Introduction
The United States has one of the leading health care systems globally, with quite a considerable number of patients to attend to around the clock. However, despite the technological advancements in the United States’ healthcare sector, patient experiences continue to stagnate and are somewhat on a decline. Considering the rapidly declining rate of patient experience in most, if not all, medical facilities across the United States, this essay seeks to lay out a holistic approach and plan that if effectively implemented and integrated into the health care system will revitalize the level of patient experience in the distinct medical facilities. The plan proposes the embracement of a holistic individual health plan that aids in understanding the patients’ condition and situation not only from a diagnostic point of view but also from their social, economic, religious, and cultural dimensions. With the holistic individual health plan, practitioners will identify, understand, and improve their medical condition, not to mention their social, economic, cultural, behavioral, and financial well-being.
Problem Statement
With the embracement and integration of modern technology in the healthcare sector, patients in the United States anticipate a profound and impressive consumer experience. However, considering the huge influx of patients seeking medical services on a daily basis, and the adoption of the conventional nursing practices, patient experience is rapidly on a decline as indicated in a recent survey published in 2019. The latter suggests that 81 percent of the United States' patients report compromised medical facilities experiences. It is important to address the issue of patient experience, considering that it is an integral part of healthcare service delivery. Also, the patient experience needs to be addressed since it helps in structuring patient-centered approaches that facilitate the attainment of positive, timely, streamlined outcomes that naturally complement the individual needs and expectations of the diverse patient base.
Background Discussion
As stated earlier, consumer experience is an integral part of the health care quality that includes aspects of health care delivery that patients value while at the medical facility. Therefore, practitioners should commit to tailoring their services to elements that facilitate timely appointments, easy access to information, and, more importantly, develop and nurture a robust communication with patients. However, over the years, patient experiences have been on a decline chiefly because of the overwhelming number of patients seeking medical services across the United States (Jasemi et al., 2015). Also, patients report instances where medics and nurses overlook their issues, thus misunderstanding their conditions and situations. Health care services are also inaccessible, particularly because of the embraced management structures. Therefore, it becomes hectic for patients to book an appointment or even access to other health services. In other terms, access to healthcare services lacks a point of convenience, especially in a populace where most, if not all, citizens are busy and occupied with their daily activities. Ultimately, unfavorable clinical atmosphere, wait time, and lack of transparency have also contributed to compromised patient experiences at the various medical facilities.
Typically, considering the issues compromising the level of patients’ experience, a holistic approach and plan would be the appropriate tool for restoring convenience, transparency, and understanding in the distinct clinical environments across the United States. While Florence Nightingale first proposed holistic nursing during the Crimean War, the proposed plan is yet to be integrated into the health care systems (Jasemi et al., 2015). However, implementation and integration of the holistic approach and plan in the health care system across the United States would transform patients’ experience, considering its approach to the diverse patients’ needs. Since holistic nursing is a comprehensive approach to the diverse patients’ needs, it focuses on a wide array of issues and not just their diagnosed condition. In other terms, implementation and integration of the holistic nursing approach would improve the patient’s experience since it heals the whole person by addressing and understanding their environment (Jones, 2010). The latter includes the patients’ social, economic, religious, and cultural aspects.
Typically, by addressing the patients' condition from their diverse environmental affiliation, patients feel understood, particularly because, through the holistic approach, nurses establish interpersonal and customized relationships. In other terms, holistic nursing improves the level of patient experience by developing interpersonal and personalized relationships with patients that facilitate in building up robust communication, thus understanding the patients’ condition in detail (Jones, 2010). In addition, holistic nursing will improve the level of patient experience since it uses alternative treatment procedures and medicine. In some instances, a holistic nurse combines traditional medicine with their holistic approach to addressing patient needs (Valizadeh et al., 2017). Usually, incorporation of conventional medicine and therapeutic procedures hold a central role in improving the patient's experience since they feel understood and involved in the diagnosis and treatment processes.
On the other hand, the holistic approach and plan will improve patients' experience across the United States, considering its nature of creating a relaxed and comfortable clinical environment, thus positively impacting the patients' treatment and healing processes (Valizadeh et al., 2017). Holistic nurses will create a relaxed and comfortable clinical environment by handling each patient as an individual and customizing their diagnosis and treatment processes. A positive clinical environment and transparency are also developed since a holistic nurse interacts with patients mindfully and respectfully while assessing the patient through open and sound communication (Valizadeh et al., 2017). Therefore, embracement and integration of the holistic approach and plan in the various medical facilities across the United States, patients would be contented with their level of service delivery, thus improving the level of patient experience and consequently their satisfaction.
Stakeholders
To implement the holistic nursing approach and plan, the proposed plan will involve the United States' federal and state ministries of health. The government will help in coordinating and availing the resources suitable for actualizing the proposed plan. Besides, this project will involve top medics from the distinct hospitals across the United States to help in structuring, enacting, and implementing the plan in their respective facilities. Ultimately, the project will involve four nurses from each hospital who will help in coaching and actualizing the proposed plan in their respective facilities. The first phase of the implementation program will take place at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
Outcome Statement and Evaluation Plan
Notably, to improve the patient experience across the United States' medical facilities, the proposed holistic nursing approach and plan need to be implemented in the distinct hospitals after the trial phase in about eight weeks. To establish the effectiveness of the proposed and executed plan, random patients from different hospitals will be requested to participate in a data collection process through questionnaires before and eight weeks after the implementation of the proposed plan. The health, federal, and state ministry will compare the data as provided by the distinct facilities’ management. Based on the competence and effectiveness of the plan, stakeholders can effect changes and adjustments accordingly.
Conclusion
Finally, implementation and integration of the holistic nursing approach and plan in hospitals across the United States will be of much importance, considering its influence in personalizing the diagnosis and treatment processes. In addition, the plan will aid in fostering relationships between patients and medics, thus nurturing transparency and robust communication, which are critical to an effective treatment process. Incorporating the proposed plan will also help create a favorable clinical environment that will facilitate the patients' healing journey. More importantly, by implementing and integrating the proposed plan, patient experience across the United States will change and transform the execution of healthcare services for decades to come.
