This is Part 2 of this assignment. In your same group review the work you did for Part 1 and pay attention to the feedback you received from your instructor. You continue to work with your "ideal" nur

Running head: IDEAL NURSING UNIT 0

Ideal Nursing Unit

Introduction

The first component of developing an ideal nursing unit was to determine the unit’s organizational structure. For a nursing unit to function effectively, the unit’s formation, methods of communication, channels of authority, and decision-making processes must be established before care is delivered to patients, families, and communities (Marquis & Huston, 2018). After identifying the nursing unit’s organizational structure, emphasis can be placed on the functions of the unit, which includes facilitating productivity and initiating plans to effectively and efficiently meet the organization’s goals. The nursing unit’s practice model and staff play a significant role in carrying out the functions of the organization and ensuring patients are provided with high quality and safe care (Marquis & Huston, 2018).

Professional Practice Model

For the researcher’s ideal nursing unit, functional nursing will be used to describe how care is delivered in the organization. The functional method model utilizes various healthcare workers of different educational backgrounds, skill levels, and experiences to deliver specific types of care based on their qualifications (Marquis & Huston, 2018). An advantage of functional nursing is that each employee in the unit has designated responsibilities, which eliminates confusion when completing tasks and efficiency when providing care. For example, low-skilled tasks, such as taking vitals and changing linens, may be assigned to assistive nursing personnel, which provide professional nurses the opportunity to perform more highly skilled duties resulting in reduced healthcare cost and improve efficiency (Marquis & Huston, 2018). The functional method of delivering care also enhances that staff member’s identity in the unit and promotes interpersonal collaboration between employees, which is a core component in a shared governance model (Alarcón et al., 2014).

One study showed that the implementation of a functional model of care for hospitalized older adult patients positively impacted their length of stay and recovery period. Patients who are bedbound as a result of acute or chronic medical conditions are at risk for functional decline, which may result in loss of independence, diminished quality of life, falls, and an increase in long-term care placement (Lyons, 2014). Through functional nursing, the hospital was able to prevent and minimize health decline for these patients by assigning responsibilities to different personnel based on their scope of practice. With established roles, the unit was able to implement various interventions to prevent functional decline, which included early mobilization, fall prevention, continence management, and assisting with activities of daily living (Lyons, 2014). For this study, functional nursing was able to reduce a patient’s length of stay by half a day, reduce 30-day readmission rates by 35%, and decrease the rate of falls by 60%, resulting in $200,000 saving in healthcare cost (Lyons, 2014).

Nursing Unit Composition

Following the planning and organizing of the ideal nursing unit, acquiring staff is the next phase of the management process, which entails recruiting personnel to accomplish the goals of the organization. The researcher’s nursing unit will be equipped with a balance of exceptionally skilled, component, and supportive healthcare personnel that delivers the highest quality of care to their patients (Marquis & Huston, 2018). The unit’s workforce will also reflect the diversity of their community through the employment of personnel of different races, ethnicities, identities, beliefs, and religions (Marquis & Huston, 2018).

The initial composition of the nursing unit will be comprised of a single charge nurse, four register nurses, four licensed practical nurses, and four certified nursing assistants. The charge nurse for the nursing unit is responsible for organizing care, making assignments, talking with physicians, and acting as the unit’s supervisor and problem solver (Marquis & Huston, 2018). The RNs are accountable for their assigned patient’s care, which includes assessments, administering all treatments and medications, delegating tasks, and patient discharge. The unit’s licensed practical nurses will be assigned to administering medications, except IV medications, monitoring findings after assessments, and enforcing patient teachings (Marquis & Huston, 2018). Total patient care will be assigned to the CNAs, which includes assisting with activities of daily living, taking vitals of stable patients, and recording intake and outputs. In the future, the researchers may invest in recruiting a nurse case manager that assist patients in identifying the most cost-effective providers, treatments, and community resources that meets the patient’s individual health needs (Marquis & Huston, 2018).

Recruiting and retaining employees that reflect the values, qualities, and goals of the unit can be a challenging process (Holle & Smith, 2018). The researcher’s ideal nursing unit will secure their staff through marketing at job fairs, offering hiring incentives, and through the implementation of residency nursing and loan forgiveness programs. Obtaining healthcare personnel can place a significant financial and nonfinancial burden on the organization and should be accounted for when recruiting and training workers (Holle & Smith, 2018).

References

Alarcón, Á. M., Barrera-Ortiz, L., Carreño, S. P., Carrillo, G. M., Farías, R. E., González, G., … Santamaría, N. (2014). Development of a functional model of nursing care in cancer. Investigacion & Educacion En Enfermeria, 32(2), 206–2

Holle, M. R. B. O., & Smith, N. R. M. C. (2018). Recruitment and retention of healthcare personnel: Nursing staff development and employee orientation. CINAHL Nursing Guide.

Lyons, D. L. (2014). Implementing a comprehensive functional model of care in hospitalized older adults. MEDSURG Nursing, 23(6), 379–38

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (9th edition) [VitalSource edition]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com