Synergy in nursing: partners-in-practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Decreased numbers of bedside care providers and support staff negatively impact registered nurse (RN) fulfillment.
• RNs face challenges in delivering knowledge-based care due to insufficient support personnel.
• High turnover rates and declining job satisfaction are prevalent issues in the nursing profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the development of voluntary relationships between RNs and support personnel.
• To examine the impact of nurse extender systems on clinical practice.
• To assess the potential of synergistic partnerships in improving nursing work environments.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploration of the RN-support person relationship dynamics.
• Analysis of the conceptual framework underpinning nurse extender programs.
• Examination of the clinical application and implications of these partnerships.

Main Results:

• Voluntary partnerships between RNs and support staff can foster a synergistic relationship.
• Nurse extender systems show potential for improving the work environment for RNs.
• The concept of partnership positively influences the delivery of clinical care.

Conclusions:

• Nurse extender systems, built on voluntary RN-support person partnerships, offer a promising solution to enhance job satisfaction and retention.
• These partnerships can lead to more effective and competent knowledge-based care delivery.
• Further implementation and study of these systems are warranted to address nursing workforce challenges.