Patient Centered Care was developed to improve continuity of care and address RN perceptions of lack of autonomy, underutilization, and communication barriers.  These factors combined with an aging workforce and increasing numbers of novice nurses drove the development of the model.

The explicit goal was to recognize the professional knowledge and expertise of the registered nurse to:

• Determine patient care needs and facilitate improved patient outcomes
• Determine staffing needs on an individual unit
• Improve patient satisfaction by eliminating layers of communication
• Create an interdisciplinary community of camaraderie

An internal research process identified traditional layers of nursing management hierarchy as prohibitive to RN autonomy, RN accountability for improvements in patient care, and effective interdisciplinary communication.   Careful examination of the actual responsibilities of supervisory positions determined they were performing basic support functions 85 to 90 percent of the time.  Direct care nurses were given a voice in re-defining care delivery and creating new roles.  The focus of the model is on decentralizing patient care at the unit level and empowering direct care RNs with the goal of improving patient care.