Skilled Nursing

Healthcare professionals must endeavor to understand the interprofessional nature of home healthcare services. Healthcare professionals must adhere not only to their licensing standards but to the patient and family’s standards of care, compassion, and competence. Healthcare is ever evolving, so being able to examine historical perspectives is important. Historical frameworks can help providers appreciate the conception and acceptance of prevailing patient care models. This chapter discusses historical perspectives, provides an exploration of skilled nursing in various practice environments, and furthers the reader’s understanding of the skilled nurse’s contribution to the interprofessional team.