The following assignment intends to provide a brief overview of the role of Assistant Practitioner (AP), the requirements and responsibilities associated with the role, whilst exploring how it is currently being utilised in the English National Health Service (NHS). The Journal of Nursing Management (2009) acknowledges that in the last decade, there has been an increase in nursing support workforce numbers and the scope of their practice in NHS acute hospital trusts. This has coincided with a fall in the number of registered healthcare professionals, and more significantly - the cost of healthcare that has dramatically increased, as highlighted by the Royal College of Nursing (2009). With increasing demands on the NHS, and decreasing budgets being faced by ward/department managers – this has resulted in an exploration of the AP role and its implementation. It is suggested by the NHS directorate that developing the role of the AP may assist in employers ensuring they have the suitable and flexible mix of skills to meet complex patient needs, freeing up registered practitioners such as Registered Nurses (RGN) and Operating Department Practitioners (ODP) to deliver care of which they have been uniquely trained for.
Poor stock market returns in recent years have meant that some older doctors most of whom must finance their own pension plans have delayed retirement.And there has been a realignment or rationalization of tasks in health care, with nurses and physician assistants taking on responsibilities that were once left to doctors, freeing them up to do some tasks that used to fall to specialists.That effect, which Lewis called sensible, will only accelerate as less invasive treatments are brought on line. 6 behind WinCo Foods, according to The Shelby Report of the West. And yet statewide, where it operates a relatively low store count of 30, Walmart commands 10.5 percent of the market share.If local grocers are concerned, they're not letting on. "It may seem like right now it's all ramping up, but look, we've all continued to grow up with new competition take New Seasons, Whole Foods, WinCo Foods," said Melinda Merrill, a spokeswoman for Portland based Fred
Several of those issues began in the 1990s when changes in the health care system were implemented. Due to conflicts in funding, hospital staffs were greatly reduced. When facilities required more nurses such as times when there was an unexpected increase in patient admission, instead of hiring additional staff, mandatory overtime was used (Keenan, 2003). At the height of their need, the amount of practicing nurses has declined. With baby boomers reaching retirement age they will need health care services which only increases the demand for nurses.
The facility offers 140 patient rooms and 120,000 square feet to offer patients a full spectrum of cardiac care. Patient volumes have increased however profitability has dropped dramatically. This is primarily because of decreased reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and managed care organizations. The hospital will be receiving $2,300,000 from Medicare and other managed care organizations (MCOs) in three months however the hospital must solve the working capital shortfall because it does not have enough money to sustain itself for three month. This simulation will examine ways to bridge a working capital shortage, possible funding options for acquiring necessary medical equipment, and additional funding options for capital expansion.
However, the last 200 years of nursing history have yielded more advancements that that all of the previous years combined and this paradigm shift can be traced back to one nursing scientist in particular – Florence Nightingale. In 1859 the Crimean War was entering its sixth year of conflict when Florence Nightingale and her team of 38 volunteer nurses were tasked with providing care at the military hospital in Scutari. Nightingale arrived to find horrific, unsanitary conditions where patients were neglected, infections ran rampant, and basic needs such as hygiene were overlooked. The mortality rate at the war hospital in Scutari was 10 times higher from diseases like typhus and cholera than it was from war-related battle injuries (Fee & Garofalo, 2010). Nightingale and her
Pressure ulcers Current issues in the NHS hospitals are pressure ulcers that are known to reduce the quality of life and are a major burden of sickness creating significant difficulties for patients. It is estimated that fewer than half a million people in the UK will get a minimum of one pressure ulcer in any given year in NHS. Pressure ulcers are also known to increase risks of secondary infection and risks of death in elderly people that are in hospitals,care homes and bedbound. (NHS,N.D). Pressure ulcers affects underlying tissue and skin, caused by continuous pressure to the affected area and often from a minuet patch on the skin to a large open wound that exposes muscle or bone.
Many hospitals are requiring nurses to have a BSN degree to decrease mortality rates in patients and improve patient care. In a article written in 2013 by the American Association of College of Nursing, nurses who pose a BSN lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors, and positive outcomes are all linked to nurses prepared at the Baccalaureate level. In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine released The Future of Nursing, which stated that in a couple of years there will be a increase of eighty percent of nurses who will possess a BSN. There is a demand for BSN nursing due to evolving health care system ad meet the changing needs of the patients and nurses must achieve a higher level of education. Patients deserve a well educated nurse.
Resuscitation rates are higher in these hospitals as well. Not only are mortality rates decreased but decubitus ulcers and post operative complications are reduced along with the amount of time spent in the hospital. “Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that surgical patients in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of inpatient death within 30 days and 12% lower odds of failure-to-rescue compared with patients cared for in non-Magnet hospitals.” (2008) Magnet hospitals are employing more BSN level nurses than ADN level nurses. They are making a push to have 80% of their nursing staff be educated at the BSN level and higher. The acuity level of patients is becoming more difficult and frail, requiring a higher level training on the nurse’s part to provide care along with patient
For the past six years the media have been reporting a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States This shortage is most severe for hospitals, in western and southwestern states, in New England, and for specialized advanced practice nurses. Estimates of average nurse vacancy rates at hospitals range from 10.2 percent to 13 percent, with one in seven hospitals reporting more than 20 percent. (Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of Registered Nurses, 2000-2020) At PFCH the Chief Nursing officer has approached the President requesting that some consideration be taken into hiring more nurses. It has been mentioned that the nurses are over worked and it has begun to take a negative effect on patient care and frustration among the
According to Nursing Today approximately 40,000 nurses report a back related injury yearly. Night shift seems to be at a higher demand for assistance with a lower staff patient ratio, therefore more injuries tend to occur then. Being a women and over-weight puts the RN at a higher risk for back injury as well. Lifting and other diseases can cause internal issues for RN'S. Internal risks are dangerous and some can be deadly for all in the medical field including Registered Nurses.