Nursing Discussion.
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Home healthcare nursing involves a nurse to step out of the acute care comfort zone and step into the world of community nursing. It offers a range of benefits to both the nurse and the patients. Community nursing is based on the coordination of duties and autonomy. It requires patients to be kept safe within the confines of their home, where they can avoid hospitalizations and be nursed back to optimal levels of functioning ( American Nursing Association, 2007).
Most home healthcare agencies require interested nurses to have registered nursing education, be licensed by the National Council Licensure Examination Board. They have at least two years of experience as a registered nurse in the surgical field. Nurses with expertise in critical care or surgical areas enjoy a wealth of skills that ensure success in the community or home healthcare setting. Community nurses would be highly equipped for the role if they obtain an additional master’s degree in community health (Hohl D, 2017).
Since home care nursing patients are above the age of 65 and may have multiple diagnoses with critical health issues, it is essential to possess some useful skills. A nurse should be ready to cover night, evening, weekend, and holiday shifts. Moreover, organizational and excellent time management skills are a basis for success in the home care health setting. The nurse should be able to work with patients from diverse economic and social conditions as they may find on the field. Critical thinking, which is an important skill, is needed for nurses to be able to make crucial decisions on the spot. Excellent listening and communication skills are essential for teaching and providing needed care (Hartung SQ, 2014).
Independence is a skill that will be helpful as the nurses will be required to work without the backing of a hospital. Excellent necessary coordination of care from physiotherapy to home health allows for nurses to adapt to provide needed care. An impeccable work ethic is a critical skill that would be required for the nurses to give effort beyond what is necessary to support public health (Ellis I, Chater K, 2016). Furthermore, other than the skills mentioned above, a nurse should possess knowledge areas for success in the field. They include early detection of signs and symptoms to provide a quick response for stable health. Depending on the information found during the investigation of symptoms, a nurse can advocate for a change in medication. Based on hospitalization not being a priority, nurses should be keen and detailed in research, discovery, and decision- making skills (Caffrey C, Sengupta M, Moss A, Harris-Kojetin L, Valverde R, 2016).
The nursing experience has enabled me to build communication skills that allow me to communicate and connect with both patients and colleagues. It has also allowed me to cultivate skills that are imperative in the community or home health nursing profession. They include; time management, communication, critical thinking, etc. It has provided me with an opportunity to sharpen my delivery and have practical nursing experience.
References:
- American Nurses Association (2015). Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. http://www.nahc.org/assets/1/7/am13-501.pdf.
- Caffrey C, Sengupta M, Moss A, Harris-Kojetin L, Valverde R (2016). Home health care and discharged hospice care patients. National Health Statistics Reports; no. 38. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr038.pdf.
- Ellis I, Chater K (2016). Practice protocol: transition to community nursing practice revisited. Pp 2012;42(1):90-96.
- Hartung SQ (2014). Choosing home health as a specialty and successfully transitioning into home health nursing practice. Home Health Care Management Practices.pp;17(5):370-387.
- Hohl D (2017). Transitions in-home care. Pp 2009;27(8):499-502.