The Importance of Nurses for the Healthcare Industry
Nurses have proved themselves to be the backbone of healthcare systems around the globe. During the challenging days of the pandemic, they stood firm, jeopardized their health, neglected their family and life, and were always available for their patients. Their selfless care helped cover up the fractures of the healthcare systems that became so apparent during a sudden outbreak that engulfed the whole world.
The pandemic did not differentiate between rich and poor and equally impacted the human race at large. During these unprecedented times, the work and dedication of nurses also impacted the lives of their patients worldwide. Wanting to be a nurse in today’s times can be very challenging, especially when taking the TEAS. Thankfully, a lot of those taking the qualification exam has ExamGenius on their back to help them do well.
Nursing is ranked amongst the most reliable professions in the US. Their role is expanding with its branches sprouting from patient care and touching the administrative section of a healthcare facility. Though the pandemic was a blow to the foundations of the healthcare system, it helped the nursing profession grow and become more meaningful. More nurses saw the need to expand their skill set and enhance their knowledge. So, there has been an apparent increase in nurses opting for a master’s degree.
As healthcare faced a shortage of personnel in almost every department, medical professionals, including nurses, saw this opportunity to learn new skills and perform diverse duties. This included administrative work at hospitals. Thus, there has been a rising interest in ccne accredited online msn programs as online education offers nurses an opportunity to work and study simultaneously. MSN programs are perfect for nurses working in today’s healthcare sector to adopt advanced clinical roles.
Nevertheless, we need to look at how our healthcare industry would perish if nurses weren’t a part of it! Here’s a glimpse at how important nurses are and how their absence can affect the healthcare industry.
Nurses can deal with emergencies
A hospital always has more nurses than doctors to look after patients. In fact, in many cases, doctors and nurses complement each other to bring about the best healthcare services. Due to their close collaboration, experience, and better education, nurses can now perform many jobs that doctors were required to do in the past.
Nowadays, nurses can diagnose patients and sometimes write prescriptions too. So, if patients are under the care of a nurse, they still have a high chance of getting good treatment, even in emergencies. Thus, nurses help patients live longer by looking after them in an emergency, even without a doctor. On the contrary, without nurses in the healthcare system, people are at the mercy of scarce doctors, waiting for their turn to get a diagnosis and prescription. This could be fatal for many patients visiting a medical facility and overburden the doctors too.
Nurses assist doctors by performing essential medical check-ups
Nurses are probably the only medical professionals who spend maximum time with their patients. From entering the hospital facility to getting information about your appointment to reaching the doctor’s room, you get to know many nurses. This encounter may seem like small talk, but that’s their way of knowing their patient and calming their nerves simultaneously. Patients come to the hospital to gain solace and get rid of their diseases. Their first friendly encounter with a nurse helps them a lot. Without nurses, patients might need to wait for their doctor to perform basic medical tasks. These may include checking the temperature or blood pressure and recalling their previous medical history. A study states that patients in intensive care spend 86% of their total time with nurses.
Nurses are patient advocates
Patients need some way to make their voices heard, and their process addresses their grievances. Without nurses in healthcare, patients are left with no one advocating their concerns. Nurses are patients’ advocates due to the time they spend with their patients. They know the needs of their patients, act as a bridge between the management/doctors and patients, and communicate their issues. The advocacy role of nursing job is versatile. It does not include sharing the problems with the system only. They can also discover new details about their patients’ disease or medical condition during a discussion with the family.
Since nurses are good communicators, patients and families feel more comfortable talking to nurses than doctors. Hence, they are better positioned to know more details that might get omitted during an early examination. This information could be critical to administering proper treatment. Hence, the nurse’s role as a patient advocate is imperative to the health and wellbeing of the patients.
Without nurses, patients might have less knowledge about diseases
One of the noteworthy aspects of nurses’ work is their role as educators. Nurses help offer better patient care and educate them about diseases and infections and their effective prevention. During their job, they spend most of their time helping patients understand the procedures and treatments, the efficacy of vaccination, and ways to keep fit and maintain good hygiene.
A healthcare industry without nurses implies that people have less knowledge about healthcare. They are more prone to getting infected even after the treatment since doctors primarily focus on treating the patient rather than educating them or addressing their fears/concerns.
Conclusion
The mechanisms of a healthcare industry look bleak without nurses. The role of nurses is crucial to the healthcare industry. They are patient advocates, healthcare educators and offer the initial patient care services to all patients entering the medical facility.
Without nurses, a healthcare industry implies a higher patient-to-doctor ratio, inefficient patient care, shorter patient lives, and illiteracy about disease and infections.
