Learn ANA's 7 Core Components of Nurse Staffing
Many aspects have to be considered in order to benefit hospitals and the healthcare system in general by providing a complete nursing service, and it all starts from staffing. Nevertheless, selecting practitioners correctly does not guarantee a proper outcome, there are many other aspects that play an essential role.
It all starts with nurses’ education, which is the part of their careers where they learn the key concepts behind nursing and how to make sure it is a safe practice and that they are aware of how important their job is since the lives of many people depend on them. Before being able to speak about the core components of nurse staffing established by the American Nurses Association, it is important to include four aspects that can be defined as the main concepts of nursing. Those concepts all nurses need to know before they are able to take care of patients. Education programs that prepare people for nursing take these concepts as base since they are the foundation of important values nurses need to have for an efficient practice of their profession:
Human being
One of the main aspects nurses need to demonstrate they acknowledge every person as a different individual composed. This includes many areas, not only the ones related to the medical part, but things such as traditions, lifestyle and many other things from their environment that may affect the patient one way or the other.
Environment
The environment that surrounds a human being is the most important factor that affects their development and their health. Even the socioeconomic status of said person can affect since in many countries receiving superior healthcare assistance costs a lot of money. These kind of aspects need to be taken into consideration by nurses. For instance, someone without enough money to have themselves tested for a terminal disease is less likely to be diagnosed in an early stage.
Health
The importance of health in a profession related to helping others feel better is quite evident. Nurses must be fully committed to the task of helping patients feel better. For this reason they need to remain attentive to any new symptoms patients may display because they can be a sign of a greater issue that needs to be assisted immediately.
Nursing
Nursing involves much more than only theoretical and practical knowledge. In order to be able to provide people with proper nursing services individuals need to carry out their job ethically, ensuring patients well-being way deeper than only helping them overcome their current condition. In the view of this, nurses need to be decision-makers and act fast when required. They also need to be a valuable addition to any team since teamwork is required at any healthcare setting.
7 Core Components
Although the aforementioned concepts are the foundation of the profession itself and condense all the important aspects of nursing, they are too general to serve as guidelines. For this reason, the American Nursing Association developed a series of 7 simple core components for nurse staffing:
Guidelines are Essential for Proper Nursing
It is impossible to ensure 100% efficient nursing practices if the setting lacks proper guidelines that make possible the measuring of the outcomes of each situations that involves nurses’ performance. They should also be used as a general guide on daily tasks.
Nurses are Active Members of Healthcare Community
All registered nurses must be an active part of professional workforce at healthcare settings, this means that they should develop an essential role and should serve as a helping hand not only to patients but also co-workers and colleagues in order to maintain a peaceful and productive work environment.
They Must be Aware of the Type of Specific Needs Customers of the Healthcare Facility May Have
Before any staffing processes begin, it is important to determine standard needs of customers that come to the healthcare settings. Each different area of medicine requires a specific skill set and some areas even need background knowledge in order to offer a proper service.
Nurse Staffing Should be Oriented into Creating the Best Possible Outcome
The main purpose of a nurse staffing model for any organization, either private or public, is to reunite a number of professionals among their staff that are able to provide quality services while complying with laws and obligations of the profession.
Cost-Effectiveness Plays a Big Part
Staffing process should result in a number of professionals that take advantage of resources at maximum level. This way the optimization of all processes will be possible.
Monetary Compensation Should Never Influence
Regardless of the patters and amounts received as compensation for the service offered, the quality of professional practices offered by nurses.
Staffing Process Should Comply with Laws and Obligations
The entire process and the model created should be based on looking for ethic professionals.
There are always extra aspects that can be taken into account in nurses that are being evaluated to enter to a staff:
Communication Skills: being able to communicate efficiently is of critical importance for the profile of anyone related to the healthcare area. A nurse must be able to listen carefully to patients and doctors and speak their mind properly.
Emotional Stability: a nurse cannot allow their emotions to take over their ability to control the situation. Although a nurse must not be a cold-hearted person, there are people that are too sensitive for the job.
Flexibility: a nurse should be flexible in terms of working schedule and responsibilities. Nurses, like doctors, often have to work extra hours, nights, weekends and holidays. It is something to get accustomed to.
Attention to detail: nursing is one of those jobs where only one small mistake can cost someone’s life. It is important to remain attentive and be careful at all times when practicing the profession.
Physical resistance: long-night shifts, moving patients, moving material, etc. These are some of the day-to-day tasks of a nurse. All of them require to be in good shape.
Quick response: very often the work of a professional working in the healthcare area is being able to give timely response to emergencies.
Respect: nurse-patient relationship is based on a few basic pillars, one of them is respect. It happens the same way among co-workers.
Assuring the staff follows the guidelines established by the American Nursing Association, has the values requested to deal with day-to-day activities and is an ethic professional, enables an optimal care of patients.
