Nurse-Managed Health Clinics

Evolving Practice of Nursing and Patient Care Delivery Models
Name
Institution
Evolving Practice of Nursing and Patient Care Delivery Models
Introduction
The emerging trends in the healthcare sector form the basis for the diversification of the delivery of primary care through a range of programs, including the Medical Homes, Accountable Care Organizations, the continuum of care, and Nurse-managed health clinics. Nurses are taking the leading role as the primary caregivers in ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare services, at subsidized costs, and thus increasing accessibility through the evolving models of in the nursing practice and patient care service delivery. A comprehensive analysis of the outlined models reveals the significant roles played by the nurses in positively affecting the outlined patient demands and their impact on the future of the delivery quality primary care by the health care system as a whole.
Nurse-managed Health Clinics
One of the emerging or evolving models in the nursing practice is the rise of health centers, clinics, and other primary care delivery facilities under the management of qualified registered nurses. The Nurse-Managed Health Clinics form part of the health care system’s effort to increase the society’s accessibility to health care services as they facilitate the promotion of the community’s health through educational programs and initiatives for prevention interventions against diseases (Hussung, 2016). The model provides a platform for the nurses to be at the forefront in increasing accessibility to health care services in marginalized areas and thus reducing the cost of emergency room services, which lead to the rising cost of healthcare expenditure.
Continuum of Care
The complexity of the patient demands concerning their wide range of medical needs requires the development of an equally advanced model for the delivery quality care for the diverse patient needs. Continuum of care refers to the nursing interventions set in place to ensure a holistic approach in delivering patient care for full recovery of the latter through follow up systems (Hussung, 2016). Such programs include the Maternal and Child Health home visiting programs seeking to ensure the healthy postpartum development of both the mother and the newborns.
Medical Home
The medical home model serves to provide specialized primary care to patients suffering from chronic diseases and seeking quality services or special attention from the care providers. It provides comprehensive primary care to such patients through specialized treatment provided by a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, which may include the collaborative effort of a specialist doctor, a nurse, and a pharmacist or other physicians (Hussung, 2016). The team forms or builds around the patient’s medical requirements and needs thus leading to increased patient satisfaction through the delivery of well-coordinated care, which is of high quality and easily accessible to the particular patient with a chronic condition or ailment.
Accountable Care Organizations
The underlying principle for accountable care organizations is ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare services to the American populati...