WEEK 3 RN COLL POST REPLY

WEEK 3 RN COLLABORATIVE POST REPLY ( ONE RESOURCE REQUIRED)

Hello Professor and class,

In healthcare, safety is the most important goal. Working with outdated policies and procedures can be very dangerous and unsafe. It means you work without the right tools to perform your job best. If I'm a nurse leader and one of the nurses in my area tells me that the policies and procedures in use conflict with the most recent evidence, I would use my chain of command to find a solution. I would notify my nurse manager about the finding. The manager will inform upper management and the policy and procedure committee of the problem so changes can be made. Additionally, I will encourage the nurse to look for the latest evidence-based research study about the topic so that recommendations can be made to the committee. In my hospital, the library is a great place to find the latest articles and research, and the librarians are very helpful. Healthcare policies affect nurses' work, education, recruitment, purpose, and leadership (Finkelman, 2020).

It is very critical, especially in healthcare,  to work with the most current policies and procedures. Also, we have to make sure the latest evidence-based practices back them. Evidence-based practice is the most up-to-date data clinicians use when making decisions on the patient's behalf (Oman et al., 2008). Policy and procedures are what guide workers on their day-to-day tasks. Having the right procedures allow nurses and other healthcare providers to be unified in the decision-making process. In my hospital, the policies and procedures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic helped control the spread of the disease and kept the staff and patients safe. On the other hand, outdated policies can put the organization and patients at risk. In other words, it can lead to mistakes and patients getting harmed. Hospitals and workers can be liable for not having the right protocols.

 The main role of a nurse leader in a unit is to ensure that the patients receive the best and safest care possible. For this reason, the nurse in charge must ensure that the policy and procedures used in the hospital and unit are current. As a nurse leader, I encourage my staff to stay current with the latest evidence-based practices. Also, to participate in the process improvement initiatives in the unit and at the hospital level. As leaders, we should ensure other nurses know where to find the policies and whom to contact if they have questions. Allowing nurses to have their voices heard is very important. We are at the bedside and know what works best for our patients. Updated policies and procedures will enable us to confidently reach our process improvement goals and provide excellent patient care.

References:

Finkelman, A. (2020). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care (4th ed.). Pearson.

Oman, K., Duran, C., Fink, R. (2008).Evidence-based policy and procedures: An algorithm for success. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 38(1),47-51.  https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NNA.0000295634.18463.4d