The Influence of Regulatory Agencies and Healthcare, Capstone Project Example

The American Nurses Credentialing Center serves as the key facilitator in supporting an organization’s Magnet designation within the nursing profession, including eligible Veterans hospitals (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). This organization serves as the highest possible standard for nursing practices throughout the United States and supports their eligibility for Magnet status and to achieve the highest level quality of care (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). This serves as a regulatory presence in supporting nursing practice methods that meet specific standards and support optimal quality of care at all times. It is imperative that the VA is capable of high quality care and treatment for its patients, and Magnet designation is one method of achieving this goal. In addition, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is responsible for monitoring the activities of the VA hospital system and in supporting its objectives to provide high quality care to its veteran patients on a regular basis (2015). These organizations have a significant impact on nursing-based regulations and the ability to deliver and strive for high quality care across the VA system. It is important to recognize the importance of nursing to this system and to be cognizant of the value of high quality care and efficient delivery to protect patients from unnecessary risk or harm. Since the VA population is highly vulnerable to healthcare challenges, it must be monitored with a nursing-based point of view in order to effectively monitor the activities of nurses and to motivate them to perform at the highest possible level with the appropriate resources in place.

In today’s society, information is readily available in many different ways and offers healthcare employees a means of expanding their knowledge and resources to improve their activities and quality of care. This is largely influenced by technology-based resources, which significantly impact how information is shared and transmitted from one party to another and is designed to improve efficiency and how healthcare staff members interact with patients (Wears, 2015). From this perspective, employees must be willing to adapt to an ever-changing influx of information via email, websites, and technology-based systems that will set the tone for understanding the scope and breadth of the practice environment. It is the responsibility of nurses to stay abreast of new policies and regulations that impact their daily activities and the ability to provide the desired level of patient care. It is also their responsibility to use technology to the fullest and to share the information that they obtain with other nurses in order to promote the greater good of the practice setting. This process will ensure that nurses are well informed and are able to communicate among the team regarding changes and regulations that have a direct impact on their workplace duties. This is an ongoing process that requires continuous examination of news, regulations, and policies, as well as open communication and discussion regarding how these policies might impact the daily practice setting.

Nurse leaders must lead by example and provide a framework and a sense of stability for staff nurses in addressing areas of compliance to meet specific standards. This process supports a greater understanding of the practice setting and how nurses’ roles are defined by the regulations and compliance standards that they must meet on a regular basis. Nurse leaders must set an example for others to follow and aim to be proactive in working with their staff members to create an environment where process changes are accepted and welcomed, and compliance with these standards is consistently met (Salmela, Eriksson, & Fagerstrom, 2012). From this perspective, nurses must obtain the proper education and knowledge in order to meet compliance standards and other regulations without difficulty, and this is best achieved through a multi-layered process that supports the demand for positive and meaningful changes in nursing practice to accommodate process improvements and high quality care (Salmela et.al, 2012). Most importantly, nurse leaders must adopt key principles that support change and embody the core values of the nursing profession in order to achieve successful results. Nurse leaders must explain and enforce compliance standards to make them easier to understand and provide examples of non-compliance as a form of motivation and initiative for staff nurses to follow. This process will demonstrate a greater level of support and enthusiasm in meeting compliance standards and in supporting a dynamic of integrity, professionalism, and growth within the practice environment.

From a professional perspective, compliance with regulatory standards must be accomplished by having the appropriate knowledge in place in a timely manner to meet all requirements. This process requires buy-in and support from staff nurses and nurse leaders in order to accomplish the intended objectives. It also requires an examination of the needs of the practice environment and an understanding of how these needs might be met through new and existing regulatory requirements for nurses to follow. This process is instrumental in shaping regulatory-based compliance and in evaluating the conditions under which nurses must promote consistency in a professional setting. Nurse leaders must set an example for staff nurses to follow and must recognize that their contributions to meeting regulatory standards are critical to the success of an organization and patient outcomes. Nurse leaders must also be prepared to address new challenges as they emerge and communicate new regulations and changes to existing regulations in a timely manner. This will enable nurses to be successful in addressing changes without difficulty and improve their ability to adapt to change without significant difficulty. It is important for nurse leaders to demonstrate how regulations are designed for the greater good of the organization and the overall development of new perspectives to improve nursing practice and quality of care. If these principles are well understood, nurses will support the practice setting in a positive manner.

References

American Nurses Association (2015). Agencies & Regulations. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/Agencies-RegulatoryAffairs

Salmela, S., Eriksson, K., & Fagerström, L. (2012). Leading change: a three?dimensional model of nurse leaders’ main tasks and roles during a change process. Journal of advanced nursing, 68(2), 423-433.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2015). Magnet and Pathway to Excellence Designation Journey for VA Medical Centers. Retrieved from http://www.va.gov/nursing/workforce/magnet.asp

Wears, R. L. (2015). Health Information Technology and Victory. Annals of emergency medicine, 2(65), 143-145.