Enhancing Nursing Capacity to Provide Patient Care in a Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Education
• Pandemic Preparedness

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems, necessitating rapid adaptation of care delivery models.
• Nurse leaders faced the dual challenge of managing anticipated patient surges and potential staff shortages.
• Existing healthcare workforce structures required reevaluation to maintain optimal patient care capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe strategies implemented by nurse leaders to enhance patient care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To detail the design, implementation, and outcomes of a collaborative care team model.
• To evaluate the innovative role of fourth-year nursing students within this model.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing the competencies of nurses and other healthcare professionals.
• Mapping out redeployment pathways for staff.
• Preparing staff for potential redeployment.
• Designing and implementing a collaborative care team model incorporating nursing students.

Main Results:

• The implementation of a collaborative care team model successfully enhanced patient care capacity.
• Fourth-year nursing students effectively contributed to patient care within the new model.
• The strategies allowed for flexible workforce deployment to meet fluctuating patient demands.

Conclusions:

• Innovative care delivery models, including the strategic use of nursing students, are crucial for managing healthcare crises.
• Proactive workforce planning and competency assessment are vital for pandemic preparedness.
• Collaborative care teams can improve resilience and maintain quality of care during public health emergencies.