Team Nursing
It is obvious from any study concerning the nursing profession that it is, as a whole, drastically different than 50 years ago and one can only imagine what it will have evolved to in another 50 years. Through the centuries, nursing has taken on a variety of themes and definitions. Included in these are the thoughts that nursing is caring, adaptive, individualized, holistic, and also interrelated with family and community. There are theories that indicate that it involves not only teaching but services, both direct and indirect and also evidence that nursing is a science, as well as an art, concerned with health promotion, maintenance, restorations, and care of the dying (Kozier, Erb, Olivieri, 1991). Regardless of how one defines nursing, it is certain that nursing encompasses a vast body of knowledge and requires a great deal of competency and skill. It is also a demanding profession that involves a high level of interaction. Throughout this interaction, nurses must b!e conscious of factors that influence not only the well being of their patient, but also the well-being of others and how their care plays a role in the 'big picture' surrounding their profession (Kozier, Erb, Olivieri, 1991).
As with functional nursing, a strong level of communication is essential to the success of the team-nursing model. The way that many organizations foster this communication is by requiring nursing teams to hold daily conferences, usually at the beginning of each shift, for the purposes of reviewing the status of patients and the direction of the team. These meetings are excellent ways for the registered nurse to remain current on individualized plans of care (Kozier, Erb, Olivieri, 1991). One of the many advantages to the team nursing approach include the maximization of caregiver abilities, since it allows each team member to focus on one competency, they tend not to be overloaded with responsibilities. This, along with the daily conferences and constant evaluation of care, ultimately, allows the 'team' to be more focused and therefore, less likely to lose sight of the holistic view that is important to patient care (Hamilton, 1992). There is also a great advantage in h! Sullivan, Eleanor J.; Decker, Phillip J. (1992). Effective Management in Nursing. Redwood City: Addison Wesley Nursing. McCloskey, Joanne; Grace, Helen K. (1994). Current Issues in Nursing. St.Louis: Mosby. Therefore, the use of a model such as team nursing, which makes good use of all levels of nursing staff, is a reliable method for reducing downsizing. Some arguments may conclude that the reduction is downsizing has many undesirable effects, not only for the nursing profession but for the healthcare organization as well. Literature has shown that there have been repeated periods of nursing shortages since World War II, and the popular use of models that reduce or eliminate licensed practical nurses can discourage individuals from acquiring the practical nurse training. This can ultimately lead to shortages of licensed practical nurses and some argue that this might be better, because, as mentioned with primary nursing, it would essentially put registered nurses back at the bedside. However, it can also be argued that this is not the best solution for many reasons. The first of which is because it leads to increased shortages. The decreased use of licensed practical nurse! Gardner, K.G. & Tilbury, M. (1991). A longitudinal cost analysis of primary and team nursing. Nursing Economic$, 9(2), 97-104. Kozier, Erb, Olivieri. (1991). Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process, and Practice. Redwood City: Addison Wesley Nursing.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Sullivan Decker, Erb Olivieri, Hasselman Youn, War II, Socfield Atwood, Katzenbach Smith, McCloskey Grace, , Wheelan Burchill, Nursing Management, team nursing, erb olivieri, kozier erb, kozier erb olivieri, erb olivieri 1991, olivieri 1991, registered nurses, practical nurses, licensed practical, decker 1992, hamilton 1992, sullivan decker, sullivan decker 1992, licensed practical nurses, journal nursing administration,
Approximate Word count = 5405
Approximate Pages = 22 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
