IOM Competencies Case Study
Tiffany Jill
September, 28 2013

NUR 310 Nursing Leadership and Management

IOM Competencies Case Study Nurses who work night shift at hospitals are often faced with the dilemma of whether or not to call a physician for advice during the night. Fear of having to deal with an unpleasant doctor can be intimidating, as the physician is frequently asleep when being called. Failure to communicate has been linked to poor quality and patient errors, therefore nurses and doctors must communicate and work collaboratively in order to provide high quality and safe care to their patients. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends educating health professionals in five different areas: providing patient centered care, working in interdisciplinary teams, employing evidence based practice, applying quality improvement, and utilizing informatics (Yoder-Wise, 2011). Learning and applying these competencies will help nurses and physicians to deliver the best healthcare possible and lead to positive patient outcomes. The following will describe how IOM competencies can be used in healthcare. A decline in patient status can require needing further recommendations by the physician.
Nurses should assess patient situations early, as this could help to avoid waking a doctor. It is best to try and prevent calling doctors unless it is an emergency and cannot wait until morning. Other avenues should be pursued prior to reaching out for guidance to the doctor. Asking a senior nurse or a supervisor for assistance, support and guidance should be one possibility in trying to do whatever necessary to manage the situation. Applying evidence based clinical practice with standard protocols will help serve as a guide in treatment prior to calling.
If a physician does need to be contacted for further patient orders, the nurse should be organized prior to