Synergy Model For Patient Care - Term Paper Example

Synergy Model For Patient Care Patients suffering under more or less similar situations encounter identical and sometimes different experiences under the care of nurses. When the patients are compromised, their needs become more severe and complex. Thus the dimensions of nursing practice are entirely controlled by the needs of the patients and their families. Optimal results when the nurses’ competencies arise are applied in a manner that meets patients’ needs, treatments are done in respect of patients’ characteristics, and nurse synergy is applied according to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) (nd). The Problem In order to achieve better patient outcome in a hospital or in a health care setting, the attitude of the nurse towards the dying patient needs to be changed. This is determined by the attitude of the nurse towards life and the nurse’s code of conduct and belief (Eichelberger and Sitzman, 2010). Analysis of the Problem Using the Synergy Model Vulnerability can be described in form of socioeconomic status, diagnosis of a disease such as HIV/AIDS, corresponding loss of physical functioning, ethnicity and gender. A patient in such a situation is categorized among the vulnerable population. The AACN Synergy Model describes vulnerability as the susceptibility to potential or actual stressors that may greatly affect the outcome of the patient. A patient in level 1 is highly unprotected, susceptible, fragile and vulnerable. A patient in level 3 is somewhat protected, somewhat susceptible and moderately vulnerable. On the other hand, level 5 patients are safe, not fragile, out of the woods and minimally vulnerable according to Hardin (2005). Vulnerability can be created in the process of care giving. According to research findings, vulnerability is made up of factors such as inferiority, lack of intimacy, anxiety, insecurity and disconfirmation. When a situation possesses a threat and uncertainty, the individual is made vulnerable. A vulnerable patient is unable to control and/or protect his or her life against threats that go against their emotional, wholeness and physical intactness (Hardin 2005). Environment in which the Problem can exist An example of a situation where vulnerability can exist due to the attitude of the nurse is when a person is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient’s level of vulnerability is related to a number of factors such as their relationship with the primary health care practitioners, health variability, and transition in health care delivery that is normally goes together with shorter hospital stays. In a health care setting, the patients have different levels of vulnerability and every effort put by the nurse should aim at promoting the optimal patient outcome (Hardin 2005). In most cases, admission to the ICU is voluntary. If the nurse’s attitude towards the patient is negative, vulnerability of the patient is likely to increase. Failure to identify the patients who are vulnerable can lead to negative outcomes and the nurse’s intervention at this time can be futile. Effect of the Nursing Educational Factors on the Problem Both the nurses and nursing students have anxieties about caring for dying patients, the process of dying and death itself. Research indicates that education can have a positive impact on the nursing students’ attitude towards the care of the dying patient (Mallory, 2003). Nurse educators have determined that nurses have not been well educated and prepared to take care of dying patients. The factors that affect the nursing students’ and nurse’s attitude towards the dying patients include previous and current education on the circumstances that surround death. Education and experiences are vital in taking care of dying patients. Education on death involves the use of an education package called the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). End of life experiences encompass working in the hospice, funeral home, and the anatomy laboratory. Mismatch in the Synergy Model in Relation to the Problem When the patient is under threat and uncertainty, vulnerability arises. In this case the patient is to be admitted to the ICU. If the nurse is not sensitive enough in identifying the patient’s risks toward negative outcome, their competency in the matter is compromised. The nurse’s competence is based on the beliefs and code of conduct. The nurse’s competences are essential for the nursing practice and they entirely depend on the patient’s characteristics. Failure to merge the patient’s characteristics and the nurse’s competence may lead to lack of synergy according to AACN (nd). Review of the Factors and Proposal for Change The factors mentioned are all amenable to change but at different levels. The factors include provision of end of life education. End of life education can be given a different approach to put across its meaning and purpose. Experiences should be included and must be adequate in order to have a positive effect on the nurse’s attitude towards the dying patient. The approach used in teaching the topic should be made more appealing rather than scary. During the first sessions of the topic, the nursing students or the nurses should be made aware of the real situation so as to discard negative notions held about the dying patients. A wide range of experience on end of life care should be offered to nursing students if any positive change is aspired. Impact of the Projected Change on the Organization The change will include more involvement with the patient and giving the necessary support and information required by patients who are terminally ill, their families and friends. The nurse has to work on his or her attitude towards the dying patient and it will be vital not to expose the patient to vulnerability. Also, the patient if capable may be able to protect his or her integrity against misuse or exploitation by the healthcare provider. Processes before Implementing Change The first process before implementation of the aforementioned measures is the identification of the problem that requires to be solved. Identification will involve tracing the cause of the problem, its history, limitations, improvements required and effects on the concerned parties. It will also involve the stakeholders in the problem and the solution. The second process will involve seeking alternatives to the problem and from these alternatives appropriate decisions and solutions will be selected. The third process will involve selection of the appropriate alternatives. The fourth step will involve implementing the selected decision within a time frame that will be selected. The step will also involve assigning tasks to the concerned parties (Beck and Jones, 1996). Change Theory to be used in the Implementation of the Decision Change theory to be adopted will be the Kurt Lewin change theories. The change theories are based on three phases that include unfreezing, movement and refreezing. The change agents must proceed before any planned change becomes an element of the system. Outcome of the Change Regarding anticipated change, nurses’ attitudes toward dying patients will change to from negative to positive. Change may not happen easily and much time will be required before any meaningful change is achieved. One challenge to be faced in the process is the long time to be taken before the change is fully incorporated into the system. Effectiveness of the proposed changed will be determined by how effective the Lewin model is applied. The success or failure of the model will determine if the proposed change was effective or not. References American Association of Critical-Care Nurses [AACN] (nd). The AACN synergy model for patient care. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/synmodel.pcms?pid=1&&menu= Beck, S. E. & Jones, R. A. P. (1996). Decision making in nursing. Albany, NY: Cengage Learning. Eichelberger, L. W. & Sitzman, K. (2010). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning. Ontario, Canada: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Hardin, S. R. (2005). Synergy for clinical excellence: The AACN synergy model for patient care. Ontario, Canada: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Huston, C. & Marquis, B. (2008) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Mallory, J. L. (2003). “The impact of a palliative care educational component on attitudes toward care of the dying in undergraduate nursing students”. Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 19(5), 305-12. Read More