ICARE

Getting Started: Interprofessional teams are part of practice trends we see developing in all aspects of care delivery. Consider you own work environment (INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL).
For this assignment, consider the concept of interprofessional teamwork and patient outcomes.
Look to your current workplace as an example. (If you are not currently employed, look to a past workplace or clinical practice area.)
Apply the components of the iCARE concept to interprofessional teams in a short paper. (Body of the paper to be 3 pages, excluding the title page and references page)
iCARE components are:
C ompassion
A dvocacy
R esilience
E vidence-Based Practice (EBP)
How could you contribute to an interprofessional team and patient outcomes through nursing actions of: compassion, advocacy, resilience, and evidence-based practice?
Select one scholarly nursing article from CINAHL as a resource for your paper.
Additional scholarly sources can be used but are optional.
When searching in the CINAHL database, please limit your search word to one component of the paper you wish to emphasize, such as ‘Resilience’. Searching for the term iCARE will not produce the results you need.
Elements of iCARE paper
Title page
Below are the headings to be used for this assignment.
Introduction: (No heading needed here in APA) Explain the type of work setting you are discussing and whether interprofessional teams are currently present. If interprofessional teams are present, indicate a team function that could be improved. If interprofessional teams are NOT present, indicate what type of team you think might be possible in the setting.
Describe a nursing action item for each component below that could contribute to: interprofessional team support; how this might impact the culture of your unit or organization; and possible impact on patient outcomes.
Compassion
Advocacy
Resilience
Evidence-Based Practice
Summary: Include a summary statement of how iCARE components can support interprofessional teams and patient outcomes. Address how you may be able to influence this process of support for interprofessional teams overall in your unit or organization.
References: List any references used in APA format

ANSWER

iCARE

iCARE

Interprofessional teams play an important role in healthcare. They ensure outcome improvement for patients in the healthcare environment. In the acute rehabilitation unit, such teams contribute to the provision of care for assigned patients. Through a combined effort of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, speech therapists, and occupational therapists, patients are provided with the care that they need. A function that has the potential to be improved in the acute rehabilitation unit is communication between team members. Nurses and doctors, for instance, work on the medical aspects of patient care. Ensuring effective communication between doctors and nurses would improve patient outcomes. Research indicates that a strong relationship exists between a patient’s capacity to follow through with all medical recommendations and the communication skills of healthcare providers (IHC, 2011).

Compassion

Patients admitted to hospitals for extended periods become vulnerable since they are no longer in the comfort of their homes. Healthcare personnel providing care to them see them in their state of weakness and vulnerability. For this reason, having compassion is a key element in nursing and patient care. Nurses can show compassion by listening to patients, checking in on them throughout the day, and treating them with genuine concern. They need to be “present and connected with the patient” to show the patient that they care (Brandt, 2016). Providing a caring and compassionate environment for patients can help them recover faster physically and emotionally. It also ensures that the patients remain in good spirits, increasing the chances of better patient outcomes. This also means that patients are more likely to give a good rating of a facility, building a good public image, and increasing facility incomes.

Advocacy

Patient advocacy shows that a patient is at the center of care provision. It means that the expectations and needs of patients are placed ahead of everything else and met with high regard. Nurses and doctors work closely with patients who are admitted and the family of the patients, engaging them, and listening to how they want care to be provided to them or their family members. They act as the link between patients and the healthcare system and contribute to the family and patient decision-making process. They address any problems that may have gone unnoticed and inform the family of the appropriate care for the patient. Nurses and doctors have to play the role of the link between patients and the healthcare system. They have to pay attention to patient and family preferences, including meal preferences and religious practices. Patients who are in the rehabilitation unit are oriented and alert. They can communicate their needs and preferences. Nurses and doctors need to be advocates to ensure that patients are included in the course of their care.

Resilience

In the nursing practice, resilience helps one to cope with the highly stressful healthcare environment. It minimizes emotional exhaustion and burnout. One who is resilient remains calms and effective while providing care to patients (AMSN, 2014). When nurses and doctors are suffering from distress and burnout, patients are negatively affected since they are not provided with the best quality patient-centered care that they need. Morale can also reduce as a result of stress and burn out. It is important to have a good team that one can lean on when stressed during work. It is also important to know when to step away from a stressful situation and have another member take overwork. This can improve patient care outcomes. Nurses should take turns at providing care to ensure that every member of the team attends to patients with a fresh mind.

Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-based practice is a continuously evolving subject and is widely accepted as the way to improving the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes. Healthcare specialists are always conducting more research to improve on current practices and assist patients better. With improved patient care methods through research, patient outcomes are improved. A simple act such as answering call bells promptly has been shown by research to improve patient outcomes (Brandt, 2016). Patients feel well cared for and valued when prompt response to call bells is ensured. Patient satisfaction results in better patient outcomes. Evidence-based practice demand change within the interprofessional team, which is often met with resistance. Therefore, members should be provided with training to ensure that they understand the need for change and its benefits.

Summary

iCARE affects overall patient care quality and outcomes. Being compassionate, advocating for one’s patient, resilience, and using evidence-based practices improve patient outcomes. When iCARE is ensured by the interprofessional team, patient care quality is improved, resulting in better patient outcomes. Every member should lead by example and understand the importance of every component of iCARE. Through the implementation of iCARE components, patients will feel more comfortable and satisfied, improving their response to care and end outcomes. Interprofessional team cohesiveness and efficiency are improved, and work will be more enjoyable and less stressful. The provision of iCARE training is important to ensure minimal resistance to change in the healthcare setting.

References

AMSN (2014). Nurse Resiliency. https://www.amsn.org/practice-resources/healthy-practice-environment/nurse-resiliency

Brandt, H. (2016). How Nurse’s Outcomes Can Affect Patient Outcomes. https://www.bozemanhealth.org/For-Community/Simply-Health-Blog/2016/December/How-Nurses-Compassion-can-Affect-Patient-Outcome.aspx

IHC (2011). Impact of Communication in Healthcare. https://healthcarecomm.org/about-us/impact-of-communication-in-healthcare/