Leadership and Clinical Governance

This article discusses the importance of patient participation in healthcare and strategies used by registered nurses to include patients in care plans and reduce risks. It emphasizes the role of leadership and governance in achieving quality and safe care outcomes.

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE
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Leadership and Clinical Governance
Name
Institution

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Patient Participation
Introduction
Healthcare systems in most countries globally continue to improve their services to
realize efficient and quality and nursing care. Quality care is best achieved when a registered
nurse possesses some leadership skills like the ability to engage the patients in the care plans
(Mannix, Wilkes &Daly, 2013). However, it is important that the patients are engaged in the
decision making processes regarding their health to ensure safe patient outcomes. The registered
nurse can apply some strategies to ensure that any health risks in patient care are mitigated by
including the patients in the care plan.
These quality care plans and safe patient outcomes are realized by effective clinical
leadership and governance. It is important to note that leadership and governance is a crucial
requirement in hospital care that helps in achieving the healthcare objectives and delivering
timely care (Heuston& Wolf, 2011). In this paper, therefore we will talk about the importance of
patient participation in healthcare to maintain quality and safe care outcomes. We will also
discuss some of the strategies that a registered nurse can apply in practice to help in including
patients in care plans and reducing risks.
Patient Participation
Actively participating in care plans is a safety priority for patients regarding their health.
The current healthcare setting has numerous priorities but with very limited resources. The health
practitioners must, therefore, measure the value of patient participation in the provision of care.
Patient participation in care is a form of patient-centered care that is based on foundations that
are mutually beneficial to the healthcare providers, the patient, and their families

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(Epstein,Fiscella,Lesser &Stange, 2010). Participation may be physical and verbal. Patients share
the responsibility of safeguarding their own wellbeing and thus improve safety in healthcare
(Longtin et al., 2010). It is important to include the patients in care plans as they can help in
retrospectively providing useful feedback regarding safety and quality health outcomes.
I believe that patient safety is a key focus for healthcare providers and governments
across the world. Focusing on the safety of patients as a strategy to manage risks is a strategy
that can be used to improve transparency, accountability, and the processes of decision making in
a healthcare system. Patient participation in care is thus becoming more of a necessity so as to
improve the safety of the patients and ensure quality health outcomes. Some of the attributes that
are associated with patient participation include decreasing nurse control, establishing patient-
nurse relationships, sharing knowledge and information between the patients and the health
practitioners, and intellectually and physically engaging the patients (Van de
Bovenkamp,Trappenburg, & Grit, 2010).
Improving patient participation in care has inherent values to the patients and their
families thus making it an important aspect in the provision of care. It is important to note that
patient participation correlates positively to the care processes that involve both prevention and
the management of diseases. Reports have indicated that patients demonstrate greater self-
management capabilities and quality of life when they are allowed to participate in their care
plans(Weingart et al., 2011). A case in point is diabetic patients that are believed to respond
better to medication as a result of the good relations they share with their care providers.
Additionally, patient participation in care improves the relationship between the patients and the
care providers that include doctors and registered nurses (Weingart et al., 2011). As a result,
adherence to medication is improved and response to medical plans becomes better. An example

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is chronically ill patients who achieve better care outcomes through patient participation.
Therefore, it is clear that patients who are involved in their care plans exhibit better health
outcomes.
It is important to have patient participation in the provision of care because this
participation gives the patients the opportunity to directly communicate their needs to the nurses
and also disclose their feelings regarding healthcare professionals. Participation additionally
keeps the patients informed early regarding any planned treatments thus being able to prepare
adequately and in advance for the treatment (Hibbard &Greene, 2013). Furthermore, they get the
chance to discuss the care plans with their nurses thus helping to improve the care outcomes.
It is also important to note that patient participation gives the patient a voice to speak for
themselves and attract the attention of the registered nurses. The participants see themselves as
partners in their care plans thus sharing important information with the nurses that may help t
correct the inaccuracies and misunderstandings that may arise from the care plans. The patients
become a party to the decision making processes that affect their health thus avoiding the passive
roles that some patients are accorded (Domecq et al., 2014). As a result, the patients trust the
healthcare providers to protect them from risks and maintain their safety.
Strategies Used by Registered Nurses
The inclusion of patients in care can help in reducing patients’ risks and improving care
outcomes. Nurses apply some strategies that ensure that the risks are reduced or mitigated. These
strategies may include teamwork and collaboration, patient-centered care, the use of evidence-
based practice, and institutionalizing a culture of safety.
Patient-centered Care

