Change In Patient Populations

Nursing and healthcare are changing at a rapid pace. Also changing are the patients that receive care. Advances in technology, improvements in medical care, and demographic shifts are all factors that are impacting patients and patient care. Nurses must be aware of these issues and must work to modify care such that these concerns can be practically addressed when providing clinical care. The following essay expounds on these topics in more detail.
Keywords: patient, nursing, technology, demographics, change How Patients Have Changed
Nursing and healthcare have undergone significant changes over the course of the last several decades. Technology as well as advances in medical science have increased patient longevity and have also increased the complexity of care required for patients. Further, the demographic composition of the general population has become more diverse, leading to higher levels of diversity within patient populations. What this indicates is that while healthcare has changed, so too have patients. In an effort to review the scope and magnitude of this issue, the current essay considers how patients have changed and how nurses need to prepare for these changes in order to provide the best possible patient care.
Changes in Patient Populations …show more content…
Technology and improvements in medical care have resulted in the ability of many individuals to live longer lives with chronic health conditions. Issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer which once often resulted in early mortality for the patient can be effectively treated, prolonging the patient’s life for years and, in some cases, decades. This change has resulted in an increase in the number of patients with multiple morbidities, increasing the complexity of patient care. Nurses must be prepared to provide complex care in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for