A patient classification system based on the behavioral system model of nursing: Part 2

Staff have individually expressed enthusiasm for the development of a model of practice. Staff have commented that there is a point of reference to communicate with other disciplines as to what nursing is all about. It has given a sense of identity and purpose for some staff who had only vague ideas about the role of nursing. There is a tendency for blurring of professional roles among the various disciplines in the psychiatric setting, and the introduction of the model has helped clarify the role of nursing and its distinct as well as shared contributions to patient care. The impact of introducing a model of practice into the clinical setting is still evolving and only time and formal study will identify systematically the far-ranging effects. The general conclusion of clinical and administrative staff is that the process has been beneficial to both staff practice and patient care and that it has measurably enhanced the professional base of nursing at UCLA-NPI.