Focus on Health What nurses do to improve hospital care
(NAPSA)—According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than seven out of 100 Americans are hospitalized every year. If you or someone you care about is ever among them, you may be relieved to see the efforts that nurses and other medical professionals make to keep patients happy. Making A Connection For three in four registered nurses, a recent survey by the College of Health Professions at University of Phoenix discovered connecting with patients on a personal level has a major impact on the quality of care given. What’s more, according to the survey, most registered nurses (90 percent) and administrative staff (88 percent) have identified that their facilities should focus on preparing them with leadership skills, with 62 percent of registered nurses and 74 percent of administrative staff agreeing that their facility currently does a good job.
“In an increasingly complex healthcare environment with many moving parts, healthcare professionals need to ask patients what their key healthcare priorities are to ensure the best possible experience,” said Doris Savron, executive dean for the College of Health Professions at University of Phoenix. “Learning and staying in touch with key patient priorities will continue to refine the process of improving and elevating patient care, and help healthcare professionals be mindful of what takes the patient experience from good to great.”
What Patients Want Patients surveyed indicated that their impression of the quality of their care depends on the healthcare professionals’:
• Ability to answer questions that patients have (69 percent)
• Concern for patient safety (i.e., proper safety procedures, using safe equipment) (66 percent)
• Problem resolution abilities (60 percent)
• Connection with patients on a personal level (59 percent).
What’s Being Done
The good news is, many healthcare professionals feel they are tuned in to key patient needs. A majority of registered nurses and administrative staff cite these factors as being in their control, including connecting with patients on a personal level (74 percent, 63 percent) and the ability to answer questions that patients have (72 percent, 69 percent).
“Healthcare professionals continue to adapt to the changes in the system, and it’s our responsibility to provide resources to make the learning experience as smooth as possible,” said Savron. “This includes providing access to upto-date, quality content that addresses current healthcare topics. With the right skill set, new and seasoned professionals can make long-term improvements that better healthcare across the board.”
University of Phoenix’s College of Health Professions, for example, offers programs designed to prepare healthcare professionals to stay on the pulse of the rapidly evolving industry, including concentrations in informatics, long-term care, nursing administration, nursing education, medical billing and coding, electronic healthcare records and more. These programs push students to think critically and learn to apply know-how about how to address complex issues in the healthcare system.
For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended these programs, visit www.phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment. Learn More
For further facts and stats on patient care, or to learn more about higher education options for medical professionals and how University of Phoenix works to address their needs, visit www. phoenix.edu.