Improving a particular aspect of care

Improving a particular aspect of care

“Nurses are expected to coordinate care and collaborate with a wide variety of health professional across a variety of care settings. Nurses participate in and may lead quality improvements teams, which require coordinating input from the multiple disciplines involved in improving a particular aspect of care” (Sherwood & Barnsteiner, p. 200).

 

K. Masters (2020) stated institutions should provide processes that measure quality improvement to show that nurses are providing great care. I work for a large health system in the cardiology office. The office/clinic setting is held to the same standards as the hospital with safety measures and health inspections by government agencies.

 

At the health system I work for there are numerous committees that are available for nurses to join. Shared governance is one that is available. Nurses meet to discuss and make decisions that will impact their workflow and ways to better provide for their patient’s needs. At these meetings, nurses can have input and opinions heard. “Hospitals with sound shared governance structures demonstrate higher levels of staff engagement in organizational decision making” (Hendrian & Tipton, p. 12).

 

Our office has a director, who oversees the nurses and doctors, and office supervisor oversees clinic staff, receptionists, phone clerks, and nurse techs. The nurse is the leader of patient care. Each physician has a nurse who collaborates directly with them in office visits and patient care. The nurse is available daily to answer questions from patient phone calls to other clinics calling. We are looked to as examples that reflect on our physician. Attitudes, work ethic, and teamwork are observed daily by co-workers. It gives us autonomy in our job, which in turns gives us self-confidence in our daily tasks. I also collaborate with other specialty clinics as well as billing, staffing, and scheduling.

 

In my future nursing practice, I will try to be aware of the how not only my decisions affect the patient directly, but the overall health system as well by following the protocols in place to ensure the highest quality of care. I have learned over the last few years that strong leadership is important in employee satisfaction. As an employee, if the leader of the team’s actions is not what they stress to their employees, it is hard to follow that lead. In my future, I will remember that actions do speak louder than words and strive to be the best leader I can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Masters, K. (2020). Role development in professional nursing practice (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett