One of the goals of the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Future of Nursing report was to increase the leadership and organizational involvement of nurses at all levels. As a nurse, you can make a difference and increase your voice and leadership skills by being a valuable member of a hospital committee.
It is rewarding and fulfilling to contribute to successful outcomes with a group of people. Being part of a team helps us achieve greater goals than we can alone. This is especially true in healthcare when the stakes are usually high, and the goals are substantial. Being part of a positive team versus one that is negative can make a world of difference. Hopefully, you have participated in teams that have been so gratifying and productive that you want to work with those people again or replicate that success to other team environments in your life. Conversely, many of us may have participated in a group or committee where some of the members did not participate, say or did things to only “stir the pot” or sabotaged the work of others. These can be frustrating experiences and can decrease morale and productivity.
Firefighters, police officers, construction workers — most people aren’t shocked to learn these roles are among the most dangerous professions. But what about nursing?
While many health care professionals face severe and even life-threatening workplace hazards regularly — this is especially true for nurses. RNs have some of the highest illness and injury rates in the healthcare and social assistance sector, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Anyone who has worked in a professional setting can tell you how important organizational culture can be. According to Forbes, “organizational culture is the collective result of how people on the team think and behave, their shared values and how they react to internal and external stimuli”. A cultural shift may be necessary when leadership is trying to implement change, such as increasing productivity or cutting costs.
The demand for primary care is increasing, largely due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which granted healthcare access to many who were previously uninsured or underinsured.
A study conducted by Association of American Medical Colleges projected the demand for physicians to increase by 11 percent to 17 percent between 2013 and 2025. While demand for this type of care is increasing, the current trend shows a shortage of primary care physicians.
What can private practices do to ensure they can continue to meet the needs of their patients? One way is to tap into the skills of nurse practitioners to help fill in these gaps.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that there are more than 222,000 nurse practitioners (NP) licensed in the U.S. NPs are considered advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) which allows them to assess patients, make diagnoses and prescribe medication, with or without physician oversight dependent on location.
This article will explore the benefits these clinicians can bring to your practice and how they can help you meet the growing demand for care.
