NR 451 Week 5 Assignment iCARE Paper

Grace J.
August 11, 2025August 11, 2025
CU BSN, NR-451

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-451: RN Capstone Course

Prof. Name

Date

Academic Integrity Statement

By submitting this assignment, I affirm, on my honor, that the work presented here is my own original effort, except where proper quotations and citations have been provided. I have not received unauthorized assistance in completing this assignment.

ICARE in Nursing

I currently serve in a remote capacity for a healthcare organization that offers in-home urgent care services to patients. Our approach relies heavily on an interdisciplinary care model, involving various professionals such as nurse care managers, social workers, behavioral health care managers, nurse practitioners, and licensed practical nurses. Each team is responsible for the management of approximately 400 patients.

To coordinate effectively, we hold a virtual morning huddle each day via Microsoft Teams to address patient concerns and share updates. However, due to the large patient load, these huddles are often too brief to cover all cases comprehensively. Furthermore, the absence of social workers and behavioral health team members from these meetings can limit the holistic exchange of information. Extending the duration of the huddles and ensuring full interdisciplinary participation could improve care coordination and outcomes.

Compassion

Compassion forms a cornerstone of nursing practice, enhancing the therapeutic relationship between nurses and patients, and contributing to improved health outcomes (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2021). It becomes easier for nurses to express compassion when supported by their interdisciplinary colleagues.

Compassionate care involves showing respect, empathy, and genuine concern for the patient’s well-being, as well as engaging in active listening to make patients feel heard and respected. In my telephonic nursing role, active listening plays an especially critical role. My team consistently applies this practice, both with patients and with each other, reducing miscommunication and strengthening our professional relationships. This, in turn, fosters better collaboration, which directly impacts patient outcomes positively.

Advocacy

Nurses hold the dual responsibility of advocating for their patients, their profession, and the public (Caves, 2022). Patient advocacy involves ensuring that individuals receive the necessary care and intervening when their needs are not met. Additionally, nurses are in a position to advocate for safe workplace conditions.

When unsafe practices or workplace violence occur, taking a stand becomes essential to protect both patients and staff. Interdisciplinary teams play a pivotal role in identifying, addressing, and revising unsafe practices or policies. Collaborative advocacy strengthens safety protocols, thereby safeguarding patient outcomes.

Resilience

Resilience, the capacity to adapt effectively during periods of adversity, is essential in the demanding and high-pressure nursing environment (Henshall et al., 2020). Nurses frequently encounter emotionally taxing situations, high workloads, and staffing shortages—factors that can lead to burnout.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of resilience-building interventions. These initiatives help restore emotional balance and reduce stress. My current organization actively supports such interventions. For example, all team members were granted a paid “compassion day” to use for personal well-being activities. Such initiatives enable healthcare providers to maintain their mental and emotional health, ultimately allowing them to deliver higher-quality care.

Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-based practice (EBP) underpins effective nursing interventions, ensuring that care strategies are supported by research and clinical evidence. In my current role, we apply EBP to reduce the rate of hospital readmissions within 30 days post-discharge. Research has shown that conducting a transitional care visit within three days of discharge significantly lowers readmission rates.

As a result, our organization revised its policy from seven days to three days for post-discharge visits. This change required adjustments from both nurse practitioners, who conduct the visits, and nurses, who schedule them. The success of this initiative relies heavily on precise coordination between team members. By adhering to EBP, we are able to improve patient health outcomes while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.