Our topic this week covered the roles of health care individuals. I had expected to learn about the different roles we play as health care workers. We each play our own "titled" role as well as many sub categories. For example, the nurse is active in the clinical care of the patient but also has the role of patient advocate. Also, each interdisciplinary team actively participates in their assigned role. Together, we form a team responsible for excellency in patient care.

                                           

I learned how important our individual roles are in providing quality patient care. If even one of the team is not fulfilling their assigned role, there is a gap in patient coverage. A gap can mean anything from someone not receiving the care they had expected to the extreme of injury or even death. 

The team test we had this week was a great summary of how quality and safety in healthcare is an ever changing and always expanding field. The models such as Kotter's model or Berwick's model of improvement offer great strategies and maps to follow in order to implement effective change. I always appreciate the time spent reflecting as I feel this is where we have the greatest potential to find areas of weakness that can be turned to strengths.

It is so important to me that there are no gaps in my patient's care. There is an advantage to "following" a nurse during orientation or clinical. This perspective makes it a little easier to see what the patient is experiencing. I have been reflecting on that lately and looking for ways to fill the gaps that the patient's may have in their care. It may be that a nurse is so caught up in a routine that they aren't taking a minute to stop, look at the patient in the eye, and really listen to the answers to our questions.

I like checklists like we reviewed in this week's test. I like to have tangible "to do's" that help me play my day. I am learning how to incorporate those checklists with improved patient care. I think we can take the models for quality improvement in healthcare to a refiner level and apply them to our individual patient care on a daily basis.