Nursing, Article Critique Example

The purpose of any professional research article is to add to the educational and professional knowledge of the field in order to ensure a continued enhancement and advancement of practice.  This same purpose was set forth by Miles and Vallish who determined to answer many of the fundamental questions surrounding the nursing practice.  The definitions, functions and use of nursing practitioners and health care were included throughout while using theoretical, conceptual and foundational research from other scholars throughout the nursing industry.  In sum, the authors relied heavily upon the research and publications of other researchers in order to draw appropriate conclusions so that these questions in the nursing industry could ultimately be answered.

To begin with, the authors attempted to define the system and functions within the nursing industry in order to better create a concept of managerial tasks.  For instance, the authors began by using Donabedian’s model in which the conceptual pieces of the nursing practice were defined and illustrated by clear-cut examples for applications-based nursing.  The authors found evidence to show that professionals in the field believed “Donabedian’s model [was] a guiding framework for nursing practice … defined … [as] a system (structure, process, and values) that supports registered nurse control over the delivery of nursing care and the environment in which care is delivered’” (Miles & Vallish, 2010).  Furthermore, the authors continued to explain the principles, values and processes by which new nursing professionals are educated on the principles and values at SJMC in order to further understand how they relate to the process for providing care and ultimately relating to the total quality of nursing care.  By laying out the framework of these fundamental principles and values, the chief nursing office (CNO) is able to effectively communicate the ways in which nursing care must be provided to the patients as well as the communicative and professional ways in which the nursing staff engages the interdepartmental relationships i.e. the doctor-nurse, nurse-patient, nurse-nurse relationships.

This breakdown helps the authors further illustrate the theoretic and conceptual components of the nursing practice by explaining the elements of the principles and values.  The four elements of the principles and values (C.A.R.E.) are further explained as the authors described the core councils that are comprised of head nurses and other nursing leaders on staff to determine proper treatment techniques and further foundational methodology within SJMC.  However, the authors neglected to explain exactly how these members are placed onto the CARE councils.  Nevertheless, the article explained the specific functions of the CARE councils and how their decisions and elaborations upon critical issues can be used to define ways in which nursing care is provided to patients and to eliminate multiple sources of conflict that would ultimately hinder the quality of care provided to the patient and his or her family.

Appropriately, the authors continued their discussion of the framework for the nursing system by explaining the type of care provided within SJMC and why it is important to utilize this specific care methodology.  According to the authors, “Patient-centered care (PCC) is defined by the Institute of Medicine (2001) as ‘providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions’” (Mills & Vallish, 2010).  The ultimate goal is to provide quality care while gearing it around the components that would determine the best clinical treatment for the patient.  This does not always mean that the best method of care is being utilized because it may not be within the patient’s personal preferences.  Therefore, the nurses are bound to maintain a code of conduct and perform treatment methodology around patient-centered care and place the needs and values of the patient first and foremost above all other considerations.  To ensure that PCC is maintained, a Steering Committee has been established within their institution that is led by the CNO in order to guide and watch over the nursing staff.  Furthermore, the Steering Committee holds annual training for all nurses to ensure that the PCC standards are educated and the knowledge of such standards is maintained for actual practice within SJMC.  This continues the ongoing trend that the authors maintain throughout the article that the conceptual and principle-based practices of the nursing field should be maintained, educated to the staff and overlooked by a board or council of peers and leaders to ensure that these methods are being followed appropriately.  In other words, the authors are inherently pointing out that it is not enough to simply educate nurses, but the entire staff must ensure that the practices follow the standards and principles to provide the best possible care for the patient.

Finally, the authors discussed the four different groups of priorities that are fundamental for proper nursing care.  People priorities are the first on the list and likely the most important as it discusses the needs and desires of the people who are most important.  This includes the patients, the patients’ family members, other medical staff and the like.  The quality of nursing care should consider people the first priority.  Secondly, quality priorities are set forth to ensure that the next major priority of an individual nurse and the entire nursing staff as a cumulative group is to provide the highest quality of care for the people involved.  This can include several intercultural, linguistic and values-based barriers that may cause several practice issues, but the priorities must remain constant to overcome all obstacles.  The finance priorities are also a serious consideration for both the hospital and the patient along with the family.  The authors engaged in brief discussion of this priority namely to avoid going into further detail as it can be a sensitive topic.  Finally, the growth priorities are set forth to ensure that the patient as well as the nursing practitioner is both allowed the opportunity to grow within the medical environment.  The practitioner must grow through increased knowledge, ethical and principle considerations and much more.  The patient must grow to overcome the physical illness as well as the mental considerations that could plague the patient during treatment and after treatment.  In summary, the authors utilized foundational knowledge and research to guide their explanations of the nursing practice so that the nursing field can use this model as a greater guide for continued practice and potential implementations throughout other nursing practice units.

References

Miles, K.S., & Vallish, R. (2010). Creating a personalized professional practice framework for nursing. Nursing Economics, 28(3).