Nursing Theory - Methods of Nursing

Methods of Nursing

A nursing method, like a nursing theory, is an approach to nursing. However, nursing methods deal more with the overall logistics of running a health care facility than how nurses deal with individual patients. Methods of nursing address how to keep a health care facility running smoothly so patients get the quality care they need, and nurses are able to do the behind-the-scenes tasks they need to get done, such as charting or consulting with other members of the health care team.

For example, team nursing uses a staff of nurses to provide care for a group of patients. The nurses work cooperatively to provide care for all of the patients in the caseload. In module nursing, on the other hand, nursing assignments are divided based on where the patients are. For example, Nurse A is assigned to the patients in rooms one, three, and five, while Nurse B is assigned to the patients in rooms two, four, and six.

Different nursing situations call for different methods of nursing. What works in one clinic, hospital, or other health care facility may not work in another. The size of the nursing staff, number of patients, the specifics of illnesses or injuries, and the personalities of the staff all play a part in deciding what method of nursing is best. For example, a health care team in a nursing home may use team nursing so if a particular nurse has to spend extra time caring for an individual patient, the other nurses on the team can step in to help with the other patients without having to reassign or juggle nursing assignments. Like anything else in nursing and the health care field, methods of nursing are very dependent on the specific circumstances being addressed.

The method of nursing used will often be determined by whoever is in charge, whether it be a nurse supervisor or a physician. However, a staff of nurses may decide on their own to use a particular type of nursing that works best for their situation.