How do agency nurses contribute to the fundamental aspects of nursing care?
Are you aware of the valuable role agency nurses play in the fundamentals of nursing care? It's no secret that the healthcare industry is facing a shortage of nurses, and agency nurses are stepping in to fill this gap. Their expertise, flexibility, and willingness to work in various environments make them essential to the healthcare team. So, if you're looking for quality nursing care, don't overlook the contributions of agency nurses.
Titus Leitoro, MSN-FNP, FNP-BC, FNP-C, APRN.
Agency nurses often face challenges such as adapting quickly to new environments, understanding different organizational cultures, and maintaining high-quality care across varying contexts. However, these challenges allow agency nurses to excel by leveraging their diverse experiences and flexibility.
The need for adaptable and proficient nursing services is critical in healthcare, especially in fluctuating staff needs and diverse patient care environments. Agency nurses, who may work across various settings, from hospitals to community care, are pivotal in maintaining high standards of nursing care. Drawing from the insights of the narrative review, "Where and how does fundamental care fit within seminal nursing theories," this article explores the fundamentals of nursing care in the context of agency nursing. It discusses how the principles derived from seminal nursing theories can guide agency nurses in delivering exceptional care.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Nursing Care
Fundamental nursing care encompasses the essential aspects of care necessary to address individuals' basic health needs. These include ensuring the physical, psychosocial, and emotional well-being of patients. The Fundamentals of Care Framework emphasizes three key components:
The Nurse-Patient Relationship: A trusting relationship is crucial for effective care delivery.
Integration of Care: Addressing the multifaceted needs of patients—combining physical, emotional, and social care.
Supportive Care Context: Ensuring that the environment and systems in place foster an optimal setting for patient care.
Agency Nursing Challenges and Opportunities
Agency nurses often face challenges such as adapting quickly to new environments, understanding different organizational cultures, and maintaining high-quality care across varying contexts. However, these challenges allow agency nurses to excel by leveraging their diverse experiences and flexibility.
Adapting Nursing Theories in Agency Settings:
Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring can guide agency nurses in forming empathetic and supportive relationships with patients, regardless of the brief duration of their interactions.
Betty Neuman’s Systems Model provides a framework for agency nurses to assess and address the impacts of various environmental and systemic stressors on patient health, which is crucial when transitioning between departments or facilities.
Practical Application of Fundamental Care:
Assessing Needs: Agency nurses must quickly assess patient needs to ensure that fundamental care is not compromised, using theories such as Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory to gauge what patients can do for themselves and where nurses need to assist.
Building Relationships: Despite the short-term nature of their roles, agency nurses can use Peplau’s interpersonal relations theory to build effective, albeit brief, relationships that support patient care.
Maintaining Care Standards:
Continuity of Care: Agency nurses play a critical role in maintaining continuity of care by ensuring thorough documentation and communication, a principle supported by all nursing theories that emphasize the nurse-patient relationship and integration of care.
Quality of Care: Agency nurses need to adapt quickly to the new environment's quality standards. To meet these standards consistently, they can apply the principles of the Fundamentals of Care Framework.
Enhancing Agency Nurse Effectiveness
Agency nurses can focus on continuous professional development, including training in various nursing theories and care models, to enhance their effectiveness. Understanding and integrating these theories into their practice can help them navigate the complexities of different care settings more effectively.
Agency nurses are invaluable to the healthcare system, providing flexibility and critical skills where they are most needed. They can ensure high-quality care across various settings by grounding their practice in the fundamental principles of nursing care and adapting the insights from seminal nursing theories.
This approach benefits their professional development and significantly enhances patient outcomes. Through continuous learning and adaptation, agency nurses can lead the way in bridging the gap between theory and practice, embodying the core values and competencies of the nursing profession.
Reference.
Mudd, A., Feo, R., Conroy, T., & Kitson, A. (2020). Where and how does fundamental care fit within seminal nursing theories: A narrative review and synthesis of key nursing concepts. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29, 3652-3666. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15420
