<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1119689118113199&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

Ease the Way Blog

Improve patient comfort and satisfaction with weekly advice
delivered directly to your inbox.

Need Help Navigating Medical Device Approvals - Download Now

Important Risk and Safety Information for Gebauer’s Pain Ease® and Gebauer’s Ethyl Chloride®:

Do not spray in eyes. Over spraying may cause frostbite. Freezing may alter skin pigmentation. Use caution when using product on persons with poor circulation. The thawing process may be painful and freezing may lower resistance to infection and delay healing. If skin irritation develops, discontinue use. CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed healthcare practitioner.

Gebauer’s Pain Ease Only:

Apply only to intact oral mucous membranes. Do not use on genital mucous membranes. Consult your pediatrician when using on children 4 years old and younger.

Gebauer’s Ethyl Chloride Only:

Published clinical trial results support the use in children 3 years of age and older. Ethyl chloride is FLAMMABLE and should never be used in the presence of an open flame or electrical cautery equipment. Use in a well-ventilated area. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating or inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal. Do not spray in eyes. Over application of the product may lead to frostbite and/or altered skin pigmentation. Cutaneous sensitization may occur, but appears to be extremely rare. CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed healthcare practitioner.

Join our social networks

Connect Follow Connect

Managing Healthcare Reform: 4 Areas of Focus

By: Bethany Nock | On: January 3, 2017
SHARE

medical-staff-having-discussion.jpg
Nurses have always played an integral role in providing quality care. New legislation from the last five to six years has provided even more opportunities for nurses to have an important part of enacting change.

There’s never been a better time for nurses to take an active role in healthcare management and innovation because of the Affordable Care Act. As a nurse leader, you are uniquely positioned to shape healthcare reform efforts in your hospital.

Keep these four focus areas in mind as you manage healthcare reform at your organization.

1. Intrapreneurship

Unlike entrepreneurs who pursue innovative business ventures and start brand new enterprises, nursing intrapreneurs create new programs within existing hospitals. Since nurse leaders are intimately familiar with the needs of both their facility and patient populations, they’re ideally suited to establish new programs and policies that help hospitals improve patient satisfaction, increase access to care, comply with HIPAA mandates and ease the transition to the value-based payment system.

Whether you create mini walk-in clinics specifically for diabetes patients or develop new systems to decrease spending while improving quality of care, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to make an impact.

2. Research

Nurses are the perfect candidates to lead research efforts. They see firsthand the effects of new policies and treatments. Tracking data can give you the evidence you need to propose new care models or suggest changes to protocols.

Clinical research can also improve patient safety and outcomes, both of which affect reimbursement. Organizations that participate in medical research are more likely to follow clinical guidelines and apply new therapies quickly, resulting in better outcomes than those of patients treated in a non-research setting.

3. Diversity

Encouraging people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to consider a career in healthcare benefits patients and staff alike. Improving diversity makes it easier to communicate effectively with patient populations and ensures that services truly meet the needs of all patients.

Reaching out to high school students and offering shadowing opportunities are still important ways to encourage an interest in nursing. Plus, your nursing intrapreneurs are sure to come up with a few creative ways to increase diversity and reach the next generation of nurses.

4. Collaboration and Leadership

In years past, hospitals consisted of information silos that made providing excellent patient care more difficult. Although most healthcare facilities now realize the importance of improving communication and collaboration among departments, there is still much work to do.

As a nurse leader, you can provide the leadership skills needed to help your colleagues navigate the increasingly complex healthcare environment and make changes that will benefit your community, staff and patients alike.

The changing healthcare landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for nurses to make significant contributions that will influence healthcare reform. Your knowledge and expertise is invaluable as your hospital navigates these new challenges.

Patient-centered care is another great way to increase patient satisfaction and improve patient outcomes. Learn more with our SlideShare, Nurse Leaders: Empower Your Team to Provide Patient Centered Care.

New Call-to-action