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A NURSE IS A MEDICAL EXPERT. A Physician makes a medical diagnosis. Some are under the mistaken belief that the Nurse can act only under the shadow of a Physician. Many don't realize that the Nurse also makes a diagnosis- it is called a "Nursing Diagnosis" and it is based on the Nursing Assessment of objective and subjective data. The American Nurse's Association (ANA) states that "the discipline of Nursing has taken responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment intervention of human responses." The interpretation of human response is a complex endeavor and requires learned critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is an essential component of the professional accountability of Nursing and is NOT simply common sense. It is the ability to assess and respond to problems using the time-proven Nursing Process effectively by employing logical reasoning, prediction and transforming knowledge. It is the foundation for a successful Nursing Practice, and it must be learned and then sharpened by experience. The Nurse compiles the cumulative benefits of her assessment, judgment, and experience to compile an individualized Care Plan for that specific patient. The care plan IS her practice, it in turn guides her actions, directs her decisions and qualifies her judgment. A Care Plan, simply put, is Nursing at it's finest. ((Short and Sweet and to-the-point Version: Your guy is hurt. We go and check him out using our specialized training. We note all current medical problems and then get with all his doctors to make a big comprehensive list of his predicted medical outcomes and needs- based on current and likely complications. We make a list of all supplies needed, equipment needed, maintenance on said needed equipment, assistance needed, home modifications needed, therapies needed (etc, you get the picture) and add that to the LONG list of medicines and medical procedures. We do the research on how much that is expected to cost, trying our best to get reasonable prices and local providers. We figure out his life expectancy and multiply those yearly totals by the number of years he is expected to live. We present this whoppin' large but reasonable sum to you, to work with in mediation or to present to a jury. It's simply stated in narrative and easy to read tables. You'll look good because it is not overblown or unnecessarily inflated to make us more popular with you. We've seen home bowling alleys and hand control RV's for those who didn't have an RV before, put into Care Plans. We don't need to do that. Soapbox: For example...adding simple KY jelly to a LCP so that a man can straight cath himself with injuring his urethra added $5,000 to the bottom line. When you are thorough, the money will be there. Would you rather defend the rediculous bowling alley versus essential items such as KY Jelly, velcro buttons ($5000), bottom buddies ($1800), or a lifetime prescription for an antidepressant ($62,500)? Now who is going to argue with you about enabling a man to cath without injury, button his own shirt, wipe his own bottom, and have access to a medication to help him cope with needing the other three? And if someone does argue, who do you think will win? AND, would you have thought of the jelly, the buttons and the bottom buddy? Would you have thought of biyearly testosterone level testing as he will need adequate levels tor healing and muscle and bone strength ($4100) If not, then that's why you need us. Thank you.)) The Long (And More Professional) Version: A LIFE Care Plan is an extensive and all comprehensive Care Plan for the catastrophically injured client, and requires collaboration of all of the health care disciplines to provide for the client through the remainder of his life. Since Life Care Planning is a functional specialty of the Nursing field, a Nurse should be the obvious author of choice. Nurses are also naturally the hub of the "healthcare wheel" as they coordinate and facilitate communications between all the disciplines to pull together the big picture for the patient. A Nurse who has been specially trained to do this and has passed a National board assessing evaluation techniques, field knowledge, and comprehensive insight, is considered "certified." Life Care Plans can be written for older clients who want to simply make sure that their health needs will be met as they age. They are more commonly written for Catastrophic Injuries, meaning an injury that has significantly altered a current or future lifestyle, the ability to perform self care tasks and the tasks of daily living, as well as the ability to support oneself or one's family. These types of injuries can include: Integrity's Certified Nurse Life Care Planner will assess your client and collect data regarding physical, rehab, psychological, cognitive, functional, developmental, sociocultural, spiritual, and economic needs/aspects of your client's lifestyle. She may recommend evaluations by other disciplines to identify unrealized needs. Her goal will be to strive for maximum independence for your client, thereby contributing to his quality of life and long-term wellness. This may require allowances for teaching, counseling or other empowerment techniques for him, or for his family. She will use her multidisciplinary specialized knowledge of the Healthcare system to collaborate and communicate with the other disciplines in order to provide the most comprehensive plan possible. The costs on our Life Care Plans are based on current American dollars and on estimates obtained through interviews with suppliers and healthcare providers. It will allow for medications, equipment replacement costs, prophylactic medical treatment, "blocks" of therapy or counseling as indicated ( for example, considering the developmental stages of children as they age). These "actual" and researched costs tend to reveal our plans as reasonable, logical, current, and non-negotiable. These costs will not reflect inflationary trends, those should be referred to an economist. If written long before trial, the Life Care Plan will need to be reviewed and updated periodically to make sure that it retains its accuracy based on your client's ever-changing health status and needs. We are also available to critique the opposing counsel's Life Care Plan for you and hold it to our own guidelines for reasonableness, accuracy, and need. We put great big red X's through bowling alleys. At Integrity Consulting, we tend to rely on the KISS ("Keep it SO simple!") method as much as possible. We believe the medical processes can be complicated enough and strive to incorporate simple and effective tables, when needed, to promote clarity. Your Client's Life Care Plan will be easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to explain to a jury. And let's don't forget, easy to defend. |
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