The healthcare sector is an essential division within a country. Over the past years, several changes affect the delivery of healthcare services, especially in the nursing department. For instance, technology affects health records and efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery. Several regulations and guidelines govern nursing practices, and all nurses should comply with them to avoid any consequences. The nursing profession sector impacts the delivery of quality services and care in the healthcare sector in various ways.
Nightingale's Modern Nursing Theory has changed the nursing practice over the past years. According to Nightingale, the environment of a patient determines their health income, therefore, nurses should strive to provide a better environment to aid in achieving health goals and treating patients. The assumptions of the theory are nursing is a calling, art and science, attained through environmental change, necessitates a particular educational base, and different from medicine ("Nursing Theory", 2018). Furthermore, it bases its assumptions on natural laws and states that humankind can attain perfection. The theory identifies that several environmental factors including fresh air, clean water, adequate food, effective drainage, patient and environment cleanliness, as well as light, affect patients. In case these factors are not present, there is a likelihood of ill health in an individual.
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Nightingale's Modern Nursing Theory fits the nursing profession because it helps to establish a better environment to improve patient safety which is the primary goal of a nurse. Nursing is a calling and individuals who pursue this profession enjoy their work and serve patients better ("Nursing Theory", 2018). It also provides that nurses should have proper training and education to pursue their career. The theory has helped organizations to set best standards that help them in attaining their goals and providing better quality care and services; hence improving the overall supervision of patients. Nurses are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring patient safety within healthcare facilities and most use the theory to help them adopt safer human practices within the organization. Nightingale's Modern Nursing Theory influences the nursing profession in various ways and affects methods that facilities implement to ensure better delivery of services to patients and residents ("Nursing Theory", 2018). Therefore, Florence Nightingale’s main idea applicable in the nursing practice is quality assessment, as well as a need for health and environmental conditions, and establishing and implementing minimum standards in patient care.
Virginia Henderson is a historical nursing figure that has influence the nursing profession in several ways in the current environment. She emphasized on the need for nurses to care for patients and to help them care for themselves after they leave a healthcare facility ("Nursing Theory", 2018). Today, Henderson’s concept applies in the nursing profession as nurses provide training to patients after releasing them from their care to aid in reducing setbacks as they recover. Furthermore, it helps change into self-care because the nurse provides support. Currently, Henderson’s concepts mainly apply to nurses working in rehabilitation centers and who guide patients recovering to a better future.
Madeleine Leininger is known for the contribution of transcultural nursing. According to her, nurses should understand the culture of patients they work with and make decisions that are friendly to them. “Leininger identified three nursing decisions and actions that achieve culturally friendly care for the patient are cultural preservation or maintenance, cultural care accommodation or negotiation, and cultural care repatterning or restructuring” ("Nursing Theory", 2018). Currently, transcultural nursing is a discipline in the nursing profession that has helped deliver better healthcare services to patients. The difference between Virginia Henderson and Madeleine Leininger’s contribution is that Henderson emphasizes on nurses’ role in training patients whereas Leinigner emohasizes on nurses’ responsibility in understanding the culture of patients to enable them deliver quality services. However, both have contributed to increasing the quality of nursing services.
The American Nurses Association (ANA), founded in 1896 and which consists of fifty member states in the United States, is a body that represents the interests of several registered nurses in the country. ANA primarily focuses on improving the quality of care in nursing as well as fostering nursing profession through various ways ("About ANA | ANA Enterprise", 2018). The manner in which the American Nurses Association (ANA) organization operates influences the nursing practice in multiple ways. One is that it promotes high standards in the profession and ensures that nurses abide by these regulations. Secondly, ANA ensures the promotion of safe and ethical working environment ("About ANA | ANA Enterprise", 2018). Healthcare facilities should provide favorable working conditions for employees to assist in improving patient safety. The body also strengthens the health and wellness of nurses and ensures that they are in a sound physical and mental state-finally, ANA advocates on health care matters that impact nurses and the community.
The US Boards of Nursing (BON) is a body that regulates the nursing practice in the country and protects the public’s health and welfare. The agency oversees and ensures safe nursing care as it provides a framework for nursing care standards. The BON issues licenses to nurses and monitor their compliance with jurisdictional laws and takes actions against individuals who display unsafe nursing practice (NCSBN, 2018). The body influences the nursing practice because it sets the minimum requirements for licensing and provides nurses with a guideline on how to comply with the rules. The agency also promotes shared accountability to enhance safe patient care and assesses competence among nurses while at the same time influencing the due process and ethical decision making. The BON also regulates the use of evidence-based standards, adoption, and implementation of technology, as well as demographic and social research ("Guiding Principles | NCSBN", 2018). Therefore, the primary role of US Boards of Nursing (BON) is to protect the public through licensing, policies and standards, and regulation of the nursing practice and this influences those behaviors of nurses.
