Introduction
The insights of clinical nurse leaders can be of exceptional value for resolving the issues related to the nursing profession. As professionals that are consistently involved in numerous nursing practices, nurse leaders possess significant information regarding the quality of health care and limitations encountered by the nursing personnel (Lunden et al., 2017). As such, improving the area of patient caretaking has been a vital complication for nurse education and performance, requiring participation from various clinical and learning institutions. S. S., a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Nursing, currently a nurse leader of a clinical unit, presented thoughts on health care standards, describing how nursing should advance in the future. This paper examines S. S.’s views on future quality improvements for the nursing personnel, discussing their suggestions and potential benefits for the individuals in the nursing profession.
Enhancing Health Care Standards through Nurse Education and Attentiveness
Contemporary nurses experience a considerable amount of pressure during education and practice. Considering that the nursing profession involves consistent performance under stressful circumstances, the nursing staff is especially vulnerable to emotional distress, anxiety, burnout, and physical exhaustion (Wei et al., 2020). In this regard, the quality of patient care and the nurses’ welfare levels can decrease dramatically if such pertinent issues are not addressed correctly. From the perspective of S. S., improving the current nursing environment requires implementing educational and management strategies.
First of all, there is a need for practices that allow nurses to successfully transition from the learning atmosphere to the demanding surroundings of clinical institutions. The nurse leader states that “Current health management programs at our local high schools are lacking in hands-on activities and lacking the compassion component which is vital to the future of nursing” (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). Furthermore, S.S. mentions that “We need to revitalize the underutilized workforce of older experienced nurses who have left bedside in droves due to workloads and long, inflexible hours” (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). Therefore, the nurse leader outlines two prominent improvement limitations: the lack of sufficient nursing preparedness programs and the absence of attention toward the nurses’ needs and well-being.
The strategy that allows for advancing the quality of care necessitates alterations to the educational courses currently suggested for future nursing professionals. According to S. S., a beneficial method could be the incorporation of vocational nursing courses in high school, which are especially vital for subsequent development (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). Practical activities and programs related to the acquisition of specific skills are often considered advantageous for the students, as they allow them to understand the nature of the chosen occupation and acquire sufficient vocational knowledge (Christidis, 2019). Moreover, nursing personnel participating in practical programs during early learning has been reported to efficiently develop such vital abilities as critical thinking, empathy, communication, and autonomy (Christidis, 2019). Therefore, S.S.’s suggestion seems to rely on both scientific and personal evidence, proposing a viable method of issue resolution and improving the quality of health care in the long term.
The second issue highlighted by the nurse leader concerns the welfare of the nursing staff and the impact of the nurses’ well-being on the standards of patient care. As such, S.S. argues that “Health systems must offer quality nursing refresher programs at no cost,” as well as implement incentive programs, such as “increased pay, shorter hours, and flexible schedules based on years of nursing experience” (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). Indeed, the psychological and physical health of the nursing personnel has been linked to the quality of health care provision, with the levels of patient rehabilitation diminishing significantly if the nurses’ welfare is reduced (Hall et al., 2016). In this regard, creating and maintaining appropriate working conditions becomes an essential task for nurse leaders and clinical institutions.
The nurse leader described several credible motivation programs to facilitate nursing involvement. S.S. recommends such initiatives as higher payments and flexible schedules, arguing that these measures can be utilized to address increased retention rates and nursing shortages (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). Scholarly research supports these programs, reporting that they can encourage populations to remain in the nursing profession (Banakhar, 2017). Overall, it is evident that S.S.’s prepositions are especially insightful and can considerably improve the quality of healthcare in the future through the application of diverse nurse supporting programs.
Promoting Nurse Engagement: The Importance of Learning
Of special consideration are the educational possibilities for the nursing personnel. S.S. reports that their vision of patient care improvements includes opportunities for nurses to build knowledge and acquire extensive training in various specialization areas (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). As the medical sciences continue to advance, with various treatment strategies and medications being developed, nursing professionals must remain knowledgeable of these enhancements. S. S. notes that nutrition, health literacy, and social determinants of health education programs should be available for nurses who wish to improve their skills (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). A successful nurse must be aware of numerous medical methods regarding patient care and medical procedures, consistently evolving their capabilities.
Furthermore, the nurse leader proposes combining nursing training with mentorship practices to improve the staff’s capabilities. S. S. mentions that this strategy can substantially increase the nursing personnel’s critical thinking, decision-making, and owning responsibility competencies (S. S., personal communication, September 25, 2021). This suggestion is majorly corroborated by empirical nursing research, which states that the availability of improvement options is a valuable factor in patient care enhancement (Bagley et al., 2018). Nurses who receive additional education and are prompted to participate in training courses perform remarkably better in the medical environment, attributing to higher patient satisfaction rates (Bagley et al., 2018). Considering this evidence, nurse leaders and clinical institutions should be prepared to invest in the nursing staff, providing them with options to offer better health care.
Interview Reflection
Altogether, S. S. presents a high level of awareness regarding the issues that impede advances in the nursing profession. While demonstrating a significant interest in the well-being of the nursing staff, the nurse leader also considers additional factors that impact the quality of healthcare. Given that a successful nurse leader should identify patient care complications and suggest viable resolutions to perform their professional functions, S. S.’s insights are an excellent example of productive leadership. Such attention to employees’ development can substantially enhance the nurse leader’s potential, allowing them to advance their capabilities and efficiently fulfill their roles.
Conclusion
To conclude, S.S.’s visions regarding the future quality improvements in health care were discussed in detail in this paper, clarifying the nurse leader’s views on the primary factors of patient care advancement. According to S.S., the most significant aspects of health care quality development are the inclusion of vocational courses in early nursing education, better attention to the nurses’ well-being, and the availability of supplementary learning opportunities. The nurse leader states that these changes could tremendously advance the nursing personnel’s preparedness for the clinical environment, elevating their stress resilience and management of workplace complications. Contemporary nursing research perfectly supports S.S.’s initiatives, meaning that medical and educational institutions should implement the proposed practices to enhance the future quality of healthcare.
References
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