Role and Setting of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care Gerontology
Uploaded by CaseyP on Mar 20, 2017
Role and Setting of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care Gerontology
Role and Setting of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care Gerontology
The number of old people in need of nursing care has grown exponentially. Aging comes with a myriad of health issues and requires care. There are several roles that advanced nursing plays in ensuring that the safety of the patient increases while, at the same time, reducing the time taken in a health facility or to recover. One of these mandates includes the diagnosis of the acutely ill person. There is also the management of an individual from the time of their admission to when they are discharged. Another role includes the follow-up on the patient even after they are cleared. The process ensures a smooth transitioning to another environment, thus, leading to quick recovery. Therefore, acute care gerontology involves extending care to this part of the population to ensure that they spend the minimum time in recovery.
Clinical Role
The role of the advanced practice is clinical in nature. By performing the assessment, which may include interviews, diagnosis, and taking the medical history of the patient, the practitioner assumes a clinical role. In addition to that, there is the clinical management of the patient during the time they are admitted to the hospital. Taking this role helps increase the safety of the patient during the treatment process and after discharge. Assessment and diagnosis assists in placing an individual on the right treatment process, thus, ensuring that there is no risk of administering wrong treatment (Goldberg et al., 2016). At the same time, the nurses play a vital role in guaranteeing that there are no chances of the patient getting an in-hospital infection.
Additionally, reducing the time spent in a hospital also brings down the chances of getting an infection there. The follow-up they make also helps increase the safety of the patient by ensuring that they are taking their prescriptions safely (Hirst & Cole, 2014). There is also an assessment of the patient with the aim of taking further action when it is necessary. In the case that the patient has to undergo surgery, the assisting role that they take assist in eliminating mistakes that can lead to complications.
“The Process of Gerontological Competence in Delivery of Acute Care Nursing” by Hirst and Cole (2014)
Hirst and Cole (2014) emphasize the need to increase the onsite gerontological competence for the nursing staff...