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The nurses can redesign healthcare to ensure that care is based on healing relationships,
the inclusion of the needs and values of the patient in care, by focusing the patient as the primary
source of control. This care should also be based on free-flowing information and shared
knowledge(Epstein et al., 2010). The application of a patient-centered approach to care can help
in improving the health outcomes and eliminating the disparities that may be associated with the
quality care that may be needed. This type of approach to care is believed to be interconnected
with both safety and quality of health outcomes since the patient’s role as a team member in care
can affect the quality of care received and the outcome of a care plan (Domecq et al., 2014). The
nurses can, therefore, partner with the patients and their families to come up with shared
decision-making and thus improving the knowledge of the patient and informing self-
management skills that improve safety.
Teamwork and Collaboration
It may be impractical to suggest that only one individual or group in a healthcare
organization can help in improving safety and care outcomes. Nurses can, therefore, make use of
teamwork and collaboration to improve outcomes and ensure the safety of the patients. Through
effective collaboration and teamwork between the nurse and a patient, communication is
improved (Barry &Edgman-Levitan, 2012). Studies have revealed that ineffective
communication causes problems such as misunderstandings, loss of information and relay of
wrong information among others. The skills of collaboration that can be used to include patients
in care may include monitoring, leadership, flexibility, and adaptability among others. As a
result, the medical errors made are reduced as the patients are allowed to speak up and say what
they feel. A collaboration which leads to effective communication between the nurse and the
patient is believed to have positive outcomes on patient health and safety (Leonard & Frankel,

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2011). The inability of the nurse to set up a collaborative environment with the patients leads to
disrespect, discord, and rude behaviors that may potentially jeopardize the safety of the patient.
Creating a Culture of Safety
Another strategy that may be used by the nurses to reduce patient risk is by embracing a
culture of safety within the healthcare setting. A culture o safety may be described as the creation
of the patterns of behavior, competencies, attitudes, and values of an individual and that of a
group (Sammer, Lykens, Singh, Mains &Lackan, 2010). These attitudes, values, and
competencies determines the organization’s commitment to its health and safety programs.
It can, therefore, be said that if the nurse establishes a culture of safety within the
organization then mutual respect and trust, shared perception regarding the health of the patient
are created. The safety culture may further be broken down to climate safety that involves the
patient’s perception of the factors that improve their safety (Weaver et al., 2013). It is also
believed that a higher safety culture is directly associated with improved health outcomes and
safety. It is therefore important that the nurse adopts a safety culture to help in improving the
safety of the patient and to enhance care outcomes.
Conclusion
This paper contributes to the existing evidence surrounding leadership in nursing and the
inclusion of patient participation in care. The possession of fundamental leadership skills by a
nurse helps in the provision of quality care. These skills also help the nurse in easily including
the patients in the participation of their health. Patient participation gives the patients the chance
to directly communicate their feelings to the nurse regarding some care plans and treatment
procedures. It also keeps the patients informed prior to a particular treatment procedure. As a

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result, patient safety and health outcome are improved. There are several strategies that can be
used to include patient participation in care. These include the establishment of a safety culture,
patient-centered care, and teamwork and collaboration among others. These strategies can help
the nurse in reducing patient risk in practice and thus ensuring safety and quality care.

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