Role of NMs in Patient Engagement
NMs must work with all stakeholders including administrators,
directors, clinicians, and patients to establish
and support a collaborative, interprofessional
team approach to change and lead clinical practice.
In partnership with nurse executives, NMs can serve
as change agents and champions for patient engagement
by providing resources such as time, money,
and the ability to leverage technology in order to effectively
manage patient care.16 NMs can empower
direct care nurses to make decisions about how to
engage patients and their families and provide support
to develop a culture of shared decision making.
Based on the definition of patient engagement and
the numerous roles of healthcare providers, it is imperative
to identify a central leadership role that can
influence the needed practice changes to create an
environment where patient engagement can occur.
NMs can fulfill this critical role.3,17
One model to support the NM_s role in patient
engagement is the ICM. It is designed to create an environment
where healthcare professionals and patients
or consumers can be true partners in care.10 It
provides a framework to enhance this relationship by
truly understanding what is important to each individual,
assessing that individual_s capacity to engage
engagement and determining appropriate measures
to assess the effectiveness of change.