Nurses in Care Coordination
Effective care coordination in the healthcare continuum requires a constellation of roles, processes, and tools to address the needs of patients and caregivers presenting with a wide variety of needs. Please identify a specific role nurses may play in the efforts of care coordination and discuss a specific process that the nurse may develop or participate in to improve care coordination efforts.
One specific role nurses may play in care coordination is that of a Nurse Care Coordinator (NCC). Nurse care coordinators serve as a liaison between patients, families, healthcare providers, and community resources to ensure seamless transitions of care, improve health outcomes, and reduce hospital readmissions. They work in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and home healthcare.
Process to Improve Care Coordination: Transitional Care Planning
A specific process that nurses may develop or participate in to improve care coordination is transitional care planning. This process ensures that patients experience a smooth transition between different levels of care, such as from hospital to home or from acute care to long-term care.
Key Steps in Transitional Care Planning:
- Comprehensive Patient Assessment – Identifying the patient’s medical, psychosocial, and functional needs before discharge…
Nurse care coordinators serve as a liaison between patients, families, healthcare providers, and community resources to ensure seamless transitions of care, improve health outcomes, and reduce hospital readmissions. They work in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and home healthcare.
A specific process that nurses may develop or participate in to improve care coordination is transitional care planning. This process ensures that patients experience a smooth transition between different levels of care, such as from hospital to home or from acute care to long-term care.
Key Steps in Transitional Care Planning:
- Comprehensive Patient Assessment – Identifying the patient’s medical, psychosocial, and functional needs before discharge…
