Balancing Constituency Needs, Coursework Example

Introduction

The healthcare system is comprised of a number of components that create challenges for experts in the field, as well as the patients who receive care and treatment. Providers, hospitals, third party payers, and others must work collaboratively in order to enable patients to receive quality care and to gain access to other services that impact their overall health and wellbeing. This process requires expert knowledge from many experts, including nurse leaders. It is important to identify specific factors that enable nurse leaders to contribute to the healthcare system to improve outcomes and productivity. Their role in healthcare is significant because it supports greater communication among key constituents throughout the system that have an impact on direct patient care. Specifically, they are able to provide opportunities to enlighten other groups regarding patient care needs and the role of quality in impacting patients in order to improve the reputation of the healthcare system as a whole. The following discussion will address these objectives in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of nursing practice as a key influence in the healthcare system and how this role provides a greater sense of accomplishment in supporting the mission of healthcare for millions of people.

Analysis

Nursing practices throughout the United States strive to provide high quality care for as many patients as possible; however, insurance and hospital-based restrictions often limit these alternatives and pose a threat to the overall direction of the system as a whole. Nurses must work in a proactive manner in order to accomplish the objectives of developing new strategies to improve healthcare quality and to bring different groups together towards a set of common goals and objectives (Grossman & Valiga, 2012). In this context, nurse leaders must work in a capacity to provide effective services to their patients, but to also aim to work cohesively on a continuous basis with staff nurses and other teams to improve the work environment and to support greater productivity (Sherman & Pross, 2010). These practices encourage the development of new strategies to facilitate a greater balance among different groups and to reflect upon the challenges of the practice setting through collaborative efforts to promote high quality delivery of care and treatment (Grossman & Valiga, 2012).

Perhaps one of the most critical responsibilities of nurse leaders is to recognize the challenges that are related to healthcare practice and to proactive in educating other groups within the healthcare system regarding the role of nurses and how they impact direct patient care (Paterson, Henderson, & Trivella, 2010). This process supports the expansion of the nursing role in the healthcare system and in supporting the needs of patients through high quality initiatives and the right of all citizens to receive appropriate healthcare in a timely manner (Paterson et.al, 2010). Educating the general public regarding the role of nurses and nurse leadership in healthcare is a critical step, as it promotes a more effective response to nurses and a greater level of respect and encouragement for their contributions as the system continues to grow and transition under the mandates of the Affordable Care Act (Paterson et.al, 2010). Most importantly, nurse leaders must be able to encourage nurses to be active participants in the healthcare system and to promote change as warranted in order to accomplish the key objectives of the practice setting (Paterson et.al, 2010). This is best accomplished by using a framework that is designed to adapt to change and that supports greater inclusion and eligibility for a greater number of patients, while also encouraging balance among different areas of the healthcare system that have a direct impact on patient care (Paterson et.al, 2010).

The ability to balance the ever-increasing needs of the healthcare system must be recognized by those who provide care and treatment, and this is accomplished through an understanding of the nursing workforce and its collaboration with other constituents. From this perspective, nurses must be able to effectively communicate and educate regarding their roles in the process, while also maintaining high standards of quality and productivity in an effort to accomplish the intended objectives (Gantz et.al, 2012). In this context, nurse leaders possess real and timely concerns regarding the state of the current healthcare system and how their roles align with this process, including their contributions to the massive healthcare system (Gantz et.al, 2012). Nurse leaders must possess a high level of awareness and understanding of their roles and the ability to achieve greater flexibility in their practice efforts as necessary (Gantz et.al, 2012). Nurse leaders must remain expressive and open to change, while also adhering to their primary roles and responsibilities to the profession as a whole so that they are able to actively contribute to the practice setting in a successful manner (Gantz et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

Nurse leaders play a unique role in the larger healthcare system as advocates for patient care and treatment, often overlooking or deemphasizing the importance of insurance and other financially-driven components of the healthcare system. Under these circumstances, it is the responsibility of nurse leaders to collaborate with other teams in an effort to promote high quality care across all areas. This requires nurses to be effective communicators of the process and to recognize the value of improving the practice environment through collaboration and balance with other constituents. Nurses must be able to demonstrate a high level understanding of the healthcare system, including its current objectives, and aim to work collaboratively with other teams in an effort to promote high quality care without disruptions or limitations that could exclude some patients from receiving the care that they require to improve the quality of their lives.

References

Gantz, N. R., Sherman, R., Jasper, M., Choo, C. G., Herrin?Griffith, D. O. N. N. A., &

Harris, K. (2012). Global nurse leader perspectives on health systems and workforce challenges. Journal of nursing management, 20(4), 433-443.

Grossman, S. C., & Valiga, T. M. (2012). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing. FA Davis.

Paterson, K., Henderson, A., & Trivella, A. (2010). Educating for leadership: a programme designed to build a responsive health care culture. Journal of nursing management, 18(1), 78-83.

Sherman, R., & Pross, E. (2010). Growing future nurse leaders to build and sustain healthy work environments at the unit level. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(1).