The health care providers in Jennifer & Dustin’s story demonstrated several components of patient-centered care. They involved the patient’s family in care and decision-making. When Justin needed to be admitted to the ICU, the hospital attempted to reach Jennifer multiple times and held off on admitting him until she arrived. They were also considerate of the need of the patient’s family and friends to see him before his incubation. The doctor further demonstrated patient-centered care by sharing information with Jennifer regarding Justin’s condition so she could make informed decisions (Kuipers et al., 2019)
Lastly, the health care aid who attended to Justin focused on his emotional well-being, as much as his physical comfort. Justin needed to regain a sense of autonomy over his life, and she was able to perceive and meet this need. Access to care is one component of patient-centered care that could have been improved upon by the health care providers in the community hospital Justin initially visited. He was unable to access the care he required in this institution, and his condition progressively worsened for over 12 hours before he was transferred to a larger hospital.
Jennifer & Dustin’s story demonstrates the profound impact patient-centered care has on a patient’s loved ones. This might impact my future nursing practice by enhancing my awareness of the needs of patient’s family and friends. In a study on the views of healthcare professionals on patient-centered care, family and friends was found to be the least important dimension (Berghout et al., 2015). Giving a patient’s loved ones the last priority undermines the value of patient-centered care, which on health care providers to be mindful and empathetic and perform their roles with the goals of collaboration and solidarity (Epstein & Street, 2011).