Final answer:
To reduce barriers for patients in achieving their health outcomes, nurses should ensure that patients are involved in the plan of care. This promotes adherence to care plans and patient autonomy, enhancing the collaborative nature of patient care.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most appropriate action a nurse can take to reduce barriers for patients working towards their outcomes is c) Ensure that patients are involved in the plan of care. This approach respects the patients’ autonomy, empowers them, and helps to tailor the care plan to their specific needs and situations, which can facilitate adherence and improve outcomes. The engagement of patients in their own healthcare is considered a best practice in nursing. It contrasts with counterproductive actions, such as criticizing patients for non-adherence, which could harm the nurse-patient relationship and jeopardize patient trust and cooperation. Developing trial-and-error approaches can be inefficient and may not provide the consistent care needed for effective treatment outcomes. While teaching patients about developing a nursing care plan is educational, it does not directly address barriers to achieving health outcomes.
In any healthcare setting, it is generally accepted that doctors have more authority in the decision-making process. However, nurses play a vital role in implementing care plans and providing pivotal healthcare services, making the nurse-doctor relationship a collaborative one. The nurse's incorporation of recovery and care concerns in a structured manner such as through the checklist approach, ensures that there is a collaborative review which includes the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional, focusing on the patient's safety and the quality of care provided.