Discussion Board 3

Elizabeth M Borkowski

Discussion Board Question 3

American Intercontinental University

March 2, 2013

Question- How does the nursing structure of a nursing home facility differ from that of a general acute care hospital? Why? Are these differences necessary?

Nursing care within any setting is a vital aspect of an individual’s recovery; particularly in acute care hospitals and nursing home facilities. Each provides a different degree of nursing care to the individual based on specific needs. Although, uniform in the goal to be reach, which is sustainable health for the individual in question, each facility’s nursing responsibilities are tailored to the client on the level of which nursing care is needed.

Acute care hospitals provide care in settings where clients are treated for brief but, at times, severe, episodes of illness. Acute care can be linked to facilities like “emergency department, ambulatory care clinics, or other short term stay” settings (ACBA, 2011). Most frequently, we observe acute care in hospitals, “which typically offers both inpatient and outpatient care in specialty areas including but not limited to emergency care, ICU, coronary care, etc.” (ACBA,2011). In acute care facilities, “they may offer higher nurse-to-patient ratios, including licensed nursing staff especially trained in acute care” (ACBA, 2011).

Long-term attention is a notion that involves a full band of care provided in a wide variety of settings. This type of care “includes everything from long term acute care to nursing home care to assisted living and even hospice care” (ACBA,2011). Longstanding care is necessary when you have a chronic illness or debility that provides the need for “assistance with activities of daily living” (ACBA, 2011). The person’s “illness or disability could include a problem with memory loss, confusion, or disorientation (This is called cognitive impairment and can result from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease)” (ACBA, 2011). Numerous...