Contributor: Saddam Hussain

Nursing is distinguished from other disciplines based on strong theoretical knowledge, and practice is based on evidence-based research. Nurses are often called angels as they not only provide physical care but also offer emotional, spiritual, and psychological support to patients during difficult times. This blog will present a case scenario about patient-centered care, discuss its importance, and barriers, and suggest strategies to implement patient-centered care in nursing practice.

A nurse was caring for a 60-year-old diabetic man admitted to the medical ward who liked to eat cultural dietary food in the hospital. He was not eating any other food and was reluctant to eat traditional meals such as white roti, rice, and dal during their illness in the hospital even though his blood tests were abnormal such as his blood sugar level exceeding the normal range. At that moment, the nurse honored his cultural values and preferences based on a healthy diet. Therefore, she involved the dietician in his care plan while managing the condition. The dietician recommended replacing the white roti with whole roti and adding brown rice rather than white rice. When these options and choices were discussed with the patient, he agreed to them and appreciated the nurse’s effort. This action of the nurse reflects patient-centered care, as the patient enjoyed eating culturally familiar food with the support of healthcare providers.

Patient-centered care is a mode of caring in which nurses give equal importance to patient’s values, needs, and preferences rather than only following the traditional way of caring in hospital settings. This way of relationship gives an equal chance for patients and nurses to make the best clinical decision for patients based on the patient’s personal characteristics and desires. Therefore, I suggest that nurses should adopt a patient-centered approach in their daily clinical practice for the betterment of disease treatment and promotion of health.

In addition, through this way, patients are empowered to take an active role with nurses to achieve their desired care based on personal wishes. This method of care will ultimately increase the nurses’ understanding of social and economic factors that may impact treatment and care. It is also important for nurses to understand about the unique characteristics of the individuals as they plan care, which is best appropriate for them and has many benefits.

There are multiple advantages to the utilization of patient-centered care for patients as well as for healthcare organizations. Numerous research studies have shown that patient-centered care improved patients’ satisfaction and reported better experiences than those under traditional care (Park et al., 2018; Rathert et al., 2013). Likewise, patient-centered care also shows improved patient outcomes, especially in managing chronic diseases, in which personalized care approaches encourage better management and fewer consequences of disorders like diabetes (Kuipers et al., 2019). Another key advantage of patient-centered care includes increased patient engagement in that it allows patients to take an active role in planning and engaging throughout their medical care decisions (Coulter et al., 2015). Moreover, it will also decrease healthcare costs and reduce service utilization by reducing unnecessary tests and procedures.

However, nurses could find many challenges and barriers while initiating patient-centered care. Some nurses may not want to bring changes to the current system due to established routines and skepticism. Besides this, lack of time in busy healthcare settings leads to difficulty in fulfilling individual patients’ needs. Hospital leadership and support are also needed for the initiative, which can hinder it. Next, the language differences between nurses and patients can also complicate patient understanding. Most importantly, the balance between patient preferences and evidence-based practices needs careful consideration.

Therefore, I am putting some suggestions for healthcare organizations and nurses to adopt strategies for the effective implementation of patient-centered care. The organization should reflect in its policies and procedures that encourage patients’ needs and preferences. Integration of patient-centered care during nursing education sessions can increase the understanding, knowledge, and skills of nurses and encourage them to adopt such practices in practical life. Nurses’ insight into patient-centered care can encourage the implementation of shared decisions, which enhances the relationship between patients and providers. Lastly, organizations should provide feedback opportunities and fill out patients’ satisfaction surveys for areas of improvement so that their voices can be heard.

In conclusion, understanding about patient-centered care is highly important for nurses and other healthcare professionals. It offers individualized care that respects patients’ autonomy, values, and preferences. This kind of relationship will improve patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and safety. Even though there are some challenges and barriers, employing strategies like shared decision-making and empathic communication ensures the delivery of better and individualized care. In the end, patient-centered care promotes the empowerment of patients and improves the quality and significance of healthcare.

References

Coulter, A., Entwistle, V. A., Eccles, A., Ryan, S., Shepperd, S., & Perera, R. (2015). Personalized care planning for adults with chronic or long-term health conditions. Cochrane Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd010523.pub2

Janerka, C., Leslie, G. D., & Gill, F. J. (2023). Development of patient-centered care in acute hospital settings: A meta-narrative review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 140, 104465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104465

Kuipers, S. J., Cramm, J. M., & Nieboer, A. P. (2019). The importance of patient-centered care and co-creation of care for satisfaction with care and physical and social well-being of patients with multi-morbidity in the primary care setting. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3818-y

Park, M., & Jang, I. (2021). “Walking in the patient’s shoes”: An innovative training method using storytelling to promote knowledge transfer of patient-centered care in hospital: A quasi-experimental study. Nurse Education in Practice, 56, 103199.

About Saddam Hussain

Saddam Hussain is currently a Ph.D. scholar at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. With a rich background in clinical practice, teaching, and administration, His professional journey has been deeply intertwined with a commitment to improving patient outcomes through holistic and patient-centered care. His standpoint as a nurse and educator stems from a belief in the transformative power of compassionate care and collaborative healthcare environments.