Collaborative Leadership, Coursework Example

Introduction

Assuming responsibility for a nursing project requires substantial knowledge and information regarding the topic and the needs of the population under consideration. Patient falls are a significant issue in many healthcare organizations and therefore, typically require a collaborative approach in order to identify the nature of these falls, their frequency, and how to prevent them from occurring and harming patients. In order to accomplish these objectives, a collaborative strategy must be considered that will allow members of different disciplines to work together to accomplish the objectives sought with the chosen plan of action. As the team leader, it is necessary to select members who will make a positive contribution to the team and will be effective in developing a policy in regards to this issue. Patient safety is of the utmost importance; therefore, collaborative efforts must be established that will address this problem with the intent to increase safety and reduce risks as best as possible. The following discussion will address a policymaking directive that requires a collaborative effort between different healthcare disciplines in order to reduce the risks associated with patient falls and the improvement of patient safety.

Analysis

In order to accomplish the policymaking initiative, an interdisciplinary team must be established that will develop a policy and address the importance of the primary issues in protecting patients from falls. Nurses play a significant role in this process due to their direct contact with patients; however, risk managers must be contributors in providing feedback and guidance in this area (Richardson and Storr, 2010). Furthermore, it is necessary to involve case managers and clinical nurses in advancing a policymaking agenda because these individuals also see patients and on a daily basis (Richardson and Storr, 2010). It is important to obtain the perspectives of both of these groups because they will enable the team as a whole to make decisions regarding patient safety that are in the best interests of patients to prevent further risks (Richardson and Storr, 2010). This issue, however, requires the primary leadership of nurses in order to establish standards for patient safety and to express their concerns to other staff members (Richardson and Storr, 2010).

Perhaps the most important contributor to the policymaking agenda to reduce patient falls is cost effectiveness, whereby some approaches do not lead to effective outcomes, nor are they cost effective in reducing falls (Peeters et.al, 2011). For patients who face a risk of recurrent falls, it is particularly important to address cost effectiveness because continued evaluation for these falls is expensive and places the burden on patients and the healthcare system as a whole (Peeters et.al, 2011). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a policy that will be cost effective yet appropriate for this population group. Nonetheless, patients with a high risk of frequent falls must be evaluated and treated in accordance with basic standards of care for this type of risk (Peeters et.al, 2011).

The proposed cost-effective policy agenda must incorporate such basic concepts as routine staff rounds, which are already part of the daily agenda; and providing sitters as necessary to ensure that patients are protected from falling as best as possible. However, for patients who face the greatest risk, it is important to consider the options that are available to reduce falls, such as improved education for nurses and other staff members in regards to the issues related to falls and what to look for on shift (Quigley et.al, 2010). These elements will contribute to the development of a comprehensive policy that will have a positive impact on patient outcomes, and in particular, those who face the greatest risk of falls, such as elderly persons (Quigley et.al, 2010).

Finally, fall prevention strategies must be organized and supported using collaborative efforts in the workplace setting. Possible alternatives include light exercise, the administration of Vitamin D to some patients, and interventions that examine a number of factors that may contribute to falls (Cameron et.al, 2012). These options should be considered because they provide value to patients and also support collaborative objectives that are designed to promote effective outcomes for high risk patients (Cameron et.al, 2012). These issues are relevant because they demonstrate the importance of working in a collaborative manner to ensure that patient safety is optimized at all times and that fall prevention efforts are taken seriously at all levels (Cameron et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

A collaborative approach to preventing falls requires an effective understanding of the problem and its impact on patient care. Nurses and other healthcare professionals play an important role in shaping outcomes for patients, and this is achieved through a policymaking initiative that will encourage patient safety and reduce the risk of falls in patients. The collaborative effort should include a risk manager and a case manager because these individuals provide much-needed input and guidance into the development of a policy that will be successful over the long term. Cost-effective measures must also be considered as part of the policymaking agenda so that patient care and attention as provided by clinical nurses is optimized to prevent as many falls as possible. These efforts will encourage the development of new ideas and concepts that promote falls prevention across nursing units. The nurse leader must lead this charge and take the steps that are necessary to support positive patient safety outcomes and prevent the risk of injury from falls on a consistent basis.

References

Cameron, I.D., Gillespie, L.D., Robertson, M.C., Murray, G.R., Hill, K.D., Cumming, R.G., and Kerse, N. (2012). Interventions for preventing falls in older people in care facilities and hospitals. The Cochrane Library, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005465.pub3

Peeters, GMEE, Heymans, M.W., de Vries, O.J., Bouter, L.M., Lips, P., and van Tulder, M.W. (2011). Multifactorial evaluation and treatment of persons with a high risk of recurrent falling was not cost-effective. Osteoporosis International, 22(7), 2187-2196.

Quigley, P., Bulat, T., Kurtzman, E., Olney, R., Powell-Cope, G., and Rubenstein, L. (2010). Fall prevention and injury protection for nursing home residents. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 11(4), 284-293.

Richardson, A., and Storr, J. (2010). Patient safety: a literature review on the impact of nursing empowerment, leadership and collaboration. International Nursing Review, 57(1), 12-21.