29/11/2023
Changing Role of Nursing in Modern Health Care
Dr.T.V.Rao MD Throughout the 21st century, the role of nurse has evolved significantly. With improved health literacy people are living longer than ever before. Currently, the average Indian life expectancy rate has increased; and with greater longevity comes more complex health concerns. This makes providing the best care more challenging and means it is even more important to be well educated. As the nation’s hospitals face increasing demands to participate in a wide range of quality improvement activities, the role and influence of nurses in these efforts is also increasing, Yet hospitals confront challenges with regard to nursing involvement, including: scarcity of nursing resources; and in view of social and economic demands they migrate frequently and become difficult engaging nurses at all levels—from bedside to management; growing demands to participate in more, often duplicative, quality improvement activities; the burdensome nature of data collection, medical documentation and reporting; In the Indian system of Medicine, nursing continues to be subordinate to doctors unlike US where they play a Major role in patient care, many times equals Doctor in responsibility and skills. And Indian Nurses are credited as best, never underestimate the power of Malayali Nurses changed the definition of nursing reaching to great heights and given great helping hand in all critical care of the patients both rich and poor alike. With the transformation of the healthcare system well underway, care coordination is now being highlighted by hospitals, health systems, and insurers as a key tool in improving patient health and satisfaction and controlling healthcare costs. “Today community nursing is gaining importance with increasing longevity and raise of economic costs many patients wish to be nursed with a trained nursing staff at their residences. The scarcity of nurses is a major challenge for hospitals and community because it impacts not only their ability to provide nursing coverage for patient care, but also to provide adequate nursing resources for other key activities, such as quality improvement.. We should remember we need to improve the quality of nursing education. As nursing students are the future members of the nursing profession, and for the profession to continue to advance, nursing research must be part of the foundation of comprehensive, evidence-based clinical practice. This may only occur with increased exposure to nursing research. Therefore, it is critical that the future members of the nursing profession be exposed to, develop an appreciation for, and become more involved in nursing research, and thus incorporate its outcomes into the delivery of optimal professional nursing practice. I wish India needs to work on many fronts for the growing demand for skilled nurses.. As todays employment need in Medical profession is of improvement of quality. We all should strive to be better skilled in discharging with effective skills, another key component of a hospital culture conducive to quality improvement is encouraging individual ownership and accountability for patient safety and quality, according to respondents. I am one of strong supporter for introducing the Nursing Informatics to all our Nursing students to make them the most competent and as par with many Nurses qualified in Developed countries or even better. All is possible with determination and dedication, sincerity. It is the real expectation of all our patients. In time of crisis just remember the Lady with a LAMP – Florence Nightingale.
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
