Each state has its own set of nursing standards that resident nurses must follow. The standards frequently dictate independent practice and prescriptive authority. In Alabama, for example, a certified registered nurse (RN) is responsible for providing continuous and comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions for which the certified RN is educationally prepared, taking patients’ health histories and performing physical examinations, formulating working diagnoses, prescribing (albeit with limited prescriptive authority), administering and providing therapeutic measures, tests, and drugs, counseling patients, consulting and referring to other professionals (Alabama Board of Nursing, 2022).
The scope of practice established by the State Board of Nursing allows nurses to be fully responsible for the patients they care for, in this case, adult hypertensive patients. Specific organizational rules also govern how nurses care for patients. For example, certain organizations, such as the one with which I work, limit nurses’ prescriptive authority and only allow them to do so under the supervision of a physician. This can have negative consequences because one must wait for a physician to prescribe medications, which can cause the patient’s treatment to be delayed.
Leadership Strategies to Improve Outcomes, Patient-Centered Care, and Patient Experience related to the Population Problem Identified
Leadership is a critical tool in healthcare. It serves as the organization’s engine, providing fuel and direction as it journeys toward its objectives. Leaders are thus essential to the operation of an organization, and the strategies employed to determine whether or not the organization’s objectives are met.
Transformational leadership would be used in the care of adult hypertensive patients. Collins et al. (2020) define transformational leadership as an approach that causes a change in individuals and social systems. The practicum’s goal is to develop interventions or change strategies to improve the management of the defined population health problem, so transformational leadership is the best strategy.
In terms of collaboration, strategies that would ensure the team works effectively include (1) being aware of and respecting each other’s duties, (2) effective communication, (3) viewing patients as partners, and (4) recognizing the efforts of others. Preparing the organization for change, crafting a vision and plan for change, implementing the changes, embedding the changes within the organizational culture and practices, and finally, reviewing progress and analyzing the results (Barrow et al., 2021) are the change management strategies that I anticipate will be required.
The first step, which involves preparing people and organizations for change, is critical because it determines whether the subsequent phases are smooth or bumpy. With this in mind, pre-change management preparations in terms of finances, human personnel, skills, and organizational attitude are critical.
Change is a constant in healthcare, and it has greatly aided in the improvement of healthcare services. Before change can occur, an initial phase of identifying the problem and establishing the resources required for the change is pertinent. In the case of adult hypertensive patients, baccalaureate-prepared nurses play a significant role in identifying patient care needs and implementing evidence-based interventions and strategies to meet those needs.
However, using evidence-based strategies in the care of hypertensive patients can be hampered by various factors, including a lack of appropriate evidence-based treatment protocols and clinical inertia. These challenges can be forestalled with the right leadership and collaborative strategies, enabling patients to receive high-quality, safe, and cost-effective care.
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