Aubrey thinks about primary nursing as a system to deliver care. Which of the following activities is not done by a primary nurse?
A. Collaborates with the physician.
B. Provides care to a group of patients together with a group of nurses.
C. Provides care for 5-6 patients during their hospital stay.
D. Performs comprehensive initial assessment.
Correct Answer: B. Provides care to a group of patients together with a group of nurses.
This function is done in team nursing where the nurse is a member of a team that provides care for a group of patients. Primary care nursing is when a single nurse is identified as the point of contact and primary caregiver for a patient during his or her particular hospital stay or other episodes of care. As envisioned by staff nurses at the University of Minnesota in 1969, the primary care nursing team is composed of that lead nurse, who directly supervises the engagement of a licensed practical nurse and/or nursing assistant in that patient’s care.
Option A: Further, the primary care nurse acts as a care partner, serving as a communications liaison between the patient and his or her doctor and other care team members. (In many facilities and systems, the position of nurse practitioner has been created to fulfill this role.)
Option C: The primary nursing model is hailed by proponents as creating a better bond and trust relationship between patients and caregivers, thanks to that single-source relationship. They say that the patient’s care is elevated by having that single nurse overseeing its delivery and that its structure empowers the nurse to utilize managerial abilities as well as deploy their best bedside care.
Option D: Primary health care (PHC) is a principle-based, comprehensive approach. It focuses on the way services are delivered, from birth to death, across the continuum of care in all settings.