The Importance of Role-Models in the Nursing Staff - Term Paper Example

? Patient Safety – QSEN initiative Yolanda McQueen Cambridge Medical Institute Patient Safety – QSEN Initiative With the increase in world populationand the healthcare industry, quality deliverance in the industry has become increasingly vital since health and life are sensitive areas. Nursing is one important factor which impacts the recovery and will-power of patients. Thus, the background of the issue revolves the need for a framework of quality and safety in the current and future healthcare system by focusing on nurturing nurses through training, adequate knowledge and skill development. To enrich the quality of treatment given to patients, it was realized that nursing standards need to be raised and standardised. ‘Innovation in nursing education is the key to improving quality and safety.’(Enhancing Quality and Education in Nursing Education, 2012) Hence, the basic need was to provide nurses with the Knowledge, skills and Attitude (KSAs) by training the nursing faculties through the help of medical institutes.The nursing faculties then formally train the nurses, thus, improving nursing performance and quality. To resolve this issue, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) laid foundations for a project, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) via phase-wise funding.Through RWJF, strategies and policies were developed and implemented to ensure that‘future nursing graduates develop competencies in patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics’.(Enhancing Quality and Education in Nursing Education, 2012).According to ‘Integrating QSEN Competencies’, The QSEN project is categorized into three phases of action. 2005-2007 Phase I Pre-licensure Education 2007-2009 Phase II Graduate Education and Pilot School Collaborative 2009-2011 Phase III Faculty Development to Achieve Curriculum Integration The concern today is that there is stilllack of qualified, good-quality nursing staff in general (Hinshaw 2001). That can be roughly depicted as the growth in number of patients is much higher than the growth in patient-centered nursing staff. This lack extra burden on the existing system of nursing staff and institutions. Thus, during this shortage, it becomes a bigger challenge to conduct QSEN processes and ensure quality maintenance. The issue of shortage not only concerns the nursing staff, but it also exists in the number of nursing faculty that trains the nursing staff while utilizing QSEN standards. A future issue which can cause inefficiencies and counter-productivity is keeping in-check the size and number of trained nurses. When an institute produces its products in terms of trained individuals, credibility is often judged by quality of performance by the alumni. Hence, if there ever exists a period of low performances by nurses, the whole process will become counter-productive and might cease to be perceived as viable any more. The nursing leaders aim to take this initiative forward by stressing the importance of role-models in the nursing staff. During practical duty hours, role models are the figureheads who channel the treatment objectives and quality standards in the right way. They should be able to correct inappropriate processes while bringing the whole environment a positive air. It also serves to instigate a feeling of self-fulfilment in the nurses. Another step taken to enhance nursing environment is to allow nurses to take ownership of their specific wards. That means nurses can be allowed more control of their own wards and the nursing operations in the dedicated premises (Ford 2009). The very idea to develop and introduce the QSEN program to the nursing schools and healthcare system is a very commendable step. The three-phased project encircles the needs of the patients, the nurses and the faculty as well. For the betterment of patients in hospitals and hospital care, in general, it is of great significance Feedback and opinion-taking surveys area good inclusions to the QSEN project. This aligns with the rigorous processes of quality assurance and nurse training. Since QSEN only began in late 2005, there could be various areas where the program needs enhancement or improvement. The methods of teaching the competencies vary in design to make the process of teaching highly effective and response-oriented. According to ‘Integrating QSEN Competencies’ (2010), The following are the recommendations by QSEN itself as the methods by which nurses are taught :Web modules, Problem based learning, Unfolding case scenarios, Literature (readings), Papers (assignments), Case studies, Reflective practice, Role playing or standardized patients, Simulation. Along with this step, issuance of certificates and licences can help standardize the quality and safety offered to patients by the nursing staff. The trainee nursing staff will need to qualify and display improved quality and safety standards. Amongst them, role models and mentors will govern the operations and channel the focus of the nurses to ensure that practices do not deviate from the core values. Through these initiatives, the role of nurses becomes all the more vital in the hospital scenario. Not to mention, nurses have always been contributing members of the hospital staff, however, with the inception of the three-phased QSEN project, nurses hold a greater onus on themselves regarding patient treatment and the treatment standards. This ways, certainly, the image of nurses will improve as well in the hospital system. Of course, patients will get first-hand experience of trained nurses which will generate feelings of positivity and comfort among patients. Feedback from patients will show positive reviews and, as a result, it will increase hospital ratings at the end of the day. It will be of general acceptance among nurses, that care and gentle treatment towards patients plays a very important role in the journey of the patient towards recovery (QSEN 2012). The future of nursing depicts change and improvement in the sense that, via training, more and more nurses will understand the significance of patient-centered approach. As more and more trained nurses enter the hospitals and take charge of their duties, hospitals will, indeed, show a positive trend in patients’ state-of-mind and emotions during hospital visits. Initiatives such as QSEN should be made part of the regular curriculum of Nursing Schools and quality standards of the QSEN should be enhanced and tightened every year so that the products of the nursing schools can be competent enough and possess the important knowledge, skills and attitudes to deal with the patients regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity.If QSEN’s implementation is maintained, the healthcare system will, most certainly, see the positive effects in the lives of many recovering patients, along with, nurses beginning to feeling more valued for the work they do. References American Association of College of Nursing 2012 QSEN – Educational Nursing.(n.d) Enhancing Quality and Safety in Nursing Education – Preparing Nurse Faculty to Lead Curricular Change. Retrieved on 25th August, 2012 QSEN. (2012). About QSEN. Retrieved on 24rd August, 2012 fromhttp://www.qsen.org/about_qsen.php Integrating QSEN Competencies. (2010). Retrieved on 24th August, 2012 from http://collaborate.uw.edu/sites/default/files/files/Jun10_Zierler_IntegratingQSENCompetencies.pdf Ford 2009 "The big issues in nursing | Analysis | Nursing Times." Nursing practice and peer-reviewed clinical research for all nurses. N.p., Web. 1 Sept. 2012. http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/management/the-big-issues-in-nursing/5001025.article Top of Form Hinshaw, A. S. (January 01, 2001). The nursing shortage: a continuing challenge: the shortage of educationally prepared nursing faculty. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,6, 1.) Bottom of Form Read More