Nurse Leader’s Responsibility In Ensuring Quality Care During Crisis

The nurse leaders are responsible for educating and training the staffs for ensuring a quality care for the patient during crisis. It can be stated that it is highly essential for the nurse leaders in order to ensure proper nurse-to-patient staffing ratio as inadequate staffing and delegation impacts the patient care (Asif et al., 2019). The nurse leader in this case must maintain a proper communication with the staff members which will help in improving the care process and prevent treatment error. In the provided case study, the ward was understaffed due to development of COVID-19 in one of the RN nurses which impacted the staffing system. The junior RN nurse was appointed with 8 patients along with a EN nurse (Perry et al., 2018). However, each of the patient needs proper care in accurate time for preventing the chance of complication. The following paper will discuss about the role of nurse leaders related to the scenario, role of nurse in prioritizing care, delegating care, planning shift and applying the NMBA standards for improving the patient safety.

Role of nurse leaders in the scenario

It is the role of the nursing leader to organize the staff and advocate on the behalf of the patient which helps in preventing the chance of developing complications (Kim et al., 2021). It is the responsibility of the nursing leader within the healthcare organization to improve the quality and standard of care by ensuring the staff nurses are following the protocols and the procedures which is essential for maintaining a high-quality care (Galuska, 2016). Mollahadi et al., (2021) stated that it is essential for the nurse leader to implement proper skills of management which helps in planning, organizing and improving the quality of care provided to the patient during the covid crisis within the healthcare organization. The result of the study highlighted that it is essential to be aware about the activities essential for managing the crisis period within a healthcare organization by maintaining proper nurse staffing and effective communication for preventing the chance of developing crises and challenges.

Hence in the provided case study it is the responsibility of the nurse leader to maintain a proper staffing within the shift which will help in preventing the chance of developing complications.  It is the responsibility of the nurse leader to monitor each patient’s condition during the crisis period and deliver staff training which will help in preventing the chance of developing treatment error during the crisis period. In the present scenario it has been found that one of the registered nurses was found to be affected with covid which impacted the staffing by increasing the chance of developing complications and impacting the work life balance of the nurses (Cooper et al., 2020). Role Of Nurse Leaders In Managing Patient Care During Crisis Period Essay Paper

The nurse leader in this case must view each of the patient handovers and suggest appropriate treatment by prioritizing the patient’s condition depending upon the severity of the issue. A proper delegation plan must be developed by the nurse leader in this case by involving the graduate nurse educator and consultant clinical nurse in order to manage the patient and deliver medication in appropriate time (Yoon et al., 2016). According to NMBA sub-standard 2.6, it is the responsibility of the nurses to delegate, supervise, consult and coordinate with various professionals for achieving optimal health outcomes in each of the 8 patients in the healthcare industry. Hence, the involvement of the nurse educator and cardiac consult will be appropriate for managing the situation (NMBA, 2022).

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Importance Of Proper Management Skills For Nurse Leaders During Crisis

The nurse leader is responsible for prioritizing the daily activity based upon the patient condition which helps in managing multiple patients and helps in reducing the chance of developing conflict in delivering proper care. Sjolie et al., (2020) performed the study for understanding the first-line nurse leaders experience in providing high quality care and managing proper collaborative practice within the healthcare organization. The result of the study highlighted that navigation of proper patient prioritization is found to be one of the effective approaches for improving the quality care which can be done by analyzing the patient history and reflecting upon the patient condition which will help in preventing the chance of developing complications by organizing the steps to implement collaborative practice. On the other hand, nursing delegation is a process of transferring nursing performance or activity to another staff member while retaining the accountability for the outcome.  Hence in this case, proper nursing management and delegation process must be maintained for managing each of the patients. The RN Kim in this case was found to have limited knowledge in reconstituting Flolan and stopping the infusion will cause fatal reaction to the patient in room 2 (Maxine Beach) suffering from pulmonary hypertension. A proper communication needs to be made with the nurse leader (Bronwyn) in this case by Kim related to lack of experience which will lower the chance of fatal consequences. Similarly, the patient in room 1 (Roy Ocean), requires refilling of medication till 5pm. The patient in room 3 (Rajiv Singh) requires continuous 15-minute monitoring of limb and groin and the patient in room 4 (Glenda Turkey) needs a second dose of medication by 3pm. However, a nursing delegation and effective supervision is required for each of the patients in the single room due to critical conditions.

In the 4 bedded room, the proper attention is required for two patients including- Athena Swan which requires proper observation by 4pm and Liam Duck for transferring the patient to medical imaging by 3pm.

