Structural Framework Analysis Paper

Patient outcome is a critical consideration in modern-day nursing practice. Nursing care has a direct and indirect impact on patient outcomes. One of the factors vital in creating positive patient outcomes is the work environment of nurses. To this end, healthcare facilities must create fully developed conceptual frameworks that enhance and improve clinical outcomes.

There are many care delivery models that can be used in nursing practice to enhance patient and clinical outcomes. Using nursing models help nurses to provide quality healthcare to patients while improving the reputation of nurses. This paper discusses my organization’s nursing philosophy and theoretical foundation using primary nursing model. The organization chosen is Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Primary Nursing Model

Primary model of nursing was developed in 1969 by staff nurses working at the University of Minnesota. The emphasis of primary nursing model is comprehensive patient care by an individual nurse for the period of care. This model of nursing focuses on consistency and continuity for patients and is premised on the idea that one nurse provides complete and comprehensive care for a small number of patients in a hospital (Dal Molin et al., 2018).

The structure of the model is that it has a lead nurse who supervises and leads other nurses in offering services to patients. The lead nurse ensures that each nurse provides individualized care to patients placed under him/her. The biggest advantage of this model is the trust and strong bond between caregivers and patients. Research shows that patients respond well to treatment when attended to by a single nurse over the period of their care (Lukewich et al., 2019 Structural Framework Analysis Paper). Conversely, this model empowers nurses to use the best bedside care and managerial abilities to attend to their patients.

The primary nursing model enhances Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s mission of advancing the health of their patients. Being an individualized care model, the model uses critical elements in nursing practice, among them compassion, accountability, welcoming, and comprehensive care. One of the goals of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is to optimize clinical quality while enhancing the patient experience. Primary nursing enhances patient outcomes because as the bond between the patient and a nurse grows, so does the patient become confident in their ability to recover (Pratt, Moroney, & Middleton, 2020).

The patient trusts that the nurse works to his/her benefit hence improved outcomes. Through the primary nursing model, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center has created a positive relationship between their nursing staff and patients leading to increased patient outcomes. A strong patient-nurse relationship at the center also leads to short recovery time and a short length of stay. These are factors that are critical to patients since they all wish for a speedy recovery.

Conceptual Framework of the Model

It is not adequate for Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to operate the primary nursing model. The model works best when supported by an effective nursing theory. The nursing theory that best supports the primary nursing model adopted by the facility is the Human Caring Theory-HCT. HCT was developed by Dr. Jean Watson in 1979 and emphasizes the relationship between nursing care and patient outcomes.

Some of the critical features of the human caring theory include customized/individualized care, care that reflects the needs of patients, continuous healing relationship, and care provided in an environment of support (Watson & Woodward, 2020). The combination of these parameters works best for Harbor-UCLA Medical Center as a facility that intends to offer extraordinary health service to patients. Using Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s vision of ‘advancing the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care’, it is easy to see why HCT is the best conceptual framework or nursing theory for the hospital.

HCT’s feature of customized/individualized care supports Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s mission statement. The center’s mission is to provide extraordinary care to patients. The provision of extraordinary care depends on how well the facility provides continuous healing relationships and individualized care. Consistent, continuous, and individualized patient care impacts on patient-nurse relationship, a critical factor in the provision of quality healthcare (Ghahramanian et al., 2017).

A strong and positive relationship between a nurse and a patient is therapeutic to patients. The trust, empathy, and positive communication developed between patients and nurses results in positive patient outcomes. Using its values of compassion, excellence, accountability, and inclusiveness, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center has the opportunity to attract more customers through its continuous healing relationship. The impact of this approach is two-fold. The first is that increasingly more patients are likely to select the facility as their choice hospital-this leads to profitability. The second is that patients will benefit from improved personal care through the hospital’s approach to the primary nursing model of care.

The primary nursing model in tandem with Human Caring Theory encompasses critical elements of the nursing metaparadigm. These factors include person, health, environment, and nursing. For Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, using these nursing metaparadigms creates a good public reputation for the nursing staff. For patients, these parameters result in positive health outcomes and patient satisfaction (Martinez et al., 2018).

As a provider that wants to provide extraordinary healthcare for patients, the medical center must create a good environment both for patients and nurses. A strong nurse-patient relationship is integral to helping the facility realize its mission of providing extraordinary healthcare. Secondly, the inclusion of these nursing metaparadigms helps to create a good reputation for the facility, a factor translates into profits for the facility. A good image is a critical factor for hospitals to consider if they want to be profitable because a good reputation helps to sell a hospital as a trusted health provider.

Compassionate nursing enhances clinical outcomes. Research by Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (2017) revealed that healthcare workers that use compassion helped patients to reduce anxiety and stress. A study by Steele (2017) revealed that stress and anxiety are among the top problems for patients that impede their quick recovery.

Further, Steele (2017) observed that many patients judge the conditions and health based on their experiences with their primary healthcare givers. By using the primary nursing model supported by the Human Caring theory, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center cannot only achieve its mission of providing extraordinary care but will also make profits owing to patient satisfaction.

Empirical Indicators

Some of the empirical indicators of the primary nursing model include effective communication between nurses and their patients, continuous healing relationship, and meeting patients’ needs. Concerning effective communication, close relationship between patients and nurses is a result of effective communication and bonding between nurses and patients. Thus, effective communication is an empirical indicator of a successful nurse-patient relationship.

Concerning continuous healing relationship, the idea of using a single nurse in caring for specific patients during the period of their care. Using single nurses for patients creates trust and a sense of relief for patients (Fawcett, & Desanto-Madeya, 2013). Reduced stress and anxiety and good rapport between patients and nurses is an empirical indicator of a successful continuous healing relationship. There are numerous ways through which Harbor-UCLA Medical Center can meet the needs of its clients.

Using compassion is one way of administering care to patients. Compassion is a holistic caregiving approach that takes into consideration different factors such as the values and needs of customers, and inclusivity. Patient satisfaction is the best way to measure compassion. Satisfied customers/patients will communicate their gratitude and appreciation to their individual nurses.

Conclusion

Evidently, Patient outcome is a critical consideration in modern-day nursing practice. Nursing care has a direct and indirect impact on patient outcomes. The best model for Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in achieving its mission and vision is primary nursing model. The primary nursing model approach uses a single nurse to care a few patients in a hospital setting rather than being attended to by any and every nurse.

This model of nursing focuses on consistency and continuity for patients where a single nurse provides complete and comprehensive care for a small number of patients in a hospital. Human Caring Theory is the best approach for UCLA Medical Center because it combines compassion and quality care. Using its values of compassion, excellence, accountability, and inclusiveness, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center can attract more customers through its continuous dedication to patient-centered care.