The Role of the Nurse Within the Changing Environment
Assessment Description
Examine changes introduced to reform or restructure the U.S. health care delivery system. In a 1,000-1,250 word paper, discuss action taken for reform and restructuring and the role of the nurse within this changing environment.
Include the following:
(1) Outline a current or emerging health care law or federal regulation introduced to reform or restructure some aspect of the health care delivery system. Describe the effect of this on nursing practice and the nurse's role and responsibility.
(2) Discuss how quality measures and pay for performance affect patient outcomes. Explain how these affect nursing practice and describe the expectations and responsibilities of the nursing role in these situations.
(3) Discuss professional nursing leadership and management roles that have arisen and how they are important in responding to emerging trends and in the promotion of patient safety and quality care in diverse health care settings.
(4) Research emerging trends. Predict two ways in which the practice of nursing and nursing roles will grow or transform within the next five years to respond to upcoming trends or predicted issues in health care.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Current or Emerging Healthcare Law or Federal Regulation
In 2016, the then president of the United States, President Barack Obama, signed the Cures Act into law. The Cures Act was signed into law to bring changes and new provisions to the healthcare delivery system. First, it was signed so it could help enhance research into chronic illnesses like cancer and brain research (Gabay, 2017). These were to be actualized through the funding that was made available with the law. Secondly, the Cures Act was signed to streamline the approval process for drugs and medical devices (Gabay, 2017). Lastly, the Cures Act was brought about to help the U.S. healthcare system transition seamlessly to a technology-dependent system. Therefore, it sought to ease the regulatory burden and red tape that had slowed down the adoption and use of electronic health record systems. The idea behind this last provision was the enhancement of interoperability through the adoption of unifying measures. Further, the act was meant to help prevent information blocking, which had become a major impediment to patient information access. In doing so, the government hoped to encourage the exchange and use of electronic health information.
Regarding the nursing practice, the Cures Act is bound to have a major impact or effect on the profession. First, the profession will likely be rocked with the challenge of balancing access to patient information and privacy protection. With this law in place, nurses will have to strike a balance between these two. Another issue that might impact the profession entails the aspect of patients’ failure to understand their health information and thus take it with the seriousness it deserves. The chances are high that the nursing profession is likely to be rocked with more lawsuits because of the misunderstanding that is likely to exist. However, nurses also have roles and responsibilities in line with the Cures Act. First, nurses are responsible for providing patients with their electronic health information upon request. Secondly, the nurses are also responsible for breaking down the information for their patients. In as much as electronic health information makes it easier for all stakeholders to access information, for the patients, nurses will have the extra task of making sure that the information received is also understood (Robin, 2017). So, the nurses’ roles and responsibilities happen to expand.
Effect of Quality Measures and Pay for Performance on Patient Outcomes
Quality measures are critical in helping to enhance patient outcomes. These measures help to assess healthcare systems, patient satisfaction rates, and organizational structure as attributes or features of quality care. On the other hand, pay for performance mainly entails the financial incentives that healthcare professionals receive to motivate their adherence to medical practices deemed crucial in helping enhance the quality of care (Kyeremanteng et al., 2019). With this particular model, the performance of healthcare providers is tied to the financial incentives received. These two help enhance patient outcomes by encouraging alignment to particular metrics considered necessary for healthcare quality improvement. Though these methods have their own challenges, the expectation is that healthcare providers will adjust in recognition and adjustment to certain best practices.
The impact of quality measures and pay for performance on the nursing practice is quite obvious. First, there is the expectation of conducting nursing duties in a manner that aligns with clinical guidelines and set quality measures. As Johnson, Adk...