Innovative nursing care delivery model.
With the emerging reforms in the health sector. Various innovative nursing care delivery models have emerged. The delivery models seek to improve cooperation between nurse practitioners, embrace technology for better time management and record-keeping and provide quality health care at an affordable cost.
Traditionally there were several nursing care models in inpatient nursing. These include primary nursing, team nursing, total patient care, and functional nursing. Total nursing is whereby one nurse attended to one patient. It still occurs today in the provision of labor and delivery care. This was crucial as it increased accountability but also disadvantageous as it was very expensive particularly in home-based care.
Also known as task method, functional nursing is whereby each nurse was allocated different tasks. It made it possible to achieve different tasks within a short time. Primary nursing was offered in shifts, every nurse was responsible for patients at day shift or night shift. Team nursing is a situation where several nurses work together as a team. Some of these models are still operational until to date.
Some of the innovative care delivery models that are emerging include; partners in caring and agile team models. Partners in caring is a situation whereby two or more nurses are cooperating with the patient care facilitator in providing health care to the patient. This includes having one primary nurse and other nurse assistants or associates that attend to the patient when the primary nurse is not around.
Partners in caring aim to achieve patients’ and organizations’ goals by offering quality health care at affordable costs. It also aims at improving health by building a responsive health care system. The model is being implemented and tested using a knowledge transition methodology. This helps in ensuring evidence-based outcomes. It embraces technology, uses both vertical and horizontal communication patterns and aims at changing workforce roles.
Agile team model targets offering speedy and high-quality acute health care, particularly to those with severe injuries. It also targets to offer reliable short term health care to those recovering from surgery. This model is promoting partnerships between nurses, the use of technology and the continuity of health care. It aims at increasing patients’ effectiveness, maximizing organizational value and minimizing the re-hospitalization of patients.
The agile team model engages in team nursing. It is managed by a nurse manager who gives directions and motivates the team. Each team has a team leader who gives instructions to the nurse assistants. The nurse assistants are responsible for offering services to the patients together with other staff members. It is being evaluated and proven using evidence-based outcomes just like partners in caring.
References
Kimball, B., Joynt, J., Cherner, D., & O’Neil, E. (2007). The quest for new innovative care delivery models. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 37(9), 392-398.
Carlson, M. D., Lim, B., & Meier, D. E. (2011). Strategies and innovative models for delivering palliative care in nursing homes. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 12(2), 91-98.
Petryshen, P. R., & Petryshen, P. M. (1992). The case management model: an innovative approach to the delivery of patient care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17(10), 1188-1194.
