The Role Nursing Will Play in Health Care in the Future
What do the changing trends tell us about the future of nursing careers? In the next decade or two, it might look very different from what we see today. With new technologies, advancements in drugs and treatments, changes in healthcare policy, insurance policies and coverage, it it likely that the healthcare profession including nursing would have to reinvent itself. As an example, as technology continues to advance many healthcare functions can become automated. These include patient records, medical documentation, and use of smart beds used to monitor patients' vital signs, more use of bar coding, and automated medicine carts which could be used to cut down time and reduce errors that result from dispensing medical drugs. In addition, voice-activated technology can be used to reduce the amount of written documentation. Tasks such as serving meals can also be taken over by trained medical aids in order to free up nurses to provide the human touch to their patients.
Given the state of nurse shortages, hospitals and other health care establishments will have to use their available nurses more discerningly. Nurses are likely to be tasked with spending more time at the bedside serving as healthcare educators care coordinators. This will enhance their roles with their patients. With hospital stays getting shorter as medical costs rise, nurses will be placed in the situation of making the most of the amount of time they spend with their patients. Nursing professionals will more likely also shift administrative and supervisory roles, taking on more responsibilities. With that, they would need to know how to quickly access and retrieve relevant information and knowledge with their patients and loved ones.
The diversity of the healthcare workforce is also likely to increase as technology also continues to advance. This means that more emphasis will also need to be placed on increasing the teaching nursing staff through recruitment and retention in order to relieve the strain and shortage of faculty members. Further, loans and financial scholarships at the graduate level, (both PhD and Masters) will also need to be made available so as to encouraged already qualified medical and healthcare professionals to consider the teaching profession. In addition, medical programs will also have to be willing to offer higher compensation to the staff in order to encourage them to stay.
If the nursing shortage continues, hospitals may have to be reserved only for the very sickest. That means that the number of outpatient care will increase, as will the need for home health care nurses. They will also serve more prominent roles in clinics, consulting firms, insurance companies, and software and technology companies. Nurses in the future would probably do much more population-based or community health care. They will identify risks and establish priorities for specific populations and groups. They will provide community education and work with employers and insurance payers to develop programs that save money as well as promote health.
Medical personnel who work in gerontology and geriatrics, for example nurse practitioners also face what would be considered a bright future in terms of their careers. With people in the baby boom generation reaching retirement medical professionals will be required to focus on patients in this generational group. Further, nurses who are also baby boomers might not be ready to retire and may find themselves in a role of consulting. They would serve as healthcare providers who they themselves understand the needs of their patients better.
As medical research and technology advances, nurses will focus considerably on prevention rather than treatment. Further, medical drugs that target diseases before they start, and identifying risks will also enhance preventative healthcare. This will require patient to take a more active role in learning about taking better care of themselves to prevent illness. This healthcare shortage and the cost of healthcare will also add pressure to the healthcare system to concentrate prevention and wellness models of care.
Regardless of what the future of healthcare holds, nurses and other medical professional will need to be prepared for the expanding and changing roles. They will need to remain lifelong learners in order to remain up-to-date with the medical field. As you can imagine, that comes easier when one is passionate about their profession. - 17273
Given the state of nurse shortages, hospitals and other health care establishments will have to use their available nurses more discerningly. Nurses are likely to be tasked with spending more time at the bedside serving as healthcare educators care coordinators. This will enhance their roles with their patients. With hospital stays getting shorter as medical costs rise, nurses will be placed in the situation of making the most of the amount of time they spend with their patients. Nursing professionals will more likely also shift administrative and supervisory roles, taking on more responsibilities. With that, they would need to know how to quickly access and retrieve relevant information and knowledge with their patients and loved ones.
The diversity of the healthcare workforce is also likely to increase as technology also continues to advance. This means that more emphasis will also need to be placed on increasing the teaching nursing staff through recruitment and retention in order to relieve the strain and shortage of faculty members. Further, loans and financial scholarships at the graduate level, (both PhD and Masters) will also need to be made available so as to encouraged already qualified medical and healthcare professionals to consider the teaching profession. In addition, medical programs will also have to be willing to offer higher compensation to the staff in order to encourage them to stay.
If the nursing shortage continues, hospitals may have to be reserved only for the very sickest. That means that the number of outpatient care will increase, as will the need for home health care nurses. They will also serve more prominent roles in clinics, consulting firms, insurance companies, and software and technology companies. Nurses in the future would probably do much more population-based or community health care. They will identify risks and establish priorities for specific populations and groups. They will provide community education and work with employers and insurance payers to develop programs that save money as well as promote health.
Medical personnel who work in gerontology and geriatrics, for example nurse practitioners also face what would be considered a bright future in terms of their careers. With people in the baby boom generation reaching retirement medical professionals will be required to focus on patients in this generational group. Further, nurses who are also baby boomers might not be ready to retire and may find themselves in a role of consulting. They would serve as healthcare providers who they themselves understand the needs of their patients better.
As medical research and technology advances, nurses will focus considerably on prevention rather than treatment. Further, medical drugs that target diseases before they start, and identifying risks will also enhance preventative healthcare. This will require patient to take a more active role in learning about taking better care of themselves to prevent illness. This healthcare shortage and the cost of healthcare will also add pressure to the healthcare system to concentrate prevention and wellness models of care.
Regardless of what the future of healthcare holds, nurses and other medical professional will need to be prepared for the expanding and changing roles. They will need to remain lifelong learners in order to remain up-to-date with the medical field. As you can imagine, that comes easier when one is passionate about their profession. - 17273
About the Author:
Sophia Peters is the editor of Nursing Careers. Also learn more about related healthcare professions which include Respiratory Therapy Schools.
posted by X - Men at
7:55 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home