Nursing care delivery model, in which staff members are assigned to complete specific tasks for a group of patients, is called _________.

Appeared in: SGPGI Nursing Officer-2024

Explanation

Functional Nursing is a task-oriented model where nursing duties are divided and assigned to different staff members based on their skills and licensure.
The core principle is the division of labor, where each staff member performs specific, repetitive tasks for a large group of patients.
This model was designed for efficiency, especially in settings with nursing shortages, as it allows a smaller number of licensed nurses to oversee care provided by less-skilled personnel.
A major drawback is fragmented care, as no single nurse is responsible for the patient's total care, potentially leading to communication gaps and decreased patient satisfaction.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: This is not a recognized, standard term for a nursing care delivery model. It is a distractor option with no formal definition in nursing management.
Option C: Primary Nursing is a model where one nurse assumes 24-hour accountability for a patient's complete plan of care from admission to discharge. This is a patient-centered, not task-centered, model.
Option D: This option is incorrect because a correct answer, Functional Nursing, is provided in the options.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Nursing Care Delivery Models helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Functional nursing is often seen in long-term care facilities or may be implemented during crises (like a pandemic) or severe staffing shortages due to its efficiency.
Nurses working in this model must be vigilant about communication during handoffs to prevent tasks from being missed and to ensure a complete picture of the patient's status is shared.
A major patient safety risk in functional nursing is the lack of a holistic view. A nurse focused only on medications might miss subtle changes in a patient's condition that a primary nurse, responsible for total care, would be more likely to notice.

How to Approach the Question

First, analyze the question to identify the key defining characteristics of the nursing model being described. The keywords here are 'staff members are assigned to complete specific tasks'.
This immediately points to a system based on the division of labor by task or function.
Next, evaluate each option against this core concept.
Recall or deduce the definitions of the models. 'Functional' nursing directly relates to performing specific functions or tasks.
'Primary' nursing implies one main nurse is responsible for the whole patient.
'Alternative' nursing is not a standard term, making it a likely distractor.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Nursing Care Delivery Models
Stem keywords: nursing care delivery model, staff members, specific tasks, group of patients
Lead-in keywords: is called
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Q4Sy5fFQzTOZGgHaFhbJny

Reference Book

E6 Principles and Practice of NURSING Management Leadership for BSc Nursing 3rd Edi Jogindra Vati — Subpart A (pp 26-339 of 1017) pp. 205-207, 208-210

E6 Textbook of Nursing Management and Leadership I. Clemen — Subpart A (pp 26-327 of 982) p. 256-258

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