The Nursing Department and Medical Staff



The Nursing Department and Medical Staff



Chapter Objectives


On completion of this chapter, you will be able to:


1. Define the terms in the vocabulary list.


2. Write the meaning of the abbreviations in the abbreviations list.


3. Identify the respective roles of each of the provided medical staff.


4. Identify the titles of physicians who serve in a provided list of specialties.


5. List two common examples of physician extenders.


6. List and describe two complementary or alternative medicine options.


7. Describe the responsibilities of the nursing service department.


8. Identify the title of the person responsible for the overall administration of the nursing service and the person responsible for nursing unit administration.


9. Identify the services provided by each of the regular (floor) nursing units and intensive care units in provided lists.


10. List five telecommunication services and explain the benefits of an eICU.


11. Explain what is required for an outpatient to become an inpatient.


12. Describe the purpose of the following specialty units: emergency department, hospice inpatient, and the chronic pain management unit.


13. List three services that come under the general heading of perioperative services, and provide a description of each.


14. List four personnel commonly employed in nursing units, and briefly describe the role of each.


15. Describe the team patient care model and the total patient care model.


16. List six benefits of interdisciplinary teamwork.


17. Explain the philosophy of holistic nursing care.


18. Explain the purpose of a clinical pathway, and list four goals to be met when developing a clinical pathway.


19. Describe information that would be included on an assignment sheet.



Vocabulary



Acuity


Level of care patients would require on the basis of their medical condition; used to evaluate staffing needs.


Acupuncture


Field that originated in China more than 5000 years ago; based on a belief that all living things have a vital energy, called qi.


Acute Care


Level of health care generally provided in hospitals or emergency departments for sudden, serious illnesses or trauma.


Alternative Medicine


Any practice not generally recognized by the medical community as a standard or conventional medical approach and used instead of standard treatments.


American Nurses Association (ANA)


The national professional association of registered nurses in the United States, founded in 1896 to improve standards of health and the availability of health care.


Assignment Sheet


A form completed at the beginning of each work shift that indicates the nursing staff member(s) assigned to each patient on that nursing unit.


Assistant Nurse Manager


A registered nurse who assists the nurse manager in coordinating activities on the nursing unit.


Attending Physician


Term applied to a physician who admits and is responsible for a hospital patient.


Certified Nursing Assistant


A certified health care giver who performs basic nursing tasks.


Chiropractic Medicine


Complementary and alternative health care profession with the purpose of diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving health.


Chronic


Long-lasting: describes an illness or medical condition that lasts over a long period and sometimes causes a long-term change in the body.


Clinical Pathway


A method of outlining a patient’s path of treatment for a specific diagnosis, procedure, or symptom.


Complementary Medicine


Nonstandard treatments that may be used along with standard treatments.


Director of Nursing


A registered nurse in charge of nursing services (may be called director of patient services, nursing administrator, vice president of nursing services, or chief nursing officer [CNO]).


Electronic Intensive Care Unit (eICU)


An intensive care unit with a highly advanced electronic clinical information system and a consolidated treatment unit (also called Advanced Intensive Care Unit or tele-ICU).


Holistic Nursing Care


A modern nursing practice that expresses the philosophy of total patient care that considers the physical, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual needs of the patient. Also called comprehensive care.


Homeopathy


A natural form of medicine that treats the whole person with natural medicines. It is good therapy for mood swings, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and also attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.


Hospitalist


Full-time, acute care specialist who focuses exclusively on hospitalized patients.


Inpatient


Patient to receive medical or surgical care whose doctor has written an admission order.


Intensivist


Specializes in the care of critically ill patients, usually in an intensive care unit (ICU).


Interdisciplinary Teamwork


Well-coordinated collaboration among health care professionals toward a common goal (improved, efficient patient care).


Licensed Practical Nurse


A graduate of a 1-year school of nursing program who is licensed in the state in which he or she is practicing; provides direct care and functions under the direction of the registered nurse.


Native American Healing


The practices and healing beliefs of hundreds of indigenous tribes of North America. Native American healing is a combination of religion, spirituality, herbal medicine, and rituals.


Naturopathic Medicine


Alternative medical system that proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Treatments include nutrition and lifestyle counseling, nutritional supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.


