Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Advanced Practice Nursing. Analysis of an evolutionary process through the review of the literature. |
|---|---|
| Name | Berselli Giulia |
| Supervisor(s) | Panzera Nunzio, Miccoli Rosa |
| Academic Year | 2012/13 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
At the present time, Italian and foreign health services are having to deal with major cuts in funding, with negative repercussions not only on the staff available and the actual number of health professionals, but also on the quality of care and patients’ health itself. Organisational changes, medical errors and the continually evolving health care needs of a population that is constantly on the increase and also ageing all the time are adding to the complexity of this crisis in health care provision. Over the years, the nursing profession has been transformed. With their sound scientific background and technical skills, today’s nurses have proved capable of dynamically evolving their working practices in response to changes in society and the health system, acquiring more and more innovative roles and competences. Within a hospital or any other health care facility, the nurse is the key professional figure, in terms of both the actual number of nurses present and the proportion of the patient’s care they provide. There is no doubt that acquisition on the part of nurses of greater practical and theoretical expertise, advanced practices and research and team leadership skills can potentially generate a substantial improvement in the first-hand care delivered to patients, and in view of the factors listed above, changes of this kind are essential. The concept of advanced practice nursing underlies a process of evolution of major importance for health, since it is the fundamental starting point for the transformation of the Health Service into a complex of more efficient, higher-quality services. Internal cohesion and legitimacy therefore become the crucial priorities for a fast-evolving nursing profession, which will need to show both unity and dynamism to demonstrate the full potential of the progress described, in response to the demands of a society undergoing constant change.