The nurse's contribution to care

The concept of health needs as envisaged by the nurse and the challenge of the changing setting to nursing are explored with regard to the nurse's contribution to care against the background of change. Advances in medical science and technology tend to result in increasing specialization in health care and a complex organizational structure for its delivery. These and other factors tend towards fragmentation of care. Care is the concern of all health workers and needs collaboration based on mutual trust and respect. The nurse makes not the only but a unique contribution to care. In the primary care team she has information about the patient as a 'whole' person and about his or her family on the basis of which she can assess total needs and make appropriate arrangements for these to be met. She communicates with the medical and other members of the health professions in the interest of coordinated and total care, including continuity of care between home and hospital, where appropriate. In hospital, nurses are the only professional workers providing a continuous and direct caring service. Care is a concept implying a measure of constancy and continuity. These two aspects, reinforced by communication, coordination, explanation, education and empathy, are some of the main components in the nurse's contribution to care.