Current Level of Functioning of Patients on Admission
Ashika Sami
Discution post one
Nursing informatics plays a key role in patient care as it is practiced today. Nursing informatics can be defined as a subcategory strictly catered
to the field of nursing. And how information is processed to provide better patient care (Sweeney, 2017). The struggle between health care
facilities, psychiatric facilities. And outpatient services has struggled to meet the demands of collating its information and interactively
communicating it to its full capabilities. Even further, looking at the psychiatric patient who is managed in outpatient clinics, who then require
emergency inpatient services, communication of psychiatric diagnosis. And medications, may benefit from a better operating system (Shields et al.,
2020).
When a patient is brought into the acute behavioral health setting there is oftentimes an inability to communicate current psychiatric
medications and diagnosis. An operating system that would allow acute setting providers the opportunity to see current medications and
behavioral health history, as prescribed from outpatient clinics would create better care for the patient in many ways. To date, some systems will
aid in the support of such nursing informatics but are not utilized to their full potential at alarming percentages (Adler-Milstein et al., 2020).
Knowledge and information that can be accessed is an accurate account of medications. And mental health information that will lead to a less
traumatic and quicker stabilization of the patient’s mental health status while creating safer environments for not only the patients themselves
but the staff at the facilities caring for the individuals.
outpatient clinics
Nurse leaders can advocate and inspire their facilities to engage in the exchange of information with outpatient clinics by using references, data
and clinical studies showing information shared create better patient outcomes. By utilizing shared or easily accessed behavioral health electronic
medical records (EMR), specific evidence-based best practices, acquired through data analysis can be used and stabilization of the acutely ill
patient can be achieved, contributing ethical worth at the clinical and organizational level (Riahi et al., 2017).
Nursing informatics is beneficial and crucial for the profession whether it be direct patient care, management, research, or organizational
institutions. The more known and data gathered, quality care can be given to the individual and better outcomes can be achieved.
Kat c
Discussion post two
Collecting Current Level of Functioning of Patients on Admission
Many opportunities for collecting data on patients begin during the first patient encounter. Many nurses, doctors, and other healthcare interdisciplinarians miss the possibility of charting valuable information about the patient in a quick retrievable or visible form (Andrzejewski, 2020). The patient care experience can be a challenge depending on the patient’s mental and physical state during the admission process.
The admission process also yields an expected discharge date and progression of the patient’s disease process based on previously collected data of patients of a similar diagnosis (Ragavan, Svec, & Shieh, 2017). The hospital where I work always seems not to be accurate on the patient’s previous level of function compared to the current status of functioning like mobility upon discharge. The goal of a safe discharge is to maximize the patient’s ability to regain the prior level of function, yielding to better patient health outcomes (Soubra, Chkeir, & Novella, 2019). Injury can lead to unnecessary hospital ER visits or fatalities (Soubra, Chkeir, & Novella, 2019).
the EPIC charting systems
At the hospital where I work, we use the EPIC charting systems, customized according to the hospital’s need to capture data. Many interdisciplinarians work together to help maximize a patient holistic care experience for positive outcomes. The simple collection of data during the admission process can help decrease pitfalls during outpatient services upon discharge. Examples are home-healthcare services and DME equipment needed for patient mobility and care (Ragavan, Svec, & Shieh, 2017).
Prompting nurses to chart current levels of functioning every shift will help the discharge planners and social works expedite a smooth discharge care experience. Imbedding the current level of functioning questions into the assessment will help eliminate discharge delays. Many situations have led to delayed discharge due to the lack of patients’ current level of functioning charted in a retrievable manner for planning outsourcing a patient to home-health, hospice care, long-term and short-term care facilities.
Conclusion
In closing, making data easily accessible and charted frequently can close the gap of missed opportunities of delayed discharges. The longer a patient is hospitalized drives up the cost of medical expenditures for the hospital and patient. The most remarkable resolve will ensure a patient’s timely and safe discharge.
