Nursing leadership for the management of the outpatient clinic: Mission impossible?
Miri Foox
Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel
: J Nurs Patient Care
Abstract
The head nurse manager provides leadership and is responsible for the management of the outpatient clinics and ensuring high quality patient care; provides guidance and direction to junior staff and is resposible for organizing, directing, coordinating and supervising activities for the care of patients. Other roles include the development of personnel, ensuring compliance with regulatory and professional standards, strategic planning and fostering of interdisciplinary collaborative relationships. The head nurse manager oversees formation and usage of the budget, implemention of standard care and standards of practice. This position allows for flexibility in determining priorities, programs and procedures within the framework of hospital healthcare mission, goals and objectives. We would like to present several examples of leadership and managment as follows. 1. assessment of patients: In order to ensure high quality care, treatment and follow up protocol. All out patient clinics started to use common settings for evaluation of different patient factors and conditions. In addition, every outpatient clinic performed unique assessments for its patients. For example: Questionnaire for the assessment of violent behaviors in the gynecology clinic, a diabetic foot assesment for orthopedic clinic or depression assessment questionnaire for immunology clinic. 2. patient safety goals: In order to provide accurate and effective communication and collaboration, author started to use a standardized report format with adaptation for unique needs and goals for every outpatient clinic. 3. patient and family education: To better understand their medical condition and participate in their own care, we strive to inform and teach our patient a topic every month. For example, a new technology of cross linking for the ophthalmology clinic, new drug generation for patient with HCV, common allergen for allergy clinic. 4. quality improvement: Our aim is constantly to make real improvements that help patients. We investigate how processes can be more efficient, resources can be used more wise and physical risks can be reduced. Our quality program includes routine patient satisfaction surveys and questionnaires. For example, after analysis and validation of survey data we changed the appointment letter for outpatient clinics all over the country. 5. staff qualifications and education: As the coordinator of all out patient clinics at the hospital, the head nurse manager identifies the number and types of staff needed based on the hospital goals and recommendations. All the various out patient clinics work as a team in order to improve skills, knowledge, education and previous work experience. For example, training in BLS, ACLS and the use of sedation. In addition, providing skills for patient group direction or the breaking of bad news.
Biography
Miri Foox pursued her MA Degree at University of Haifa (Israel). She is the Director of the outpatient clinic of Rambam Health Care Campus. She worked as Head Nurse in Orthopedic Department during 1999-2014; Trauma coordinator (1996-1999) and as Deputy Head Nurse in General Surgery Department (1990-1996).
E-mail: Miri_f@RMC.gov.il