Nurse Manager


A registered nurse who assists the director of nursing in carrying out administrative responsibilities and is in charge of one or more nursing units (may also be called unit manager, clinical manager, or patient care manager).


Nurse Practitioner (NP)


A registered nurse (RN) who has completed advanced education (a minimum of a master’s degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses.


Nursing Intervention


Actions undertaken by a nurse to further the course of treatment for a patient.


Nursing Service Department


Hospital department responsible for all nursing care administered to patients.


Nursing Unit Administration


Division within the hospital responsible for nonclinical patient care.


Outpatient


A patient receiving medical or surgical care while registered as an outpatient and whose doctor has not written an admission order. The patient’s doctor may order the patient to stay overnight for observation without writing an admitting order.


Patient Care Conference


Meeting of a patient’s doctor or resident, primary nurse, case manager or social worker, and other health care professionals for the purpose of planning the patient’s care.


Patient Support Associate


Nursing unit staff member whose duties may include some patient-admitting responsibilities, coding, or stocking of nursing units; job description and title may vary among hospitals.


Perioperative Services


Department of the hospital that provides care before (preoperative), during (intraoperative), and after (postoperative) surgery. It encompasses total care of the patient during the surgical experience.


Physician Assistant (PA)


One who practices medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons.


Physician Extender


A health care provider who is not a physician but who performs medical activities typically performed by a physician (includes nurse practitioners and physician assistants).


Primary Care Physician (PCP)


A general practitioner or internist, chosen by an individual to serve as his or her health care professional. Sometimes referred to as gatekeepers.


Registered Nurse


Graduate of a 2- or 4-year college-based nursing program or a 3-year hospital-based program who is licensed in the state in which he or she is practicing; may provide direct patient care or may supervise patient care given by others.


Remote Patient Monitoring


Use of wireless technologies to remotely collect and send data to medical professionals for interpretation.


Resident


A graduate of a medical school who is gaining experience in a hospital.


Shift Manager


Registered nurse who is responsible for one or more units during his or her assigned shift. Also may be called nursing coordinator or charge nurse.


Staff Development


Department responsible for orientation of new employees and continuing education of employed nursing service personnel. Also may be called educational services.


SWAT HUC, SWAT Nurse, or SWAT Team


A health unit coordinator, a nurse, or a group of health care workers who are on call for all units in the hospital to provide assistance as needed.


Note: the definition of “SWAT” is special weapons and tactics and is usually associated with specially trained policeman; when used in the context of health care it means “SWAT like, meaning that trained personnel are able to respond quickly when needed or called upon”


Team Leader


Registered nurse who is in charge of a nursing team. Also may be called pod leader or charge nurse.


Team Patient Care Model


Model of care involving a team that consists of a charge nurse and two or three team leaders, along with four or five team members who work under the supervision of each team leader.


Telecommunication


The transmission, emission, or reception of data or other information in the form of signs, signals, writings, images, and sounds or any other form, via wire, radio, visual, or other electromagnetic systems (from the ANA).


Total Patient Care Model


Model of care in which one nurse provides total care to assigned patients (also called Primary Care Model or Case Nursing Model).


Triage


Nursing interventions. Classification defined as establishing priorities of patient care, usually according to a three-level model: emergent, urgent, and nonurgent.





image EXERCISE 1


Write the abbreviation for each term listed.





image EXERCISE 2


Write the meaning of each abbreviation listed.





The Medical Staff


Often doctors and especially residents refer to the health unit coordinator (HUC) as their best friend. The HUC gives and receives messages for the doctors and residents, assists with the use of the electronic medical record (EMR), transcribes orders, locates charts and information, and is generally helpful.


