Introduction
Acute care is the most common sought service in healthcare facilities. The aging generation presents the health industry with increased demand for immediate and effective healthcare services. Elder people deserve continuous care to enhance the function ability of their weak body systems. The rise in demand for improved care in hospitals has motivated the health practitioners to come up with different models that aid in the delivery of quality services to the public. Agile team is one of the most effective models that have proven successful in the medical-surgical unit of the acute care over the last few years (Dilwali, 2013). Therefore, this paper will analyze the agile team model stating how practitioners can integrate the model in pediatric acute care.
Description of the Agile Team Model
The agile team model allows healthcare providers with different expertise to serve a certain number of patients within the hospital. The approach helps nurses and other practitioners to collaborate in service delivery, thus reducing chances of mistakes. In most cases, misinterpretation of information happens as practitioners transfer patients from one setting of service delivery to another. However, with the agile team model, such incidences are kept minimal. In addition, agile teams help reduce the time that patients stay in the hospital, thus improving the quality of service at healthcare facilities. The agile team model can be very effective in the children acute care department. Children and adolescents have many acute conditions that deserve constant care (Miller, 2011). For this reason, the agile model for pediatric care will be modified to include home care services. A professional will guide the parent on how to handle their young ones from time to time to avoid complications in the future. People continue to struggle with acute conditions in the world today because the hospital setting does not allow effective care. In addition, hospital care is quite expensive for both the institution and the parents. Therefore, modifying the agile team model to include home care services will be an ideal course of action.
The approach of the Agile Team Model in pediatric care will enhance collaboration between the hospital and the community. The healthcare providers will have frequent communication with the parents to ensure that the patients receive maximum care while at the comfort of their home. The approach of home care will enhance effective cost care because it is much cheaper to take care of a patient at home than in the hospital (Robert, 2011). The approach will also enhance collaboration between different professionals within the healthcare system. Nurses and childcare personnel will work together to improve the health of the young people within their localities. Additionally, nurses will take full responsibility of the acute care system, thus limiting delays that occur as nurses wait for directives from supervisors.
The agile team model will enhance continuity of care across settings. The process will allow other practitioners involved in pediatric care to collaborate with home care services in health care delivery. The model will allow clear coordination from one setting to another, thus improving the quality of health in the pediatric acute care department. Technology will be quite instrumental in the implementation of the model in the new setting (Potempa, Redman, & Anderson, 2008). Parents will be able to send pictures to the nurses through the internet for analysis. Similarly, nurses and other practitioners will be able to sent procedures of care to the parents via the internet on how to administer drugs and other care to the children. Additionally, practitioners will record the vital information in a digital platform to share with their colleagues.
Implementation Team for the Agile Team Model
The agile team model works in groups. Therefore, the implementation team will consist of various practitioners to offer the required support in the process of care. The team will include a pediatric nurse practitioner who will oversee the entire care process and give directions to both the parents and other practitioners in the practice. The team will also contain a transition officer who will facilitate services between the hospital and home care facilities. A registered nurse will be a part of the team as well, to perform the nursing duties required at a personal level. Lastly, the team will include a clinical nurse specialist who will offer advice and counsel on clinical matters to facilitate the service delivery process.
Evaluation of the Agile Team Model
The evaluation of the agile team model in pediatric acute care will seek to establish four aspects. The four outcomes for evaluation will include general effectiveness, the impact of the model on the quality of care, the maintenance and the level at which people used the model (Miller, 2011). The nurse in charge of the model will keep records of the children who benefit from the model for a period of three months. In addition, at the end of the three months, parents and healthcare providers involved in the care process will fill out questionnaires detailing their views on the model. The hospital will compare the quality of care before and after the inception of the model to determine the impact of the model on the quality of care. The results of the evaluation will determine the continuation or the cancelation of the model all together.
References
Dilwali, P. (2013). From acute care to homecare the evolution of hospital responsibility and rationale for increased vertical integration. Journal of healthcare management, 58 (4), 267-276.
Miller, S. (2011). Acute care nurse practitioner certification: study question book. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Potempa, K., Redman, R. & Anderson, C. (2008). The capacity for the advancement of nursing science. Journal of Professional Nursing, 24 (6), 329–336.
Robert, W. (2011). The future of nursing Leading change, advancing health. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.