Introduction
Healthcare practitioners must be capable of providing patient-centered care to ensure the quality of medical services. The nurse’s core competencies are to relieve pain and suffering, promote disease prevention and well-being, plan ongoing care with regard to individuals’ needs and values, as well as communicate with patients (Finkelman, 2017). In this regard, it is crucial to educate nursing personnel on the core principles of patient-centered care and support brand-new graduates at the beginning of their careers.
Advice for New Graduate Nurses
It is crucial to welcome new nurses and assist them in integrating into the existing workforce teams. To support brand-new graduates, I would advise them to continue learning and improving their skills and knowledge, particularly through mentorship from a seasoned nurse. According to Finkelman (2017), teamwork and collaboration are critical in person-centered care, and experienced specialists can share valuable insight and expertise regarding enhanced approaches to care. Furthermore, recent graduate nurses should understand their essential role in the nurse-patient relationship.
Contrary to the common belief, the goal is not to become close with the patient but to provide therapeutic value through interactions with them. As noted by Finkelman (2017), “the patient is given support and guidance in coping with the illness experience and/or health wellness process” (p. 488). Such interaction provides no personal gain for the nurse, and recent graduates must realize that the patient-nurse connection differs from friendship or other types of relationships.
Data Review to Assess Patient-Centred Care Readiness in a Clinical Setting
Measuring the level of person-centered care readiness in a clinical setting is critical to promoting quality healthcare and implementing effective approaches to meet patients’ needs. In this regard, I would focus on collecting and evaluating data regarding compliance with safety protocols, patient satisfaction, cultural competence of nurses, diversity, and education in the facility. Patient safety and satisfaction are pivotal in the person-centered approach to care (Altmiller, 2022).
Therefore, reviewing these measures can help evaluate the clinic’s readiness to provide quality care focused on individuals’ various needs. The cultural competence of nurses and the diversity of teams are two other essential criteria that ensure equal opportunities for all individuals and eliminate bias, discrimination, and stereotyping in healthcare (Finkelman, 2017). Finally, education and training data are crucial to evaluate a clinic’s readiness to establish a patient-centered approach to medical care.
Ensuring a Supportive Environment for Patients, Families, and Employees
A supportive environment for patients, family, and staff members can be ensured in several ways. In particular, providers should establish a safety and health management system to enhance the quality of care for patients, reduce delays and waiting times, and improve personnel decision-making (Altmiller, 2022). Engaging families in the care process is another crucial principle that can be exercised through effective and open communication. Clinicians should educate patients and their close ones on treatment strategies and provide relevant resources to promote healing (Finkelman, 2017). Moreover, healthcare organizations should have leadership councils dedicated to patient-centered care and involved in advancing ongoing practices, which can help establish a supportive workplace environment for employees (Finkelman, 2017). Furthermore, evaluating and reviewing patient, caregiver, and family comments for potential areas for quality improvement is essential.
Conclusion
To conclude, educating new nurses on the importance of patient-centered care is the core principle that promotes a higher quality of medical services. Recent graduates should be provided adequate training and support from the team to develop relevant skills and competencies during their practice. In this regard, a new nurse requires additional time and effort to learn how to provide care for patients from various racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
References
Altmiller, G. (2022). Quality and safety in nursing education: An introduction to the competencies and knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Finkleman, A. (2017). Professional nursing concepts: Competencies for quality leadership (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.