Laud, Katherine L. Assignment Describe the following: A.

Total Patient Care

BSN 4A

NCM 105

November 24, 2011

The nurse is responsible for the total care of the patient during the nurses working shift. The registered nurse is responsible for several patients. Advantages: Consistency in carrying out the nursing care plan Patient needs are quickly met as high number of RN hours are spent on the patient Relationship based on trust is developed between the RN and the patients family

Disadvantage: It can be very costly

B. Functional Nursing It is a task-oriented method wherein a particular nursing function is assigned to each staff member. The medication nurse, treatment nurse and bedside nurse are all products of this system. For efficiency, nursing was essentially divided into tasks, a model that proved very beneficial when staffing was poor. The key idea was for nurses to be assigned to tasks, not to patients. Advantages: A very efficient way to delivery care. Could accomplish a lot of tasks in a small amount of time Staff members do only what they are capable of doing

Least costly as fewer RNs are required

Disadvantages: Care of patients become fragmented and depersonalized Patients do not have one identifiable nurse Very narrow scope of practice for RNs Leads to patient and nurse dissatisfaction

C. Team Nursing This is the most commonly used model and is still in use today. It was developed in the 1950s in order to somewhat ameliorate the fragmentation that was inherent in the functional model. The goal of team nursing is for a team to work democratically. In the ideal team, an RN is assigned as a Team Leader for a group of patients. The Team Leader has a core of staff reporting to her, and together they work to disseminate the care activities. The team member possessing the skill needed by the individual patient is assigned to that patient, but the Team Leader still has accountability for all of the care. Team conferences occur in which the expertise of every staff member is used to plan the care. Advantages: Each members capabilities are maximized so job satisfaction should be high Patients have one nurse (the Team Leader) with immediate access to other health providers Disadvantages: Requires a team spirit and commitment to succeed

RN may be the Team Leader one day and a team member the next, thus continuity of patient care may suffer

Care is still fragmented with only 8 or 12 hour accountability

D. Primary Nursing The hallmark of this modality is that one nurse cares for one group of patients with a 24-hour accountability for planning their care. In other words, a Primary Nurse (PN) cares for her primary patients every time she works and for as long as the patient remains on her unit. This is a decentralized delivery model: more responsibility and authority is placed with each staff nurse. Advantages: Increased satisfaction for patients and nurses More professional system: RN plans and communicates with all healthcare members. RNs are seen as more knowledgeable and responsible. RNs are more satisfied because they continue to learn as as part of the in-depth care they are required to deliver to their patient Disadvantages: Only confines a nurses talents to a limited number of patients, so other patients cannot benefit if the RN is competitive Can be intimidating for RNs who are less skilled and knowledgeable

E. Differentiated Nursing Practice Differentiated nursing practice is a phrase used to describe the sorting of roles, functions, and work of registered nurses according to some identified criteria, commonly education, clinical experience, and competence (Boston, 1990). As a philosophy, differentiated nursing practice focuses on the division of labor required to meet client needs, the value of complementary educational preparation and clinical experiences,

the need for collaboration to maximize effectiveness, and compensation based on academic preparation and performance. As a method, differentiated nursing practice has been operationalized as a system designed to provide distinct levels of nursing practice based on educational preparation and defined competencies (Primary, 1987). Thus, differentiated nursing practice is reflected in RN position descriptions based on educational preparation, competencies required by the patient population and setting, or professional experiences reflected in the career ladder.

F. Case Management This is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation and advocacy for options and services to meet an individuals holistic needs through communication and available resources to promote quality costeffective outcomes. The definition of case management notes the focus upon the meeting of a clients health needs. Case Management has been adapted to a wide range of settings including community care for the aged, and people with disability and mental health issues; acute health settings; injury management and insurance related areas; correctional services; court systems; in the management of chronic health conditions; child and youth welfare; at risk populations in schools; managed care and employment programs. Human service, health and allied health professionals, people with experience in the particular sector where Case Management is implemented, administrative staff are designated to the role.