Posted: September 6th, 2023

As an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)

During this advanced health assessment course, remember the vision is to become an advanced practice, certified nurse – as a NE, NL, or NP. Keep that goal in the forefront of your mind during this course. We will be looking deeper into health assessment, health promotion, and health prevention. Read the article Improving Healthcare by Embracing Systems Theory Links to an external site..

In your future advanced practice role, you will be managing integral processes in the health care system.

· With an understanding of Systems Theory, describe how you will be able to impact an identified system problem in the health care system from your soon-to-be advanced practice registered nurse role.

Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

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As an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), I will be managing and influencing integral processes within the healthcare system. Systems Theory provides a comprehensive framework to identify, analyze, and solve complex problems in healthcare systems. According to this theory, the components of a system are interdependent and connected, and any changes in one component can affect the entire system. Therefore, understanding and applying Systems Theory in my advanced practice role can help me identify and address the root cause of system problems, leading to improved patient outcomes and enhanced healthcare delivery.

One system problem in healthcare that can be addressed using Systems Theory is medication errors. Medication errors are a common and preventable problem in healthcare, which can result in adverse patient outcomes, increased healthcare costs, and legal consequences. According to Systems Theory, medication errors are not solely caused by individual factors such as lack of knowledge, skills, or training, but also by system-level factors such as communication breakdowns, workflow issues, and environmental factors.

As an APRN, I can use Systems Theory to identify the root causes of medication errors and develop interventions to improve medication safety. For instance, I can analyze the medication administration process using a systems approach to identify the different components involved, such as prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, and patients, and how they interact with each other. Then, I can use this understanding to redesign the medication administration process by implementing safety measures such as electronic prescribing, barcode medication administration, and medication reconciliation, to prevent errors and improve patient safety (Hughes, Lapane, Quilliam, & Gazarian, 2011).

Moreover, I can collaborate with other healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, nurses, and physicians, to implement these interventions and evaluate their effectiveness. This approach will require a multidisciplinary and coordinated effort to achieve the desired outcomes and sustain improvements in the healthcare system.

In conclusion, Systems Theory provides a useful framework to address complex problems in healthcare systems, such as medication errors. By applying Systems Theory in my advanced practice role, I can identify the root causes of system problems, develop and implement interventions, and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.

References:

Hughes, C. M., Lapane, K. L., Quilliam, B. J., & Gazarian, P. K. (2011). Drug-related falls in the elderly. Drugs & aging, 28(5), 359-376. https://doi.org/10.2165/11589190-000000000-00000

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