Introduction
Generally, the performance of healthcare professionals is significantly influenced by the nature and level of competency they have in the health practice. Based on the reports by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM), the key challenges facing the healthcare sector can easily be addressed when nurses receive proper education and training concerning various essential capabilities required in the nursing practice. Some of the errors that occur in the hospitals are contributed due to limited focus on the individual capacity to deliver the best care in the facility. Improving the understanding of the core skills needed in the field of nursing is vital in curbing the mistakes that can result in death cases. To promote necessary changes in the system of healthcare, the IOM proposed five core competencies that practitioners should apply in the provision of patient care services in the hospitals. When the summative behaviors such as working in interdisciplinary teams, offering patient-centered care, using informatics, and applying quality improvement practices the likelihood of achieving best practices are enhanced thus leading to the optimal delivery of patient care.
The new vision of health advocates for different competencies to enhance the provision of patient care in hospitals. In the healthcare unit, critical care nurses (CCN) handle situations that require the practitioner to have the relevant capacity to manage the patient’s conditions. Generally, dealing with emergency cases can prove challenging for CCNs. However, with adequate comprehension and application of the capabilities, it becomes possible to effectively perform the critical operations that promote the safety of the patient (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015). Sick individuals in critical conditions require urgency in pain management, proper communication, respect, and coordination of further care. It is necessary as nurses to ensure they receive patient-centered care. It is essential to engage them in decision-making and educate them about the nature of the treatment they are subjected to. Similarly, the CCN demands the aspects of collaboration and effective communication. The capacity to embrace and have interdisciplinary teams is essential in the area of focus since it allows providers to integrate and provide reliable care services to patients suffering from acute situations.
Furthermore, CCN is complicated and requires professionals to involve the use of computer knowledge to enable quick and accurate decision-making. It is, therefore, significant for the nurses to have adequate informatics skills to execute all the operations effectively. Most of the patients admitted to the hospitals are in danger and their safeties are at stake. In order to reduce the associated risks, it is necessary for the medics to identify possible errors and implement relevant measures to improve the quality of services. Similarly, due to the conditions of patients in the emergency department, nurses are forced to rely on tangible and evidence-based approaches to ensure their care provision does not jeopardize the well-being of the sick person.
Core Competencies in Healthcare: Using Interdisciplinary Teams
In the healthcare unit, the management values and advocates for the application of core competencies to improve the overall patient care delivery. For instance, in the emergency department, the CCNs are practicing the aspect of collaboration. When a patient is admitted, two to four nurses attend to their needs to provide safety and manage the condition at hand. Similarly, various units within the division are coordinated together which makes it easier for the patients to receive continuous services. In order to promote the work in interdisciplinary groups, the nurse managers should create a conducive and interactive atmosphere for the practitioners. Furthermore, they should be educated about the significance of working as a team in care delivery.
Applying Evidence-Based Technique
The healthcare unit has invested massively in research development. Currently, there are over four laboratories that are used to conduct studies concerning various chronic diseases. The management has employed qualified clinicians that guide the processes hence making the outcomes and analysis effective for treatment purposes. Furthermore, CCNs are undergoing repeated training activities to enrich their knowledge and skills in the field. The approach of evidenced-based is significant in ensuring nurses deliver optimal care to the patients (Robert & Petersen, 2013). For the hospital to enhance the evidenced-based capacity, it should research and integrate different areas that cover the areas that are likely to require keen attention.
Patient-Based Care
In the healthcare unit, when patients are admitted the CCN provides immediate care to help in managing pain and suffering due to their critical conditions. Furthermore, nurses issue clear information about the status and the well-being of the sick individuals to enable them and their families to make an informed decision if the situation demands. The providers provide adequate education on how the patients can use the medicines effectively to avoid possible confusion that can easily risk their lives. Similarly, nurses value the norms and beliefs of patients and respect their decisions concerning their continuation of disease management. All these aspects reflect the patient-based care offered within the facility. To improve the ability of professionals to provide patient-centered care, they should be trained and educated about the importance of focusing on the well-being of the patient.
Applying Quality Improvement
The CCN in the hospital continuously evaluates various aspects of care delivery in the unit to identify possible errors that can interfere with the effective delivery of healthcare services. For instance, the needs of patients and the outcomes are determined to compare the level of satisfaction. The approach allows the hospital to apply quality advancement necessary to meet the required standards in the system (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015). In order to perfect the process, the management should adopt different techniques to facilitate quick detection of drawbacks that can hinder improvement.
Using Informatics
The healthcare facility has adopted the use of information technology to guide nurses in making some urgent and critical decisions, especially during emergency operations. For instance, CCN professionals use the computer system to access and analyze the underlying condition of the patient before deciding the appropriate care to be provided. To improve this competency amongst practitioners, nurses should be subjected to vigorous training on how to use the devices effectively.
Core Competencies and Critical Thinking Chart
During critical conditions when the patient requires urgent treatment, the providers are focused on ensuring they offer the best care to save the sick individual from the pain. For instance, based on the chart above, CCNs engage in thinking to identify and resolve the situation. In addition, they apply clinical reasoning to choose the best treatment for the patient (Reale et al., 2018). To enable the sick person to feel free within the facility, nurses use moral reasoning that encompasses their beliefs and culture to make them value the services (Lasater & Nielsen, 2009). The combination of critical thinking facilitates the delivery of care that is directed to the well-being of the patient.
Conclusion
In summary, the core competencies of new vision healthcare are essential in enhancing the focus of providers in delivering quality and optimal care to the patients. When the nurses are effectively educated and their skills and knowledge advanced, their capacity to manage various challenges within the system increases making them reliable and confident in their practices. Through effective communication, teamwork, and collaboration nurses are capable of handling the ever-changing situations they are facing in their work accordingly. Therefore, to achieve a high level of competency, health professionals have to embrace the aspect of critical thinking.
References
Lasater, K., & Nielsen, A. (2009). Reflective journaling for clinical judgment development and evaluation. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(1), 40-44.
Reale, M. C., Riche, D. M., Witt, B. A., Baker, W. L., & Peeters, M. J. (2018). Development of critical thinking in health professions education: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 10(7), 826-833.
Robert, R. R., & Petersen, S. (2013). Critical thinking at the bedside: Providing safe passage to patients. Medsurg Nursing, 22(2), 85.
Rubenfeld, G., & Scheffer, B. (2015). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.