The nurse's role in healthcare delivery and patient care

¶ … Nursing is undergoing continuous and significant change. The changes are the result of economic, psychosocial, educational, and psychological factors that have forced these changes and applied pressure to the health profession. With all this change and the prospect of universal health care, the cornerstone of proper patient care will be the nurse. What role will the nurse play in the future and what will his or her job responsibilities be?

This study is needed to answer the problem of what that role of the nurse will be in this future "unknown" program of "healthcare for all" and what importance the nurse does and will play. Will the nurse be "lost" in the bureaucracy of a giant machine?

Purpose

This study will review the important role the nurse has played in our private healthcare system to this day, the job responsibilities and discuss why it is so important that this significant role continue in the future. It will also review the nursing process and discuss its impact on patient care and the crucial role it must continue to play.

Review of Literature

The areas of literature surveyed will be the importance of nursing and some of the past history of the profession, the key ingredient of why nurses are so important in any health system -- patient care and communication, the "nursing process," nursing theory and practice, current job responsibilities of the nurse, the specialization of nurses and the impact on healthcare, and, finally, the future of nursing.

Methodology

This study will be conducted using reference material in the form of books, periodicals, documents, websites, and academic peer-reviewed journals.

List of References

Lippincott, W. & . (2002). Illustrated manual of nursing practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (edited by Springhouse).

Maniago, B. (2007, October 26). Responsibilities of staff nurse jobs. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from ezinearticles.com: http://ezinearticles.com/?Responsibilities-of-Staff-Nurse-Jobs&id=801966

NIH. (2007, November 6). The importance of nurses. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from National Institute of Health (NIH): http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/nursing_CE.cfm

Nursing process. (2009). Retrieved July 22, 2009, from the freedictionary.com (from Mosby's medical dictionary, 2009): http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/nursing+process

Potter, P., & Perry, A. (1995). Potter and Perry's foundations in nursing theory and practice. Oxford, U.K.: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Instrument

A draft copy to simply determine if it will accomplish the objectives, is attached.

Job Performance

Draft Copy

The most important duty of a nurse is to care for the patient. There are many other responsibilities, but none should get in the way of ensuring the health, safety, and satisfaction of those he or she is charged with caring for.

The importance of this role in the healthcare triangle of doctor-patient-nurse is that it is the nurse who probably has the strongest relationship and most contact with the patient, and can usually offer the most comfort, connect with the doctor, and support the patient when necessary.

A second, crucial function of a nurse, and another reason the nurse is so important, is to ensure patient medications are given accurately and at the proper time and intervals. Of course, this is so crucial due to the thousands of meds that may be prescribed by a physician and the wrong one could