Essay on Leadership, management and informatics

In order to improve the work force and the services provided to individuals in clinics while reducing the cost of health care, health care organizations have developed methods of increasing the service to the patients while reducing or maintaining the cost of health care.  One of the methods was the development of large scale integrated clinical information system which catered for the care and management of the clinical practices.

The change from assistant practitioner to health care assistant ment that my job description was altered. In the job as an assistant practitioner I did not necessarily get into contact wit the patients in this case children in the nursery but as a health care assistant I have to be in physical contact with them. As an assistant practitioner my roles were designed to provide a high level of support to registered staff from the children’s section in the hospital. The aim of the assistant practitioner is to develop skills and knowledge to plan and implement the care and needs of the patient, to ensure that the patients get quality care and assistance through research, to develop appraisal skills to be able to identify areas for personal and professional development and support training the training and growth of her colleagues. As an assistant practitioner my role was seen as a key in development of the future in terms of health and social care.

As a health care assistant I will be physically involved in the daily management of the nursery. Washing, dressing, moving, changing diapers, making the beds, taking temperatures, measuring weight, and feeding will just be a few of the tasks that I will have to undertake. My shift will be more demanding and an average of 37.5 hours a week will be required. I will have part time shifts and flexible working hours. Incase I am required in the research lab I will be available.

The reason for the change in career is my based on my passion and my gift for care especially for the children. Working in this department will ensure my gift grows and that the children who require my help get it. In this hospital the task is at an experimental state and I believe that a good foundation will result to good provision of services to the consumer. With the support that I have received during my work as an assistant practitioner being extended to my work as a health care assistant I believe we will succeed. The idea of working more hours in the nursery and having early shifts on Mondays to Friday may look challenging but I believe as much as am looking forward to the work I will succeed.

The health care industry is vast and complicated. Understanding the roles played by each force is difficult. The innovation of a non disruptive and friendly system is essential to deliver worthy services to the consumer. This is the reason why the change from assistant practitioner to a health care assistant is essential. The influence on innovations is highly dependant on the motivation and the abilities of an individual. This is will result to developments.

The major signal of change is motivated by the idea that I will be closer to the patient in the health care assistant job as compared to the initial job of an assistant practitioner. This will give me motivation and hence more earnings for me. The other issue is the idea that new discoveries will not pass me by. In the health care assistant job I will have an opportunity to participate in the research laboratory about any arising issues; this will be an opportunity in the discovery of cures and management of diseases that may affect the children. It is also true to say that there are some procedures that the highly trained professionals will not undertake as they will seem so little to them, on the other hand the same procedures will be a great opportunity for me and I will be happy to carry them out.

The major challenge I will face will be the temptation to treat the sickest children through medical evaluation which may cause a disruption in my work as the task may also be challenging to the highly trained personnel in the hospital.

My recommendation for the management and the future of the neonatal clinic in the hospital involves: first the nurses should be efficiently trained to enable them take up leadership challenges at all levels. This will involve the training of newly recruited nurses in the management of their work and everyday delivery of care to the patients. As a good leader in the nursing team I will ensure that I influence the other nurses to carry out their tasks in the appropriate manner, I am a strategic thinker and therefore any emergencies that require my care will be well handled, the future of a hospital is in the hands of its staff members and the leaders ought to be efficient in the management of the hospital.

Poor standards of care are associated to poor leadership by the government and hence there are various institutions that have been developed to check on the standards of a hospital: this institutions have various roles which include: educating the leaders to become better in their practice and in the making of policies, also they help the nurses translate their knowledge into a brighter and broader health picture and finally they are involved in the development of mechanisms that help the hospital acquire better political influence.

In the nineteenth century the role of care for the new born babies was left in the hands of health care nurses. The development of special baby care units after the Second World War eased the care provided by the nurses especially to the babies who were born pre maturely. In some hospitals, due to the high cost of incubators warming of the room was administered; this led to the increased cross infection of diseases from one baby to another. The nurses also had to wear protective clothes when carrying out their duties in the nursery. The parents were not allowed to visit their children but instead they would watch through the window of the nursery. There has been increase in technology that has enabled the babies to get better health services. The babies who were born at home reached the hospital safely and their lives were monitored well.

There are various machines that have been developed and used in the neonatal clinic. Incubators are a special machine that helps to keep the baby’s temperature at the right level, babies can be able to maintain their temperatures but they cannot attain the right temperatures for the correct functioning of their bodies. Incubators can be closed at the top with a lid or they can be open depending on the baby’s requirement. The other types of machine are the monitors. Monitors exist in two versions: firstly there are monitors that check for the vital signs of the baby, these types of monitors keep track of the babies heart beat, rate of breathing, blood pressure and the temperature. The wires from the monitor are stuck to the baby’s chest by use of pads. This can be a very scary sight for the mother and therefore it is advised that the nurse should explain to the mother the events that are taking place. Also the monitors have very loud alarm systems which often go off and therefore scare the mother. The nurse is advised to enlighten the mother about the various alarm sounds that the vital signs monitor produces in order to re assure her of her baby’s health. The other type of monitor is the blood saturation monitor which is usually attached to the foot of the baby.

There are also machines that assist the baby inbreathing, this include: ventilators are used to assist very premature and weak children they assist the lungs in breathing by pushing air in the lungs using tubes. Another machine is the   continuous positive airway pressure which helps to inflate the lungs and keeping the m open to ensure the child breathes with ease. It is usually passed through the nasal cannula. Oxygen is also provided to the child it is provided through a mask or nasal cannula. Also the invention of special lights that prevent the child’s skin from turning yellow due to the effect of bilirubin build up as the child’s skin cannot excrete if fast enough.

In the neonatal unit there are tubes that have various functions:  there are drips, lines and catheters which help to deliver fluids, medicine and nutritional supplements in the baby’s body. The tubes are usually place in the arteries and they check on the baby’s oxygen and blood pressure. There are also infusion pumps which ensure that the medicine being delivered in the baby’s veins is delivered in the appropriate rate and speed. There are also feeding gastric tubes which are used by babies who are well enough, they tube usually goes through the nose and mouth and is used to deliver milk to the stomach.

The health of tomorrow is dependant on the working capabilities of our nurses and doctors. the management and leadership in the hospital plays a major role in the development of a healthy nation. Leaders with a vision are essential to attain this goal. The ancient times where the leaders were not a necessary thing in the forward movement of an institution or a company are gone. It is time for us to have great leaders and good management policies which can assist in the forward movement of our endeavors.

My degree in maternity and family support will ensure that good leadership skills are employed as I work as a health care assistant. My experience developed as an assistant health practitioner will ensure smooth movement in the daily routine of the hospital since it will be on familiar grounds. The degree I am pursuing will enable me be an innovative leaders and work with the staff in the appropriate manner. The availability of various role that the degree pursuers can attain allows for diversity in various academic principles while the pursuers broaden and enhance their skills.