Nursing is one of the most respectable professions across the globe. And the ongoing pandemic is a testament to this fact. Despite limited resources, the potential health risks, and extreme working conditions, nurses have served bravely at the frontlines while dealing with this menace of a virus.
There’s no denying the fact that nursing is revolutionizing healthcare. With the help of the latest technology and improved medical knowledge, nurses can now provide patients with better care. No more are they merely assistants to doctors and surgeons. But some highly skilled ones can even provide diagnostic services independently. With that said, listed below are some ways nurses continuously improving healthcare.
1. Advanced medical practice
Nurses’ jobs are no longer restricted to routine medical practices and helping doctors. In fact, with higher education, they are now changing the scope of the role altogether. Many nurses are now venturing into entrepreneurial and leadership positions by pursuing higher education. The know-how and research skills they acquire by completing a terminal degree in nursing enable them to develop new and improved methods to enhance the patient care delivery processes. Additionally, specialized courses allow them to start their private practice and provide services in family care, rehab, mental health, and other areas of healthcare. As a result, advanced nursing practices have transformed the accessibility of healthcare services. Patients do not have to wait for a doctor to be treated. Licensed nurse practitioners are filling understaffing gaps within the system by functioning as primary care providers.
2. They provide first-rate patient care
The job of a nurse revolves around patient care. For this purpose, nurses train to provide first-rate patient care services more than any other healthcare service provider. A nurse’s job involves helping patients from the moment they walk inside the hospital till they walk out of it. They provide patients with whatever they need, may it be the treatment for their injuries or mental support.
Patient care also includes patient advocacy, and nurses play this role as well. Their job includes monitoring the patient’s condition continuously and noting down their progress. Then, they help the doctors and physicians in making decisions about the treatment for patients.
Nurses also have the responsibility to guide patients or the caretaker about various decisions about different treatment plans. If there is no caretaker available and the patient is unable to decide for themselves, nurses take up the role in this case. Apart from that, nurses also play a pivotal role in educating patients and caretakers about their health in detail.
3. They solve problems related to understaffing
The healthcare industry is in dire need of more nurses because of the rising demand for healthcare services. As a result, the nurses working in the healthcare settings work extra time to fill this demand-supply gap.
Most nurses work tiring shifts that last 12 hours or more. After their shifts, they often have little time left to themselves. Yet, even with such a strenuous routine, nurses do their best to help each patient overcome their medical problems.
Apart from the time and energy nurses spend, they also respond immediately in critical situations. They have to answer during emergency cases and maintain their calm while providing healthcare services to the patient. Thus, they have significantly revolutionized the emergent care industry.
4. They work as a team player
No longer are nurses merely an assistant to the doctors. In fact, they are now part of a team that provides healthcare to the patient. For example, a surgeon needs nurses and doctors while carrying out a surgery. Each member in the room plays a crucial role during this process that ranges from performing the surgery to monitoring the patient’s vitals. No role is lesser than any other role now, which makes teamwork critical in nursing.
5. They maintain a holistic attitude
The world is diversifying and becoming more inclusive of different genders, races, and ethnicities. As a result, we see people becoming more sensitive about their identity and their culture. As a healthcare professional, it is the nurse’s job to show support and empathy towards patients hailing from different traditions and cultures. It is also essential that nurses express their sensitivity towards patients’ identity and beliefs and treats them with the utmost respect no matter what. Hence, nurses act with a holistic attitude to provide the best healthcare to their patients.
6. They are well-organized
Working in a healthcare facility can be unexpected. Most times, hospitals have to deal with large swarms of sick and injured and tend to them simultaneously. Nurses need to remain organized in these cases and maintain their calm. It is their responsibility to provide primary care services.
Conclusion
There is no denying that nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry. They are the primary care service providers within the hospital. Hence, there is also no denying that nurses are revolutionizing the healthcare industry through their services.
