SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN NURSING
An experience of how patient care environment affect sustainability
Patient care refers to the services offered by health professionals to prevent, treat, and manage illnesses and preserve the mental and physical wellbeing of patients. All patients have a right to quality and affordable patient care in a manner that promotes sustainability.
While working in the hospital, a woman presented with early stage labor. However, she was bleeding and stated that her water broke with the presence of meconium. The unborn baby also had a nuchal chord. The response from the staff was quite efficient as the life of both mother and child was at stake.
Firstly, the nurses took her vitals while notifying the maternity wards of her presence and condition. The resident gynecologist efficiently examined her and quickly prepared the theatre for an emergency cesarean section. Despite the obvious pain, the doctors were patient as she slowly filled the consent form and rushed her to the operating room. The anesthesiologist quickly informed her on the procedure and a successful operation was done. She was then sent to a recovery room, administered with effective intravenous drugs to alleviate her pain and aid her recovery. The food she was provided with was also well balanced and suitable for her body.
This experience promotes sustainability as the fast response from the healthcare workers led to preservation of life. Also, the drugs administered have no harmful effects to the environment. The foods provided for her are essential for wholesome recovery with limited wastage.
The patient care given to the patient promotes a positive healing environment through providing an ambient environment offering a calm and peaceful surrounding which is important for healing. Also, the social support, empathy and compassion offered by the nurses, doctors and other patients enable the patient to interact and associate with the rest of the world, hastening her healing. The nurses and doctors are also in constant communication with the patient, making her aware of her condition thus giving her peace of mind. The drugs are also administered right on time and in rightful dosages (Fleiszer, A. R., Semenic, S. E., Ritchie, J. A., Richer, M. C., & Denis, J. L. (2015).
Hospital policies
Firstly, the environmental policy on the use of renewable energy sources, minimization of wastes, safe treatment and disposal of the wastes support sustainability by limiting the quantity of harmful wastes released to the environment. The quality policies on employing qualified and competent hospital staff reduce the cases of misdiagnosis and use of unsuitable drugs thus improving sustainability.
Moreover, the food safety policies aimed at implementing procedures that prevent and eliminate food safety hazard at production and service labels support sustainability. The purchase of mostly organic food yields that are ecofriendly and easily degraded.
Theses policies mean that the hospital is committed to providing holistic healthcare, while putting into consideration the impact it has on the patient’s welfare, staff welfare and the general community living within the hospital’s vicinity. Also, it means that with proper measures, the environmental, social and economic sustainability in healthcare can be achieved and maintained.
In practice, the hospital uses solar energy for most of its functions. Numerous times, before a diagnosis is given to the patient, several laboratory and diagnostic tests are done to ensure accurate diagnosis. The drugs dispensed also have the least harmful effects and compounds. Besides, the food provided are wholesomely healthy and free of pesticides and herbicides.
Strengthening sustainability
Healthcare sustainability requires evaluation of systems such as infrastructure and organizational practices, and well-informed budgeting plans. Firstly, generating a schedule for preventive maintenance is critical. This is because maintenance is frequently done in healthcare settings. These maintenances take up most of the funding in the hospital. Scheduling it when budgeting prevents incurring additional costs that decrease sustainability (Goodman, B. (2016).
Furthermore, hospitals constantly upgrade, modify, expand and change its facilities use of space and addition of equipment. These changes and maintenance are done by different facility staff which could lead to miscommunication, thus hindering sustainability. Good leadership and improved communication channels can promote sustainability. Any malfunction can be easily identified and managed with little impact to the environment (Goodman, B. (2016).
Also, reduction of energy use improves healthcare and promotes better experiences with patients. This can be achieved though improved population health. Reduced per capita cost and better patient experience. Evaluating the existing hospitals current systems and equipment goes a long way in energy assessment (Goodman, B. (2016).
Holistic nursing and sustainability
Holistic nurses need to continually educate themselves on the significance of environmental sustainability; Understanding how their processes and practices can improve sustainability. Besides, they must actively be involved in practices that are sustainable to the environment, thereby encouraging changes in behaviors. In addition, holistic nurses incorporate sustainability policies and statements in decision making and understand the unity that exists between better healthcare provision, financial sustainability, and healthcare efficiency with environmental sustainability. Also, they need to liaise and create partnerships with other health departments and the government on efforts to enhance sustainability in healthcare (AnAaker, A., & Elf, M. (2014).
Caring ingredients that support sustainability
Caring ingredients supporting sustainability include coordination and integration of various areas of healthcare and providers, improvement in the accuracy of diagnosis, implementation of better communication mediums and use of innovative technologies such as e-health, teleconferencing and sharing of live data (AnAaker, A., & Elf, M. (2014).
REFERENCES
Goodman, B. (2016). Developing the concept of sustainability in nursing. Nursing Philosophy, 17(4), 298-306.
Fleiszer, A. R., Semenic, S. E., Ritchie, J. A., Richer, M. C., & Denis, J. L. (2015). An organizational perspective on the long-term sustainability of a nursing best practice guidelines program: a case study. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1), 535.
AnAaker, A., & Elf, M. (2014). Sustainability in nursing: a concept analysis. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 28(2), 381-389.