Role of the APN in Shared Decision Making

Compare and contrast your answer to the discussion question with at least one other classmate.
My classmate response:
When discussing the significance of interprofessional teams caring for patients, the center of focus is the patient and their family. The patient and family members are invited to collaborate and engage in the caring process through open dialogue, patient empowerment, and activation (DeNisco, 2024). This type of care can be described as person-centered care which entails individualized and holistic care that focuses on the patient and family and is developed appropriately for each situation. Intentional collaboration among the care team members, patients, and family members will enhance and strengthen the healthcare experience and outcomes (The essentials, 2021).
To produce patient empowerment and self-efficacy, the patient and clinicians must develop a shared decision process. This process entails the clinician and patient creating treatment plans and decisions that balance the risks and expected outcomes while respecting the patient’s preference of treatment. Recent evidence has shown that there is a major gap in communication between what the patient desires in terms of treatment and what the doctors believe is the best course of action for that patient. By implementing this shared decision process the goal is an increase in patient satisfaction, improved communication, and reduced costs. One study found that patients who engaged in their own decision-making regarding their health condition were more knowledgeable and reported a higher quality of life. Through improving communication, the patient will be able to develop trust with their providers which studies have shown positive patient-provider relationships significantly decrease mistrust amongst physicians and will provide the patient with more confidence in adhering to the medical advice and medications ordered. The patient’s outcome also demonstrates decreased anxiety and quicker recovery. Every patient has different preferences in their involvement within their care, however strong evidence suggests that more engagement tends to create a more sufficient patient outcome (Staren, 2019).
The advanced practice nurse must begin by determining the degree of engagement the patient desires within their care. The advanced nurse practitioner must converse with the patient in figuring out their driving factors and goals within their care. This will allow the development of a treatment approach that is best suited for that patient. Some patients learn and prefer from a clinician who takes the role of a coach or partner while others value a more personal approach revolving around questions of “What matters to you?”. While the approach varies, the three main motivators of shared decision-making remain constant: the nurse’s internal motivation, improved patient outcomes, and improved healthcare process (Staren, 2019).
The healthcare system benefits from patient-centered care through shared decision-making and should be the standard of care throughout the healthcare system. Advanced nurse practitioners must identify and present more than one medically appropriate approach to patient treatment. By implementing this care throughout all primary care, patient outcomes will improve dramatically and patient self-efficiency will continue to grow.

My response:
Role of the APN in shared Decision Making
There are many studies that have proven the need to involve patients and their families as interprofessional team members and integrate them into the decision-making process. For instance, according to the research, individual and family involvement improves patient outcomes and leads to increased reimbursement to hospitals (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). Role of the APN in shared Decision Making
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) should advocate for the inclusion of patients and their families for the own good of providing person-centered care. According to Domain 2, APNs should provide holistic, individualized care, facilitating patient advocacy and collaboration (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). Thus, APNs ensure that the patients’ voices are heard and that they have contributed their vision to the decision-making process. Additionally, nurses encourage patients to take a role in managing their health. Domain 6 underscores that APNs should collaborate with healthcare teams to make sure that the patients receive comprehensive care and that the families and patients contribute to the tailoring of the treatment plan (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
Above all, patient-shared decision-making (PSDM) is a collaborative process between two sides: healthcare providers and patients. The main goal of PSDM is to make shared decisions regarding the patient’s treatment plan.
PSDM has proved to be valuable for patients and caregivers for several reasons. First, patients who are involved in PSDM report higher levels of satisfaction with the healthcare services because they can voice their preferences and comprehend the risks and benefits of different treatment options (Healthcare Value Hub, 2019). PSDM enhances the levels of trust between patients and healthcare providers, which facilitates collaboration. Second, according to the research, patients feel empowered to make decisions based on their own preferences and are more engaged in the treatment process and, as a result, report better health outcomes (Healthcare Value Hub, 2019). Patients should have the appropriate knowledge to choose less-invasive and less-costly interventions, which allows for more adherence, and reducing healthcare costs.