- Outline a current or emerging health care law or federal regulation introduced within the last 5 years to reform or restructure some aspect of the health care delivery system. Describe the effect of this on nursing practice and the nurse’s role and responsibility.
- Discuss how quality measures and pay for performance affect patient outcomes. Explain how these affect nursing practice and describe the expectations and responsibilities of the nursing role in these situations.
- Discuss professional nursing leadership and management roles that have arisen and how they are important in responding to emerging trends and in the promotion of patient safety and quality care in diverse health care settings.
- Research emerging trends. Predict two ways in which the practice of nursing and nursing roles will grow or transform within the next five years in response to upcoming trends or predicted issues in health care.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
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Expert Answer and Explanation
U.S. Health Care Delivery System Reforms
The healthcare system is always undergoing changes from time to time. Different healthcare facilities have to abide to the set standards an ensure that they are in line with the set guidelines. The Congress and other third-party agencies are also invested in the delivery of appropriate and quality medical practice. As a result, constant reviews and amendments to care systems is a continuation process. Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the majority of the US population has been able to access quality healthcare with ease.
Be that as it may, various committees were formed in the Trump era, leading to several modifications that received mixed reactions from different stakeholders. Some saw them as a threat to the healthcare and well-being of citizens and an attempt to undermine the Affordable Care Act. In the current legislature, different reforms are constantly being taken into account and restructuring put in place with changes in the overall care process.
Current Health Care Law
One of the most recent health care law formulations is the S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 sponsored by Senator Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (Introduced 02/22/2021) (Congress.gov, 2021). The bill is aimed at creating additional reforms to the existing Affordable Care Act of 2009 in various ways. For instance, the main aim of the bill is to ensure a reduction in the costs of working families (Congress.gov, 2021). The strategy is to further reduce the premiums that the families are paying as well as the out of pocket costs.
The strategy will see to it that the Health Human Services create a more affordable and low-cost option of the families. The strategy also seeks to eliminate the policy that prevents families making more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line to be provided with premium subsidy (Warner, 2021). The funds can be used to support the program to lower costs for the working families and reduce the overall cost. The bill also seeks to reduce the cost for working families by negotiating the cost of prescription drugs and lifting the ban against negotiation with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of medication.
The other aim of the proposed amendments includes an increase in health care enrollment or access to care (Warner, 2021). With a reduced number of the uninsured, the legislation will be creating a means to increase accessibility to quality medical care for low-income families and other that might be in need of the service. The legislation has a direct impact on nursing practice since it creates an avenue within which appropriate care can be administered for different settings (Warner, 2021).
The legislation will increase the number if patient accessing healthcare facility, and with it the need for nurses to care for an even larger number of patients. Nurses need to be prepared to deal with the diversity and also ensure access and quality of care to all patients.
Impact of Quality Measures and Pay for Performance on Patient Outcome
Quality measures and pay for performance programs are designed to improve patient outcomes by incentivizing healthcare providers to achieve certain performance goals. The use of quality measures and pay for performance programs can have a significant impact on patient outcomes, as well as on the nursing practice (Endeshaw, 2021).
For instance, the use of quality measures provide a defined set of standards that can be used by healthcare providers to ensure that patients receive high-quality care. These standards include protocols for appropriate screening, need for holistic care, and proper patient education (Endeshaw, 2021). On the other hand, Pay for performance programs link reimbursement to the achievement of healthcare goals (Mathes et al., 2019).
The use of quality measures and pay for performance programs can have a significant impact on patient outcomes (Endeshaw, 2021). By incentivizing healthcare providers to provide high-quality care, patients are more likely to receive timely and appropriate treatment, leading to improved health outcomes. Additionally, these programs can also improve patient safety, as healthcare providers are incentivized to reduce medical errors and adverse events.
Nurses are expected to be actively involved in quality improvement initiatives, such as implementing evidence-based practices and participating in performance improvement projects (Mathes et al., 2019). They are also responsible for monitoring and documenting patient outcomes to ensure that they are meeting the required standards.
Nurse Leadership and Management
Professional nursing leadership and management roles have become increasingly important in responding to emerging trends and promoting patient safety and quality care in diverse healthcare settings (Morse & Warshawsky, 2021). With the emerging trends requiring nurses to promote and ensure patient safety, the role of the nursing leadership ought to change to conform to the new reforms.
Nurse leaders are required to be open to change and ensure that the team accepts and adopts the changes to wards meeting the new dynamics. For instance, nurses are required to embrace to adoption of new technologies or practical changes based on the need to ensure patient safety (Morse & Warshawsky, 2021). New nursing roles have also arisen to help address the issues and further promote the attainment of quality care.
These nursing leadership and management roles are important in responding to emerging trends and promoting patient safety and quality care in diverse healthcare settings. For example, as healthcare becomes more complex and technology-driven, nurse managers must ensure that staff members have the necessary training and support to provide safe, effective care (Booth et al., 2021).
On the other hand, Chief Nursing Officers play a critical role in ensuring that nursing practice is aligned with the organization’s mission, vision, and values, and that patient care is always the top priority.
Emerging Trends and Future of Nursing
The field of nursing is constantly evolving to adapt to emerging trends in healthcare. In this regard, new technologies, and practices are being adopted to facilitate care delivery processes (Buchanan et al., 2020). Other trends in the nursing field include the increase in aging population, health disparities, population health and interprofessional collaboration.
These issues have an impact on the future of nursing and how it can be positioned in response to the different care needs (Thibault, 2020). To prepare for these emerging trends, the future of nursing will require a focus on education and professional development. Nurses will need to pursue advanced degrees, participate in continuing education programs, and engage in lifelong learning to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in healthcare.
Conclusion
Quality measures and pay for performance programs can have a significant impact on patient outcomes, as well as on the nursing practice. On the other hand, professional nursing leadership and management roles have become increasingly important in responding to emerging trends and promoting patient safety and quality care in diverse healthcare settings.
Overall, the future of nursing will require a continued commitment to excellence in patient care, education, and professional development, as well as a willingness to adapt to emerging trends and to be leaders in shaping the future of healthcare.
References
Booth, R. G., Strudwick, G., McBride, S., O’Connor, S., & López, A. L. S. (2021). How the nursing profession should adapt for a digital future. bmj, 373.