THE ROLE OF NURSING IN PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND COORDINATING CARE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

Comprehensive care is a concept that is increasingly being used in health services. The term comprehensive care is habitually used to describe a certain type of health service; one that covers health care for individuals in all stages of life and in all areas (Renghea et al., 2023). From a professional point of view, comprehensive care refers to comprehensive nursing care techniques, protocols, programmes, and plans that cover care in all areas of the individual. There is discussion of plans that comprise care in all areas: biological, psychological, social, and health education. There are standards applied to comprehensive care that necessitate a care plan drawn up for each patient. The nursing profession discusses comprehensive care plans as plans that cover care for the individual on all levels. This involves different specialised carers working together with agreed-upon care actions.

Coordinated care is considered to be a comprehensive care plan that covers a single type of care, for example nursing care, and in which the co-operation of several nurses is coordinated by one nurse. The Nursing Care Process is highlighted as a tool that is used to implement a care plan. With regard to nursing care, this includes a vehicle that allows the provision of comprehensive care applied to the needs triggered by a disease, including various activities involving care technique intervention, observation, and health education. Each nursing care need should result in a care plan being drawn up, including objectives and planned nursing care techniques. Evaluation of the care plan is necessary for the patient to whom the care is provided. Changes in nursing care need qualifications, in other words further education. Concerning theoretical training, this should focus on the health-disease process, diagnosis, treatment, and approach to the patient.