PROGRESSIVE PATIENT CARE

PROGRESSIVE PATIENT CARE;

Progressive patient care is one of the nursing care concepts. The concept began to take shape in the middle of 1950`s, the over all aim of this concept was to organize hospital services in such way that the patient receives optimum care according to his medical and nursing needs.

Definition:
Progressive patient care is described as the organization of the hospital facilities services and staff around the changing medical and nursing need of the patient.
Progressive patient care is the area where patient are nursed in different units according to the illness suffered by them.

Description:
Under progressive patient care system, the patient is classified and place in different units of the hospital according to his need and not according medical diagnosis. The patient may need intensive care or long-term care and accordingly he is admitted to the appropriate unit irrespective of his medical diagnosis. The concept has under gone some changes over the years with the trend towards specialization, a variety of progressive patient care elements have been established under a decentralized set up in major department of large hospitals.

Principle elements of progressive patient care:
a)Intensive care – for critically ill patients who receive the intensive care around the clock, who need constant attention is admitted to intensive care unit. The purpose of this unit is life saving.
b)Intermediate care – when the patient no longer needs the close attention by the nurses they are transferred to the intermediated care unit when condition improves and vital function are stabilized.
c)Self-care – for the ambulatory patient who are mostly self sufficient in terms and need daily care requirement. Self care patient patients require minimal nursing care .self care patient are not ready for discharge, as they may need few more days to adjust to activities of daily living, particularly if they have been transferred to this unit from an intensive care unit. Example; patient recovering from acute poisoning.
d)Long-term care – for chronically ill patients or disabled patient who require nursing care for a prolonged period. Rehabilitation are occupational therapy and physical therapy may be needed for these patients. Patient teaching is emphasized with a view to help these patients learn how to adjust to their illness and disabilities.
Example; Paraplegia client, Cancer client.
e)Home care – for the patients who can be adequately cared for in the home through the extension of certain services. A hospital care based care programme provides staff, equipment and supplies for of the patient.
Example; Tuberculosis client.
f)Out patient care – for the ambulatory patient requiring simple diagnostic, curative preventive and rehabilitative services.

Advantages of progressive patient care:
To the client;
Clients receive specialized attention when they need it.
Get assistance in making adjustment to the hospital and later to home and community.
To the nursing personnel;
Can make effective use of special skills and capabilities.
Placement can be made according to skills and competencies of nursing staff.
Team can include semi skilled staff to extend the nursing services to low risk patients, can be under the guidance of qualified registered nurses.
Can deliver increased and improved quality of nursing services.
To the hospital;
Can enhance the quality of patient care as a result of effective and efficient use of personnel.
Can maintain continuity of care and co – ordinate home care services.
Disadvantages;
There may be discomfort to client who is moved often.
Long-term nurse client relationships are difficult to arrange.
There is often timely difficulty in meeting administrative need of the organization staffing, evaluation and accreditation.