The Evolution of Healthcare: Why Change is Necessary

Question 1

Evolution of healthcare is a necessity that has facilitated the adoption of advanced practice nursing. According to Keeling, advanced practice nursing has been evolving since the early 1960s. The introduction of advanced practice nursing was aimed at educating nurses who would address combined set of needs, by incorporating both primary care measures and advanced practice nursing skills acquired by respective nurses (Keeling, 2015). The initial intention of the introduction of advanced practice nursing was aimed at providing healthcare services to the rural and underserved population. The evolvement of healthcare has seen advanced practice nursing expand its roles throughout the country, by providing skills necessary for primary care for every individual.

Question 2

Fagerstrom contends that nurses in advanced clinical practice are characterized by their knowledge, abilities to make a decision over complex matters and clinical skills for expanded practice that depends on the geographical areas they operate in (Fagerstrom, 2012). On the other hand, nurses working in education are critical in ensuring that trainees are integrated into the clinical setting through teaching, guiding and monitoring of their progress. Nurses operating under administration and informatics are significant in ensuring that the overall management and the integration of information around the healthcare are effective. Practice for nurses working in research is vital because they facilitate the availability of new and deep analysis of various needs of healthcare. Nurses working under healthy policy arena are important as they are mandated to ensure that policies are crafted with diligence and in return work towards effective healthcare.

Question 3

Quality healthcare depends on the availability of nurses. According to Ortiz et al., many rural parts of the US has been experiencing a shortage of primary care providers as a result of various strict policies (Ortiz et al., 2018). Access and availability of nurses are some of the basic steps in attaining effective healthcare. This is an indication that the shortage of nurses significantly hinders the achievement of quality healthcare. Consumer choice and competition are also vital in achieving quality healthcare. Competition creates unnecessary professional gaps that leave patients with low-quality levels of treatment. Consumer choice is also important and determines the level of healthcare effectiveness as a result of the provided options. Considering that advanced practice nurses are widely spread especially in rural areas to provide quality primary healthcare, financing boosts their ability to perform. Less financing deters them from being effective.

Question 4

In their daily efforts to ensure quality healthcare for all, nurses are supposed to be competent. Fukada posits that nursing competence is the ability to acquire basic skills through experience and continuous learning (Fukada, 2018). Health is impacted by many external factors especially in the wake of evolving technology. This has in return facilitated the emergence of diseases that are caused by lifestyle. Advanced practice nurses are obliged to promote effective health habits from individual to community levels. As a result of health promotion, disease prevention is possible through integrated measures such as healthy habits and improved medication practices. Quality improvement and safety standards in healthcare are also basic in attaining effective healthcare. Quality improvement through the engagement of nurses and patients is ideal. Safety standards can also be achieved through effective communication among nurses with the available resources.

Question 5

According to Green and Johnson, an interprofessional collaboration that works towards attaining a common goal is important, especially about complex issues (Green & Johnson, 2015). Collaboration facilitates the best decision making in attempts to improve healthcare. Organizational skills such as focusing on positive outcomes are essential in attaining goals when working with other professionals. Organizational skills help in structuring the main focus while working with other professionals. Communication is significant between two parties with a common interest. In healthcare, communication skills such as listening and accommodating other party’s ideas and opinions are significant in ensuring health promotion and safety standards. Ideal leadership skills such as creativity and trust are key in influencing a collaboration between healthcare professionals to advance.

Question 6

As an advanced practice nurse in adult gerontology, there are ethics that shape my profession. Ideally, the ethics and values that stress accountability, justice, beneficence, and fidelity are important to rely on when building a personal philosophy in advanced nurse practice career. This is because they bind you to operate within the required and effective conduct, which significantly promotes your career towards achieving the goals of advanced nurse practice.

References

Fagerström L. (2012). The impact of advanced practice nursing in healthcare: recipe for developing countries.  Annals of Neurosciences ,  19 (1), 1–2. doi:10.5214/ans.0972.7531.180401. 

Fukada M. (2018). Nursing competency: definition, structure and development.  Yonago Acta Medica ,  61 (1), 1–7. doi:10.33160/yam.2018.03.001. 

Green, B. N., & Johnson, C. D. (2015). Interprofessional collaboration in research, education, and clinical practice: working together for a better future.  The Journal of Chiropractic Education ,  29 (1), 1–10. doi:10.7899/JCE-14-36. 

 Keeling, A. (2015). Historical perspectives on an expanded role for nursing. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 20(2). DOI:  10.3912/OJIN.Vol20No02Man02.

Ortiz, J., Hofler, R., Bushy, A., Lin, Y. L., Khanijahani, A., & Bitney, A. (2018). Impact of nurse practitioner practice regulations on rural population health outcomes.  Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) ,  6 (2), 65. doi:10.3390/healthcare6020065.