Care model transformation: a necessity, not an option.

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.