title: Care model transformation: a necessity, not an option.
abstract: The authors describe the need for a new approach to the delivery of patient care in the acute care setting. The case for a different care model is proposed and provides information on how a new approach clarifies registered nurse (RN) responsibilities to maximize the valuable resource of professional practice, the nurse of the future. This model proposes the patient care work being allocated between 2 groups of point-of-care providers: the professional RN and the patient care technologist. The transformed care model requires a departure from the traditional task-focused nursing education and practice and moves professional RN education to one that requires knowledge access and critical synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Loewenberg School of Nursing, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA. jthomas1@memphis.edu
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herrin
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care