Final answer:
When designing a plan of care, the nurse should create patient-centered interventions, promote open communication within the healthcare team, and consider the hierarchy and roles in a medical setting. The use of checklists for procedural accuracy is beneficial, and the nurse must also develop policies for health records that balance treatment costs, quality of life, and privacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Guidelines for Designing a Plan of Care
When a nurse is planning nursing interventions for patients on a busy hospital ward, the nurse should follow several guidelines. First, it is crucial to ensure that the nursing interventions are patient-centered and align with the specific needs and medical conditions of the patients. Communication is key, as demonstrated by the practice of the surgical team reviewing aloud the key concerns for the recovery and care of the patient. This includes confirming procedures, equipment checks, and verifying counts of surgical items, such as needles and sponges.
Additionally, it is important to consider the dynamic between healthcare professionals. Even though doctors may have more authority in a medical setting, nurses also have a significant role in patient care and are encouraged to speak up if they notice any discrepancies, such as a step being missed from the procedural checklist. This approach to patient safety was influenced by Dr. Pronovost's checklist method, aiming to reduce errors and improve outcomes.
In developing policies for managing health records, the nurse must consider the balance between costs of treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and privacy risks. Critical thinking about the rotating shifts of healthcare professionals can lead to improvements in workflow and address issues like fatigue that may affect patient care.
Regarding direct patient care, such as providing dialysis treatments, nurses work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse. This involves a detailed process from reviewing patient history and current condition to preparing for sterile procedures.