Gone are the days when the physician acted alone to provide patient care. Healthcare has become a team effort, with the patient being the center of the care provided.
A 2011 research article titled “How much time do nurses have for patients?” reported that nurses spent 81% of their total time on activities related to the patient care team. This included: 24.8% on patient direct care, 16.1% on patient indirect care, 20.9% on patient medication tasks and 19.2% on professional communication with other healthcare professionals. The team approach has also gained support through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by incenting care providers to improve the quality and effectiveness of care and join accountable care organizations.