A physician who has been appointed to the medical staff and who sends a patient to the hospital for admission is known as the patient’s attending physician. The attending physician may also be the patient’s primary care physician (PCP), a general practitioner or internist who has been chosen by an individual to serve as his or her health care professional and who is capable of handling a variety of health-related problems. The attending physician or PCP prescribes care and treatment (doctor’s orders) during the patient’s hospital stay and may be a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathy (DO). Both pursue identical approved programs of study, but colleges of osteopathic medicine place special emphasis on the relationship of organs to the musculoskeletal system. Structural problems are corrected by manipulation. Attending physicians are not hospital employees and receive no salary from the hospital. A hospitalist is a hospital-based general physician who is usually an internist, family practice physician, or pediatrician. Hospitalists assume the care of hospitalized patients in place of patients’ PCPs. This position was created in 1991 to enable family physicians to effectively manage their inpatient practices and treat more people in their outpatient practices. Hospitalists are employed by and receive a salary from the hospital. There may be other doctors on the staff (such as the director of medical education, the hospital pathologist, an infection disease doctor, or the director of radiation oncology) who are salaried hospital employees.


Large hospitals may offer an educational program in which medical school graduates can apply their knowledge to the practice of medicine. The term resident is applied to all medical school graduates who are gaining hospital experience. Such a graduate is frequently referred to as a postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) or first-year resident. A resident may be referred to as house staff or a house officer (HO).


Physicians who specialize in a particular aspect of medicine, such as pediatrics, internal medicine, or general surgery, spend 3 to 5 years in a specific residency program. After completing the residency and passing a specific examination, the physician is acknowledged as certified. Often after residency, a 1- to 2-year fellowship period provides the opportunity for the clinician to become more familiar with a specific area, such as cardiology. These practitioners are referred to as fellows. Some attending physicians serve as teachers of hospital residents.


Many physicians have chosen to practice in special fields and are known by their specialties. It is common to refer to a doctor by his or her specialty, as in the terms cardiologist, gynecologist, and pediatrician. In the course of work at the hospital, medical specialty terms may be required when one is referring to doctors (Table 3-1).



TABLE 3-1


Common Medical Specialties




































































































Physician’s Specialty Specialty Description
Allergist Treats patients who have hypersensitivity to pollens, foods, medications, and other substances.
Anesthesiologist
(Medical Doctor of
Anesthesia [MDA])		 Administers drugs or gases to produce loss of consciousness or sensation in the patient; care during surgery and recovery from an anesthetic is included.
Cardiologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Dermatologist Diagnoses and treats disorders of the skin.
Emergency room physician Diagnoses and treats patients in trauma and emergency situations.
Endocrinologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the internal glands that secrete hormones.
Family practitioner Specializes in primary health care for all family members.
Gastroenterologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the digestive tract.
Geriatrist Diagnoses and treats diseases and problems of aging.
Gynecologist Diagnoses and treats disorders and diseases of the female reproductive tract.
Hospitalist Assumes the care of hospitalized patients in the place of
patients’ primary care physician.
Intensivist Specializes in the care of critically ill patients, usually in an intensive care unit (ICU).
Internist Diagnoses and medically treats diseases and disorders of the internal organs of adults.
Interventional radiologist A board-certified physician who specializes in minimally invasive, targeted treatments.
Neonatologist Diagnoses and treats disorders of the newborn.
Neurologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the nervous system.
Obstetrician Cares for women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and after delivery.
Oncologist Diagnoses and treats cancerous conditions.
Ophthalmologist Diagnoses and treats diseases and defects of the eye.
Orthopedist Diagnoses and treats diseases or fractures of the musculoskeletal system.
Otolaryngologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT)
Pathologist Studies cell changes and other alterations of the body caused by disease.
Pediatrician Provides preventive care and diagnoses and treats diseases of children.
Physiatrist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the neuromusculoskeletal system with physical elements to restore the individual to participation in society.
Proctologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the rectum and anus.
Psychiatrist Diagnoses and treats mental illness.
Pulmonologist Diagnoses and treats pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases.
Radiation oncologist Treats cancer through the use of radiation.
Radiologist Diagnoses and treats diseases with the use of various methods of imaging such as radiography, ultrasound, scanning with radioactive materials, and magnetic resonance imaging.
Surgeon Treats diseases and injuries through operative methods; may specialize in a particular area, such as heart, eye, or pediatric surgery.
Urologist Diagnoses and treats diseases of the male and female urinary tracts and of the male reproductive system.

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Apr 8, 2017 | Posted by in MEDICAL ASSISSTANT | Comments Off on The Nursing Department and Medical Staff

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