The patient lock model©: a continuum of care.

Nursing as a profession has the responsibility to society to protect and promote the health of individuals and communities. The intent of this conceptual model is to center the patient in his or her environment while allowing qualified, expert health professionals to provide timely, effective, cost-efficient care within their levels of competence and expertise. Significant shortages of registered nurses and other health professionals delay timely provision of quality care and affect the effectiveness of care. Care management issues are due to the complexity of individual patient's health care needs, limited access to providers, inability to afford treatment, and delay in seeking care. These challenges to the system slow efficiency in the provision of care across all settings. In presenting this conceptual model, there will be a review of nursing and the internal and external forces that affect the profession. This is an initial development phase of the model: The Patient Lock Model.