The Role of the Nurse in Interdisciplinary Rounds
Nursing, The Interdisciplinary Team and a Culture of Safety
Denise Doyle KOT 1 June 20, 2012
The Role of the Nurse Historically the role of the nurse has been as a patient advocate. Nurses’ have advanced from being seen as low cost labor to an autonomous practioner. Prior to Florence Nightingale the nurse was a member of a religious order or under the direction of the military. Florence Nightingale established the first nursing schools and was responsible for their own practice. In the early 1900’s nursing education was taken over by hospitals and the licensing of nurses began. In the 1990’s nurse practioners, (under the license of a physician), began prescribing medications, ordering lab and radiology test, and referring patients to other health care providers (Nursing: history of nursing, 2012). (Nursing: history of nursing, 2012) (Nurse at work photos, 2008) Today, nurses perform assessments of patients, develop an individualized plan of care for the patient, administer prescribed treatments, and evaluate effects of these treatments. In order for the nurse to develop a workable plan, the patient has to be the center of that plan. Historically, the patient ad a physician and a bedside nurse that performed physical therapy, wound care, social services, occupational therapy, psychological counseling, spiritual counseling, discharge planning and education. Today there are multiple physician specialties, physical therapists, occupational therapists, wound care nurses, psychiatric nurse specialists, spiritual counselors, discharge planners, and dieticians. Imagine how overwhelming, frustrating and exhausting this is for a patient. This is where the nurse must be the patient advocate and a liaison within the interdisciplinary team. The nurse is with the patient longer than any other specialty and she is the liaison between the patient and all other specialties. The
Denise Doyle KOT 1 June 20, 2012
The Role of the Nurse Historically the role of the nurse has been as a patient advocate. Nurses’ have advanced from being seen as low cost labor to an autonomous practioner. Prior to Florence Nightingale the nurse was a member of a religious order or under the direction of the military. Florence Nightingale established the first nursing schools and was responsible for their own practice. In the early 1900’s nursing education was taken over by hospitals and the licensing of nurses began. In the 1990’s nurse practioners, (under the license of a physician), began prescribing medications, ordering lab and radiology test, and referring patients to other health care providers (Nursing: history of nursing, 2012). (Nursing: history of nursing, 2012) (Nurse at work photos, 2008) Today, nurses perform assessments of patients, develop an individualized plan of care for the patient, administer prescribed treatments, and evaluate effects of these treatments. In order for the nurse to develop a workable plan, the patient has to be the center of that plan. Historically, the patient ad a physician and a bedside nurse that performed physical therapy, wound care, social services, occupational therapy, psychological counseling, spiritual counseling, discharge planning and education. Today there are multiple physician specialties, physical therapists, occupational therapists, wound care nurses, psychiatric nurse specialists, spiritual counselors, discharge planners, and dieticians. Imagine how overwhelming, frustrating and exhausting this is for a patient. This is where the nurse must be the patient advocate and a liaison within the interdisciplinary team. The nurse is with the patient longer than any other specialty and she is the liaison between the patient and all other specialties. The
References: A culture of safety. (n.d.). Retrieved from Institute for healthcare improvement: http://www.ihi.org An interdisciplinary team approach. (n.d.). Retrieved from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center: http://www.vicc.org/about/why/inter.php Lorday, K. (2011, November 02). Nurse leaders and effective communication. Retrieved from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/about_6677338_nurse-leaders-effective- communication.html#ixzz1yLw69512 Nurse at work photos. (2008, January 08). Retrieved from Photobucket: http://media.photobucket.com/image/nurse/lexiesmommy08 Nursing: history of nursing. (2012, June 18). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org