History of Standards of Care in Nursing, Coursework Example

Introduction

Standards of care in nursing practice require have evolved over time in response to the ever-increasing needs of patients and the growth of nursing-based knowledge in practice settings. These factors have been instrumental in shaping patient care outcomes and in supporting the development of improved standards of care to meet regulatory guidelines, the introduction of technology, insurance-based provisions, and patient-specific needs. Standards of care have dramatically improved as a result of these needs and represent an opportunity to explore the different dimensions of care and treatment that support higher quality care and treatment provided by nurses in the modern era. Nurses must continuously examine standards of care so that patients are provided with the tools that are required to improve patient care quality on a consistent basis that will have a positive impact on patients over the long term. The following discussion will address nursing standards of care in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of new perspectives to address these standards and how they have evolved in recent years in order to accommodate the needs of patients and to incorporate the use of evidence-based practice to improve these standards over time.

Analysis

Nursing standards of care are typically recognized as the minimum standards that exist in order to that provide patients with the level of care and treatment that is required to ensure that their health and wellbeing are optimized. Standards of care exist across many different health specialties; therefore, nurses must be able to provide their knowledge and expertise in order to meet the necessary treatment objectives. These factors also support the continued demand for high quality care and treatment at all stages so that nurses are able to be effective in their direct patient care tasks. The American Nurses Association has established standards of care that provide a comprehensive overview of the different areas that impact the administration of patient care at all levels (ANA, 2014). In addition, non-clinical objectives and considerations must also be addressed as part of the scope of nursing practice, including ethical principles and position statements that have a direct impact on patient care quality (ANA, 2014).

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) has also established its own standards of care that support the continued growth of critical care practice settings to improve quality and expand recovery outcomes for patients (2014). This includes models that incorporate professional nursing standards, ethical principles, core values, and synergies to enable nurses to practice at the highest possible professional level at all times (AACN, 2014). Similarly, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has established its own practice standards to support the following objectives: 1) greater control over nursing practice; 2) a safe and healthy work environment; 3) systems-based management of practice; 4) expanded orientation programs; 5) nurse recognition and merit programs; 6) an effective lifestyle balance; and 7) professional development activities for all nurses (2014). These standards are critical in providing oversight regarding nursing practice objectives to improve standards of care and treatment to support greater patient health and wellbeing (ANCC, 2014).

It is also important to recognize the standards of care set forth by medical-surgical nurses, who offer direct patient care across many hospital units. The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses represents an opportunity to explore the different dimensions of medical-surgical nursing practice in order to achieve the desired outcomes (2012). As nursing practice needs change, these standards are also modified to meet current demands and trends that have a direct impact on nursing practice and patient care (AMSN, 2012). These opportunities play an important role in providing excellence in quality of care to patients, as well as the ability to advance this area of practice on a larger scale (AMSN, 2012). These standards of care will support the continued growth and development of new strategies to ensure that medical-surgical practice settings are current with new and existing regulations, as well as the changes that are required to enable patients to obtain the best possible level of care in these settings that will lead to optimal recovery and greater strength for patients, as well as for nurses who provide direct care to patients (AMSN, 2012).

Conclusion

Nursing standards of practice provide a comprehensive overview of clinical and non-clinical approaches to nursing that impact direct patient care, as well as evidence-based practice solutions. These factors support the continued growth and development of nursing practice standards to support nursing care quality and treatment. There are significant opportunities to expand standards of care for nursing practice in order to accommodate the current needs of patients, while promoting the appropriate ethical frameworks in the process. These factors support the continued growth and development of new strategies to address patient care needs as they arise, while also adhering to the integration of technologies to support patient care quality-based objectives. Many nationally-recognized organizations have established nursing standards of care in order to accomplish the desired objectives, while also considering the impact of these efforts on patient care and on nursing practice as a whole. As standards of care have evolved and grown over time, nursing practice has achieved new heights in many areas of practice; therefore, standards will continue to be impacted by new technologies, increased regulatory oversight and federal standards, and other factors that have a direct influence on the healthcare industry and on nursing practice objectives.

References

Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (2012). Scope and standards of medical-surgical nursing practice. Retrieved from            https://www.amsn.org/sites/default/files/documents/practice-resources/scope-and-standards/AMSN-Scope-Standards-MS-Nursing.pdf

American Association of Critical Care Nurses (2014). Standards. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.org/wd/practice/content/standards.pcms?menu=practice

American Nurses Association (2014). Professional standards. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/nursingstandards

American Nurses Credentialing Center (2014). Practice Standards. Retrieved from http://www.nursecredentialing.org/PracticeStandards