The Florida Boarding of Nursing renews licenses of registered nurses in the state. The licenses are divided into three groups namely group 1, group 2, and group 3 (Floridasnursing.gov, 2018). To be a registered nurse, one must have completed continuing education requirements and reported into CEBroker.com. The nurse should also complete renewal application and pay required fees to the body. Additionally, licensees seeking to reactivate their inactive or retired status licenses pay additional fees and comply with specific continuing education requirements (Floridasnursing.gov, 2018). It is essential licensees meet the requirements, and when they do not, they should reapply and ensure compliance with present laws and regulations. In case individuals fail to maintain license requirement, Florida Boarding of Nursing imposes a fine as well as other disciplinary penalties depending on the violation.
Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are primary regulatory agencies that advocate for patient safety. The agencies ensure better delivery of services and care to patients despite the differences between the aspects that they monitor. FDA is a body that focuses on regulating the healthcare sector and regulating the use of medical products whereas CMS advises compensation of healthcare products in Medicaid and Medicare. However, the Institute of Medicine is responsible for providing nurses with an opportunity to make informed clinical decisions that assist them to understand best treatment options available to patients.
Food and Drug Administration agency regulates drug and biological products and medical services. This body collects data that consumers submit to marketing applications and use them to ensure patient safety in the industry. Furthermore, FDA enables the development of medical science and products (US Food and Drug Administration, 2018). Therefore, the information that the Food and Drug Administration provides nurses with evidence to use in making clinical decisions with the primary aim of improving patient safety.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services plays a significant role in leading and guiding the delivery of healthcare services. The agency provides beneficiaries with an opportunity to obtain excellent and timely care services. Furthermore, it encourages the use of technology in getting and maintaining health records, prescribing medications to patients, and developing new programs to aid in managing and treating diseases (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2018). Nevertheless, the CMS works together with different administrations, societies, and individuals to create a favorable environment where patients receive high-quality services and care.
Nurses are patients’ advocates in various ways including the provision of guidelines and alternatives to them and providing information regarding the services that they requested. For instance, the nurse informs patients about their eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements especially to patients with injuries (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2018). In cases of illegibility for coverage, they provide other options available to them to ensure they receive high-quality healthcare services. Therefore, as patients’ advocates, nurses are responsible for educating and supporting patients’ interests and guiding them in obtaining better services and care.
The Nurse Practice Act plays a significant role in the State of Florida. First is that it identifies the nursing practice with the primary aim of safeguarding its citizens. Furthermore, it provides nurses with an avenue to comply with standards and licensing requirements and to observe professional conduct. The body verifies qualifications of nurses for new graduates and those who wish to renew their licenses, and provides specific titles for nurses (Florida Board of Nursing, 2018). It ensures that only registered nurses are entitled to the topic and upholds discipline among violators. Therefore, the Nursing Practice Act regulates the manner in which registered nurses conduct themselves in the delivery of services; hence protects the public to ensure patient safety.
Registered nurses in the State of Florida are responsible for assessing patients’ needs, making a reasonable diagnosis using data they collect from patients, and ensuring that they achieve patient safety goals that an organization sets as well as establishing new objectives. It is the role of registered nurses to create a plan with measurable goals to aid them in provision of nursing services. Furthermore, they help in establishing interventions to promote, maintain, and restore health among patients and the general population (Florida Board of Nursing, 2018). Registered nurses should continuously develop knowledge, skills, and competencies in the nursing sector to ensure they provide quality care and services to patients in the State of Florida.
The State of Florida provides that a registered nurse supervises and delegates duties to only qualified, registered, and or licensed individuals. However, the delegators are solely responsible for any actions that the delegates conduct even if they are not directly involved in the process of delivering services. Therefore, registered nurses should be careful in the delegation of tasks because they are accountable for any liabilities during the entire process.
