How the practice of nursing is expected to grow and change
The healthcare system has, in the past, focused on curative medicine and quantity care ( Cherry & Jacob, 2016) . A lot of money is spent both by the government and individuals on disease treatment, especially on chronic diseases. Billions of money are also lost with the current health system. The restructuring of the US health system mainly aims to change the health system to a safe, quality, affordable, accessible, and patient-centered system. People will drive the new health system by quality rather than quantity, and providers will be paid for performance. Technology will also come in and be applied in the healthcare system to ease the delivery system and also allow for ease of carrying out services such as payment. The system will focus on the wellness of the population and prevent as many diseases and illnesses as possible. All the healthcare organizations, medical homes, the accountable care organizations, and the clinics will all be required to implement the transformative approaches across the continuum of care.
The practice of nursing presents as the center of healthcare. Nurses are critical in any healthcare organization, given their wide range of services. Nursing work directly with patients in the hospital rooms, medical homes, and in the other healthcare environments. Nurses work in a variety of departments in every healthcare organization. Nurses also have to coordinate with other healthcare providers and department to carry out their work. Such a huge transformative change will affect all healthcare personnel, including the nurses. However, nurses will also have to play a massive role in the restructuring process to make the system work. Nurses will lead the change and help to advance healthcare. Nurses will, therefore, help transform healthcare by working to improve patient outcomes and contributing to reducing healthcare costs.
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In the future, it is expected that the numbers of adults aged sixty-five and above will be higher than today’s numbers ( Institute of Medicine (US), 2011) . If the current health system is maintained, then there will be more patients in critical care rooms or tin the intensive care units. Older people are highly likely to contract chronic diseases, including cancers. With the new healthcare system in place, however, it is also expected that there will be fewer people in intensive care units or those suffering from various chronic conditions. It will be possible through the move towards wellness and preventive care, which also means that there will be fewer nurses working at the critical care units such as the ICU. At the same time, more nurses will be required at the community level, making sure that the population is healthy and receiving quality care. Nurses and healthcare services will be made more accessible to the population.
The healthcare reform will be facilitated with information technology for the delivery models to work properly and for healthcare providers to be able to provide quality services. Knowledge, attitude, and skills are thus required for nurses to be able to work within the new healthcare environment ( McMurray & Cooper, 2017) . Some nurses will have to further their studies or engage in learning programs to be able to offer services and care. Therefore, individuals will transform the nursing practice and profession as the healthcare system undergoes reformation. In the future, nurses will get more involved and closer to the populations in the effort to improve wellness and prevent diseases. While physicians prevent more illnesses and fewer patients visit the critical care rooms, they will save lots of money. Nurses, therefore, have a huge role in leading the change and advancing healthcare delivery.
Feedback from other nurses
Nurse 1
The restructuring of the healthcare and the nursing practice comes with more responsibilities as well as possibilities. Currently, there are far more specialties for nurses as compared to a decade ago. In the future, there will certainly be more areas of specialization for nurses with different qualifications or education levels. The patient-centered approach will give rise to new possibilities for nurses. The nursing practice is expected to grow, with more nurses getting employed as others create their own sources of employment. Advanced nurses today, are able to work autonomously even without the directions of other senior healthcare professionals. Nurses can sometimes diagnose patients, refer them to the respective departments for further checkup or treatment, and also administer medication. Nurses can run health clinics and medical homes without the support of other healthcare professionals.
The work of nurses is expected to change for the better with the restructuring of the healthcare system. The patient-centered, quality and affordable healthcare will only give nurses more responsibilities and possibilities with regards to their areas of work. The reform aims to take care and services more accessible and available to everyone in the American community. Cases of disease treatment, especially chronic illnesses, are expected to decline tremendously. More nurses must, therefore, be placed closer to the population in order to ensure the wellness of the people. The registered nurse will have more opportunities with the healthcare reform in place. Registered nurses can start health clinics or run health services in homes and other institutions.
Nurse 2
The reformation of the healthcare system will greatly depend on technology. Technology has been integrated into almost all sectors of life in the modern-day. Even then, a huge number of healthcare organizations do not have proper and sufficient information technology equipment. Also, a huge number of nurses, already working in various healthcare facilities, do not have the necessary skills and knowledge on how to use some of the equipment and machines. The healthcare reform aims to improve healthcare delivery and cut down costs by improving quality of care and making services more accessible to the population. It also aims to ensure wellness and cut down the chronic disease burden. Technology is most welcomed as it helps facilitate delivery, gets rid of human error, and help provide quality care. With proper information technology in place, nurses and other healthcare professionals will have their work eased, and the workload reduced tremendously. Nurses will play a big role in the restructuring of the healthcare system, and as such, they must be well fit for the task. A nurse will be required to have the knowledge and skills for operating various machines and equipment to work in the reformed healthcare environment. Nurses with their require further education or educational programs to be able to offer quality services to the population effectively.
Nurse 3
The restructuring of the healthcare system comes with many positions and opportunities for nurses. It also comes with responsibilities for nurses. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, and as such, they have to participate in leading the change and advancing healthcare delivery. The healthcare reform will give nurses more opportunities as healthcare services are expected to be brought even closer to the population. Nurses will no longer wait to get employment as many other sources of employment will be available for them. People expect more medical homes in the future, with as many nurses as possible. The nursing practice will no longer be limited to healthcare organizations such as hospitals with the healthcare reform in place ( McMurray & Cooper, 2017) . Nurses can offer more quality health care services in other institutions, such as schools and correctional facilities. Other nurses will also be able to offer services in assisted living facilities while others will perform health care services in homes. Clinicians will bring healthcare to the homes of people, and everyone will have easy and direct access to health care services. Travel nursing is another nursing practice that is expected to grow in popularity with the reform in place. Nurses will be able to work as contractors for a scheduled amount of time.
Conclusion
The future of nursing, as presented through the perspectives above, is a bright one and one with many more possibilities, positions, and responsibilities for nurses. This is mainly dependent on the healthcare reform, which aims to improve healthcare delivery, accessibility, and affordability. Nurses are at the center of the process, given that they are the backbone of healthcare. Nurses will be involved in the advancement of healthcare and will be required to lead the program. The new approach aims to move towards preventive healthcare. With less patient in intensive care units and other critical areas, more nurses will perform out in the community. The reform aims to ensure the wellness of the population while also keeping dangerous preventable diseases and illness at bay. As indicated through the various perspectives, healthcare leaders will transform nursing practice as well. Nurses, therefore, have to be ready to work in the new nursing and healthcare environment.
References
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management . Elsevier Health Sciences.
Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health . Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
McMurray, A., & Cooper, H. (2017). The nurse navigator: An evolving model of care. Collegian , 24 (2), 205-212.
