overload of work, difficulties in teamwork, lack of materials, and poor training are some of the critical factors that limit the interaction of nurses with patients. The ideal remedy for this entails fixing them to free up time for the nurses. Another possible action is to delegate some tasks to other auxiliary nurses to perform direct care in the NICU. The approach, however, should be attentive to the specific needs of newborns and parents. A special package can also be crafted with the human resource department to motivate the team that takes care of the needs of the NICU.
Care Coordination
Several hospital procedures are challenging to access and manage for doctors. This may translate to difficulties in timely communication leading to a drop in the quality of care. In such a scenario, a nurse is strategically placed to pass relevant information to the patient, relatives, and other caregivers.
Structure
As identified by Harrison, W., & Goodman, D. (2015) , there's more to newborn babies' safety than motherly care. This document asserts that nurses be the central contact person and can be supervised by departmental doctors. They should facilitate internal and external consultations in the NICU. Moreover, they are responsible for patient education, coordination of care, plan implementation as well as follow up procedures
Evaluation Of Care
For effective management, nurses could be making continuous follow-ups checking on satisfaction, risk, profiles, and compliance with doctor's prescriptions. Some predefined outcome is ideal for checking on the effectiveness of the implementation of the care plan available
Conclusion
This proposal emphasizes a nurse-coordinated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in addressing patient safety. It identifies various objectives and organizational strategies that facilitate the realization of set goals. While team collaboration is essential, communication is necessary to limit errors that may arise due to a lack of information, clarity, and misinterpretation. The management should facilitate honest, open discussions among health practitioners through a free communication system. Research shows that collaboration requires respect, trust, and proper communication. Turner et al. (2015) argue that appropriate and timely communication encourages effective teamwork as well as promotes clarity and continuity within the patient care team.
References
Greene, M. M., Rossman, B., Patra, K., Kratovil, A. L., Janes, J. E., & Meier, P. P. (2015). Depressive, anxious, and perinatal post-traumatic distress in mothers of deficient birth weight Infants in the NICU. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP , 36 (5), 362.
Harrison, W., & Goodman, D. (2015). Epidemiologic trends in neonatal intensive care, 2007-2012. JAMA pediatrics , 169 (9), 855-862.
Hall, S. L., Cross, J., Selix, N. W., Patterson, C., Segre, L., Chuffo-Siewert, R., ... & Martin, M. L. (2015). Recommendations for enhancing psychosocial support of NICU parents through staff education and support. Journal of Perinatology , 35 (1), S29-S36.
Managing human resources for successful strategy execution . (n.d.). Lippincott NursingCenter | Professional Development for Nurses. https://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?Article_ID=1007703&Journal_ID=515678&Issue_ID=1007451
Rahmah, R., Febriana, M., & Abdullah, A. (2016, August). Knowledge and attitude of neonatology nurse towards developmental care. In 1st International Conference of Standardized Nursing Language (pp. 25-26).
Stacey, S., Osborn, M., & Salkovskis, P. (2015). Life is a rollercoaster… What helps parents cope with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)?. Journal of Neonatal Nursing , 21 (4), 136-141.
Turner, M., Chur-Hansen, A., Winefield, H., & Stanners, M. (2015). The assessment of parental stress and support in the neonatal intensive care unit using the Parent Stress Scale–Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Women and Birth , 28 (3), 252-258.