A nurse plays several roles in a healthcare facility and from time to time may take on other professional careers such as a scientist, a detective, and a manager of a healing environment. The nurse acts as a scientist when they collect information about patients. The nurses will then use the information in disease provision, promotion, and maintenance of health, training other employees, and patients, as well as creating and developing evidence-based practice. As a detective, a nurse establishes causes of various issues within the organization and devises a plan to resolve the issues. They find individuals accountable for failures within the system, assess and evaluate available alternatives to addressing an issue and ensure patient safety. Finally, the nurse plays the role of a healing environment manager through ensuring a safe and favorable environment for patients’ recovery. Therefore, the nurse can work as a scientist, detective, and a healing environment manager to ensure the provision of better and improved healthcare services to patients.
There are various provisions of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics that influence nursing practice. Provision 1 states how nurses provide services and it concentrates on human dignity, relationships with patients and co-workers, the nature of health, and the right to self-determination. Therefore, a nurse should be compassionate, have respect for dignity, value, and unique traits of every employee. To deliver better quality services, it is essential to work with all individuals within a healthcare facility and respect individuals with different cultures, beliefs, and values.
Provision 4 of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics also guides the nursing practice in healthcare facilities. It provides that a nurse has power, accountability, and responsibility for all the activities they carry out and decisions they make. They should consistently take actions that promote and provide quality healthcare services. The provision is essential in delivering knowledge and critical thinking skills to a nurse on how to make better informed clinical decisions. Therefore, a nurse should work within the Nurse Practice Act that the State of Florida provides to ensure they offer better quality services.
A medication error may occur in a clinical setting, and this may be in the form of wrong dosage, administration, and route of medicine. The error occurs in case the nurse fails to get the patient’s accurate information. Additionally, it may result if the patient fails to understand the instructions that the nurse provides to them or if the nurse does not cross-check medical records before administering medication. Provision 1 enables a nurse to communicate and establish better relationships with patients and co-workers, and this allows them to know the exact medications for the patients. Furthermore, the provisions of the ANA enable the nurses to prescribe the right drugs and procedure for the patients. Provision 4 ensures that nurses make informed clinical decisions bearing in mind that they are responsible and accountable for their actions. Therefore, the ANA provisions ensure that nurses are keen and careful when providing medications to their patients to avoid any future complications.
Nurses should have various leadership qualities to provide excellent nursing services, and these include compassion, accountability, commitment, and advocate. A nurse shows compassion to their patients at the bedside and empathizes with them, revealing to them that they feel their pain and have a clue of what they go through. When working with a nursing or interdisciplinary team, the nurse shows concern and consideration to other individuals in the decision-making process (American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing, 2018). The nurse should be committed to achieving the organization’s goals and working closely with co-workers. At the same time, they should be devoted to ensuring patient safety in the delivery of quality services and care. It is essential to serve patients as soon as possible, so they do not spend a lot of time in line. A nurse should advocate for the patient by providing them with a chance to speak about their problems and providing positive support to them and work closely with team members. Finally, the nurses are accountable for the decisions they make at patients’ bedside and when dealing with team members; hence they should make better-informed decisions. Therefore, nurses should possess various leadership traits that ensure they provide excellent services within the organization.
A nurse leader provides care to patients in a caringly and compassionately while maintaining professionalism, moral, ethical, and legal values. Leadership skills enable a nurse to make better-informed decisions in a challenging environment. They should make decisions that serve patients’ interests and which comply with a set of values governing the nursing practice such as those of the ANA and BONs. Finally, the working environment provides a chance for professional development through mandatory in-services as well as workshops, seminars, and scholarship. Nurses also assist in updating the organization’s policies regarding delivery of services. As a result, the work environment of healthcare facilities affects nurses’ leadership, decision-making, and professional development which in turn impact their delivery of quality services and care.
In conclusion, professional nursing practice is a complicated and essential component in the healthcare sector. Nurses play a significant role in the collection and analysis of patient information, provision of medical services to patients, and ensuring that they protect patients. Bodies such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) and US Boards of Nursing (BON) regulate nurses’ practices to ensure patient safety. In general, professional nursing practice plays a significant role in providing quality services and care to patients.
References
About ANA | ANA Enterprise. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-
ana/
About U.S. Boards of Nursing | NCSBN. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/about-
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American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.aanac.org/docs/white-papers/2013-nursing-leadership---management- leadership-styles.pdf?sfvrsn=4
Florida Board of Nursing » Licensing and Registration - Licensing, Renewals & Information.
(2018). Retrieved from https://floridasnursing.gov/licensing/
Guiding Principles | NCSBN. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/1325.htm
Home - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.cms.gov
Nursing Theory. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.nursing-theory.org
U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov
