Implementation of a new model of management to increase the effectiveness of nursing specialists

Abstract

Issue/problem Nurses play a key role in the system of public health. The total number of nurses in Kazakhstan is 105,441 people (January 1, 2019), which is over 40% of all health workers in the health system of Kazakhstan. The continuing problem of insufficiently effective nursing service (NS) in the country prompted us to develop policy options to increase the NS effectiveness. Description of the problem Key problems of the NS in Kazakhstan include the ineffective management of NS in health organizations, which is associated with an underestimation of the role of nurses in the therapeutic and diagnostic process. There is also a discrepancy in the functioning of the system of nursing education, research and practice with European directives. There are inadequate regulatory acts governing the activities of nurses (including the lack of national guidelines, nursing standards, etc.). Results As a result of analyzing the current situation in the country and summarizing the data from systematic reviews, we were developed the Policy Brief on the issues of implementation of a new model of the NS management. As the key policy options, we proposed: 1. Improving the NS management in health organizations based on a revision of the role of nursing staff in the treatment and diagnostic process; 2. Improving the sectoral qualifications system of nursing specialists in accordance with European directives; 3. Ensuring the development of evidence-based nursing practices with the implementation of generally accepted international standards and models, the development of national guidelines and standards for NS. Lessons The proposed measures found support from the Ministry of Health and were included in the action plans. Each of these policy options contributes to increasing the effectiveness of NS in the health system of Kazakhstan, but these options provide more substantial achievement of the goal of enhancing the role and status of a nurse with their combined implementation. Key messages Implementation of a new model of the NS management in which nurses and physicions work on an equal footing and independently can significantly improve the efficiency of NS. Implementation of evidence-based approaches to the formation of a policy in the field of the NS development gives possibility to increase the effectiveness of the reforms in this field.