The nurse leader in this case must involve the nurse educator in order to provide quality care to the patient in the single room along with the registered nurse and maintain a proper observation for each of the patients. The nurse leader in this case must appoint the enrolled nurse to the fore bed patient which will help in managing the situation due to previous experience and the registered nurse Alex must be provided proper assistance by the nurse educator and nursing consultant to provide proper care to the single room patient and manage each of the patients by proper time (Riisgaard et al., 2016).

The prioritization of patient care for each of the single rooms includes reinfusion of Flolan for Room 2 patients with the help of nurse educators. A proper observation of limb and groin for 1 hour by the nurses with the help of cardiac nurse consultant for room 3 patient. Providing the patient in room 4 with a second dose and refilling the frusemide of room 1 patient by the RN nurse by 5pm.

Role Of Nurse Leaders In Maintaining Proper Staffing And Nurse-To-Patient Ratios

The EN nurse in 4-bedded room also needs assistance such as the patient (Liam Duck) needs to be transferred for medical imaging by 3pm, patient 5.1 (Athena Swann) needs 15minutes observation of groin and limb, the nurse leader might ask assistance from the healthcare manager for searching Madison Goose and lastly, the nurse leader can provide assistance and support to Peter Finch in order to cope up with the situation.

It is the responsibility of the nurse leader to analyze the nursing knowledge among the two of the nurses which will help in allocating the patient.  Here in this case Kim had limited knowledge in reconstituting Flolan and stopping the infusion will cause fatal reaction for the patient admitted in room 2 and in this case the nurse leader must involve the nurse educator who will be guiding the registered nurse in administration of the drug and thereby prevent the chance of developing complication to the patient suffering from pulmonary hypertension (Jones et al., 2019).  The nurse leader must instruct the registered nurse to provide the second dose of medication to the patient admitted in room 4 and after that a continuous monitoring of the patient’s lymph and groin must be done for 15 minutes which will help in determining the consequences and the changes in the vital signs. The nurse leader must also involve the cardiac consultant nurse for monitoring the patient’s condition which can be done for the patient admitted in room 3 continuously for 1 hour. The registered nurse can provide medication to the patient admitted in room 1 by 5 p.m. The enrolled nurse who can be appointed for the four patients must deliver priority care to Liam Duck for transferring the patient to the medical imaging ward by 3:00 p.m.  The enrolled nurse must also observe the patient’s condition, especially the limp and the groin for 15minutes after the transfer of the first patient. Enrolled nurses including their clinical leader must appoint a healthcare manager for searching one of the patients named Madison Goose.  The nurse leader in this case must provide proper support to the patient named Peter Finch  which will help in managing the distress and coping up with the situation and a proper planning will help in managing the conflict which might develop in this scenario (Forbat & Barclay, 2019). On the other hand, each of the observation made for the patient must be noted in the handover process by the registered and the enrolled nurse which will help in maintaining an effective supervision by the clinical leader and preventing the treatment error such as dose gapping for the critical patient. The delegation action of involving the two-consultant nurse in this case is essential for managing the critical situation as according to NMBA, sub-standard 6.2, an appropriate delegation needs be maintained by the registered nurses including the enrolled nurses helps in lowering the chance of developing complication (NMBA, 2022). However, the medication administration must be done by the registered nurse in both the room as the enrolled nurses can only administered drug dose after completion of specific course (NMBA, 2022).

Conclusion

The above paper discussed about nursing leadership and delegation in managing critical situation. The nurse leader is responsible for prioritizing the daily activity based upon the patient condition which helps in managing multiple patients and helps in reducing the chance of developing conflict in delivering proper care. Lastly, the study discussed about planning of shift and patient management based upon the scenario.

References

Asif, Muhammad et al. “Linking Transformational Leadership with Nurse-Assessed Adverse Patient Outcomes and the Quality of Care: Assessing the Role of Job Satisfaction and Structural Empowerment.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 16,13 2381. 4 Jul. 2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16132381

Cooper, L., Brown, A., Rees, C.S., Leslie, G.D., (2020) Nurse resilience: A concept analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing,29(4),553-575. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12721

Forbat, L., & Barclay, S. (2019). Reducing healthcare conflict: outcomes from using the conflict management framework. Archives of Disease in Childhood,104,328-332. https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2018-315647

Mollahadi, M., Nouri, J. M., & Moradian, S. T. (2021). Role model nursing leaders in COVID-19 crisis. Bmj Leader, 5(4). https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/leader-2021-000473

NMBA, 2022. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia – Registered nurse standards for practice. [online] Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au. Available at: <https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-statements/professional-standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx> [Accessed 3 April 2022].  Role Of Nurse Leaders In Managing Patient Care During Crisis Period Essay Paper