A call for greater autonomy in nursing

The way forward for healthcare would require a robust, expert nursing workforce prepared to supply care and promote health and well-being amongst colleagues and patients. The first step is to make sure that nurses can practice to the total extent of their license and training.

Understanding autonomy in nursing

As with any career, autonomy refers to the flexibility to think critically and act independently on the job. In health care, nurse autonomy relies on the nurse’s individual knowledge and training. A nurse with autonomy may take motion on matters related to patient care without the consent of other members of the health care team, including physicians. As discussed on the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) The way forward for nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieving health equity reportNurses must be included as full partners (together with physicians and other health care professionals) within the redesign of U.S. health care. The report also clearly identified the necessity to eliminate restrictions on the scope of practice for registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses in order that they will perform their jobs to the total extent of their education and training. This would higher position nurses to expand the categories and range of high-quality health care services that might be provided to individuals with complex health and social needs, and would improve each access to care and health equity.

How autonomy is changing in nursing

A transparent example of differences in nurse autonomy is the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) across the country. Currently, 26 states and the District of Columbia allow it full practical rights for NPs. These powers include the flexibility to supply treatment with no doctor present, prescribe medications and diagnose patients. In 11 states, NPs require physician supervision for your complete practice, and in 16 states, NPs require physician authorization to prescribe medications. The well-known piece of laws regarding registered nurses, the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), allows nurses to have one license and practice in multiple states. Today, most states within the U.S. are members of the NLC, making it easier for nurses to quickly transition from different travel assignments or recent roles throughout the same health care system. This style of licensing is an example of how nursing autonomy can bring uniformity to almost your complete healthcare industry 4 million nurses.

Less burnout

Recent test funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality showed less burnout amongst nurses involved in quality improvement activities. Nurses who received frequent reports of patient experiences and experienced quality improvement efforts in patient care didn’t report feelings of burnout. In a culture that doesn’t value autonomy in nursing, nurses may feel underappreciated, undermined, and unmotivated precisely due to very things that inspired them to enter nursing in the primary place. “Nurses want to share their knowledge and ideas, and it’s important that they not only feel comfortable doing so, but are encouraged to do so,” noted Felicia Sadler, MJ, BSN, RN, CPHQ, LSSBB, vp of quality at Relias. “When nurses are listened to, they feel valued, more engaged, and more empowered to make improvements in patient care,” she added.

Impact on patient care

This is well documented lack of nurses, but this shortage also affects doctors. Research has shown that the demand for physicians will far exceed the variety of physicians available to work, and this shortage is predicted to proceed. This deficit is estimated at over 130,000 doctors by 2030, impacting each primary care and specialist areas. Many aspects are answerable for this shortage and a few doctors are retiring early burn out, reduced medical school admissions, reduced education costs, and fewer residency programs. Many solutions have been proposed to assist address the shortages. One way health care systems are combating physician shortages is by meeting the necessity for nurse practitioners (NPs) to supply care, thereby increasing nurse autonomy. Studies have shown that patient outcomes when cared for by nurses are pretty much as good, if not higher, than care provided by physicians. It has also been shown that patients are more satisfied when in comparison with doctors. Because nurses make up the most important portion of the healthcare workforce and spend more time one-on-one with patients than another person within the industry, the undeniable impact they’ve on patient care (positive or negative) is clearly visible. By increasing the extent of autonomy in nursing, nurses may have the chance to develop and help shape the smarter healthcare delivery of the longer term.