managing patient care notes

Authors
  • Patricia A. Potter, RN, MSN, PhD, FAAN

  • Anne Griffin Perry, RN, MSN, EdD, FAAN

  • Patricia A. Stockert, RN, BSN, MS, PhD

  • Amy Hall, RN, BSN, MS, PhD, CNE

Fundamentals of Nursing, 11th11^{th} Edition
Chapter Objectives
  1. Characteristics of a Transformational Leader

    • Define transformational leadership: A leadership style where leaders inspire and motivate employees to create positive change and help shape the future of the organization.

    • Identify traits: Vision, inspiration, empathy, and encouragement. Transformational leaders are known for their ability to empower staff and foster a sense of ownership in patient care.

  2. Nursing Care Delivery Models

    • Total Patient Care: One Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for all aspects of care for one or more patients during a shift. This model provides high continuity of care.

    • Team Nursing: A team leader (RN) coordinates a group of licensed practical nurses and assistive personnel to provide care to a group of patients. It requires high-level communication and coordination.

    • Primary Nursing: One primary RN is responsible for a caseload of patients from admission to discharge, facilitating consistent care plans.

  3. Patient- and Family-Centered Care

    • Core elements include:

      • Dignity and Respect: Listening to and honoring patient/family perspectives.

      • Information Sharing: Providing timely, accurate, and complete information.

      • Participation: Encouraging patients and families in decision-making.

      • Collaboration: Partnering in policy and program development.

  4. Support for Staff Involvement

    • Decentralized Decision-Making: Decision-making occurs at the staff level rather than being dictated solely by upper management.

    • Shared Governance: A nursing practice model that establishes a mechanism for nurses to have autonomy over their practice and influence the clinical environment.

  5. Elements of the Decision-Making Process

    • Responsibility: The duties and activities an individual is employed to perform.

    • Autonomy: Freedom of choice and responsibility for the choices made.

    • Authority: The formal power to give commands and make decisions.

    • Accountability: Being answerable for one's own actions.

  6. Leadership Skill Development

    • Focusing on clinical care coordination, delegation, and time management.

  7. Effective Coordination of Patient Care

    • Requires clinical decision-making, setting priorities, and organizational skills.

  8. Evidence-Based Communication in Team Building

    • Utilizing tools like SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) for structured hand-offs.

  9. Delegation Principles

    • Understanding what can and cannot be delegated based on the scope of practice and the stability of the patient.

  10. Continuing Professional Development

    • Lifelong learning through formal education, certifications, and clinical experience.

Building a Nursing Team
  • A strong nursing team is essential for achieving optimal patient outcomes. The development of an effective nursing team requires:

    • Team Building and Training: Investing time and resources into training team members fosters a collaborative environment.

    • Trust: Establishing trust within the team is crucial for unified efforts in patient care.

    • Communication: Ensuring clear and effective communication improves team function.

    • Collaboration-Facilitative Workplace: An environment that promotes teamwork and communication among team members.

Empowered Teams and Leadership Styles
  • Empowered teams begin with effective nurse executives who can implement:

    • Transformational Leadership: Focused on change and innovation through team development; it motivates and empowers staff.

    • Servant Leadership: Prioritizes the needs of the team and focuses on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong.

Magnet Hospitals
  • Magnet Hospitals are recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for excellence in nursing service. Statistics and benefits include:

    • Approximately 8.28%8.28\% of hospitals in the United States hold Magnet status.

    • Clinical Benefits:

    • Lower patient-to-nurse ratios.

    • Reduced rates of hospital-associated infections and patient falls (5%5\% lower incidence).

    • Lower mortality rates for surgical patients and post-operative complications (8.6%8.6\% lower).

    • 21%21\% decrease in odds of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.

    • The Five Components of Magnet Recognition:

    • 1.1. Transformational Leadership

    • 2.2. Structural Empowerment

    • 3.3. Exemplary Professional Practice

    • 4.4. New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements

    • 5.5. Empirical Quality Results

Nursing Care Delivery Models
  • Team Nursing: Efficient model when there are fewer RNs; requires strong leadership from the RN team leader.

  • Primary Nursing: High job satisfaction for nurses but can be expensive and difficult to implement with staff shortages.

  • Patient- and Family-Centered Care: Shifts the focus from tasks to the patient's experience.

Leadership Skills for Nursing Students
  • Clinical Care Coordination: Includes clinical decision-making, priority setting, and evaluation.

  • Priority Setting:

    • High Priority: Immediate threat to patient survival or safety (e.g., airway obstruction).

    • Intermediate Priority: Non-emergency, non-life-threatening actual or potential needs (e.g., preventing infection).

    • Low Priority: Actual or potential problems that are not directly related to the patient's illness (e.g., long-term health needs).

  • Organizational Skills: Effective use of resources and time management.

Five Rights of Delegation
  1. Right Task: One that can be delegated for a specific patient (e.g., tasks that are repetitive or require little supervision).

  2. Right Circumstance: Appropriate patient setting and available resources.

  3. Right Person: The right delegator delegating the right task to the right delegatee to be performed on the right patient.

  4. Right Directions and Communication: Clear, concise description of the task, including its objective, limits, and expectations.

  5. Right Supervision and Evaluation: Appropriate monitoring, evaluation, intervention, and feedback. Note: The RN is always accountable for the final outcome of the care.