AACN SYNERGY CARE MODEL

AACN Synergy care model

AACN Synergy Care Model

Role of nurses is very important in our society. Different nursing models have been developed to improve the performance of nurses. Integration of contemporary nursing theories with nursing model helps in addressing the functional objectives of nursing profession. In contemporary healthcare system role of nurses have been formalized and reshaped at all levels. Multiple former Nurses Specialist model have been replaced with the evolution of contemporary nursing theories that aim at enhancing the coordination of nurses with patient and his family (Collopy, 1999).

A remarkable steady demand growth has been observed in past few years to improve the nurses' performance by the organization to enhance patient recovery and outcome. Need of nursing education and training has been increased due to advancement in hospital structure and medical treatment strategies. These changes have enhanced the responsibilities of nurses to a system-wide or organization-wide level. Synergy Model of nursing formed by the AACN was presented to increase the linkage between nurse performance, patient, and his family needs (Hardin, 2005). This model is based on the approach that the needs or distinctiveness in demand of patient and families impel the characteristics and competencies of nurses. This model was basically evolved to overcome the shortcomings of Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) which was limited by the traditional role defining for the assigned unit (Rich, 2010).

Different hospital and medical care facilities are integrating innovative nursing practice models. However, some of these models are still under evaluation phase. CNS Model was restricting the roles of nurses to certain contexts and was requiring reformation in the model structure to define the goal and management of performance. AACN Synergy Model is based on the factorial relation between patient, and his family needs and nurses. Almost, patients need fall on same range of need continuum. AACN Synergy model is based on the belief that nurse's actions are driven by the complex needs of patient, and his family (Hamric, 2005). CNS model does not integrate principle relation for the outcome of nurse's performance and patient outcome. The Synergy Model emphasize on eight knowledge domains of nurse's characteristics which include collaboration, clinical inquiry, clinical judgment, learning facilitation, systems thinking, practices of caring, moral agency, and reactions to diversity (Collopy, 1999). The important basis for the model is defined under the influence sphere of synergy model which include patient/family, nurse, and medical care system.

Historical background

In early 1990s, reformation was observed in conventional nursing model for developing a framework that can focus on patient. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses formed a think tank to converse about the changing paradigm of nursing practice. It conducted large scale investigations and concluded that the characteristics and competencies of nurses are being driven by patient needs (Annis, 2002). Therefore, it is necessary for a nurse to have expertise on a diverse spectrum of specialty dimension. AACN investigations were conceptualized in the Synergy model that addressed the concept of nurse performance in relation to matching with patient needs, resulting ...