Nursing Self Care Paper

According to Suzanne Gordon “ whether young or old, nurses are disillusioned because they believe that health care systems guided by bottom-line concerns simply don’t recognize the specificity of their work” (234). Nursing is more demanding than many other professions or occupations, due to the combination of difficult patients, exhausting schedules and arduous physical work (Gordon 235). It can take a significant emotional toll on many, hence the higher levels of burnout. Job dissatisfaction as a result of increased workloads and unreasonable demands, such as inappropriate nurse staffing levels, was cited as the number one reason that drives many experienced nurses to leave the profession (Sanford 38+). Studies have shown that such working conditions also affected the retention of new graduate nurses by leaving their first hospital jobs within two years of graduating (Sanford 38+).

This process paper will evaluate the complex relationship between disease pathophysiology and how it has progressed to the patient’s current state of health. It will include a comprehensive discussion of chronic and acute problems leading to the patient’s hospital admission, a complete description of interrelationships and pathophysiology for all medical diagnoses, a comprehensive discussion of the client’s signs and symptoms and results of all diagnostic studies to the underlying pathophysiology, and a comprehensive listing of all medications ordered at the time of admission with explanations of why each was ordered and identification of the most common side effects which may

From a social perspective, H.B. 476 may help narrow the widening gap in supply verse demand of professional nurses needed in acute care settings. Nurses experience high levels of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment when compared to other health care professionals (Khamisa, Peltzer, & Oldenburg, 2013). The authors relate such high levels of burnout in nurses to the emotional strain they encounter from providing direct personal care to sick and dying patients. Consequently, this has a direct impact on job satisfaction and nurse retention. A survey by the American Nurses Association (ANA) found 74% of nurses proclaim acute or chronic effects of stress and overwork

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has identified nine essentials that are incorporated into master’s nursing programs to help direct the practice of advanced practice nurses (APN’s). Essential II outlines how an APN can utilize organizational and systems leadership to promote safer and more cost effective care. By incorporating effective leadership skills, APN’s can help transform healthcare and make quality improvements for the patient, the institution, and the community. According to the American Association of College of Nursing (2011), an effective leader assumes and applies “the skills of communication, collaboration, negotiation, delegation, and coordination” (p. 11). APN’s must be able to establish and maintain a healthy

Question 2: I provide almost all of the care for assigned patients throughout the shift but may not have the same patients from their admission to discharge

One the most important issues facing nursing these days is the changing healthcare insurance industry. I saw how these changes affected staff firsthand. I worked at Quincy Medical Center for three years until it closed in December of 2014. The Affordable Care Act led to cuts to Medicaid supplemental payments for the uninsured and has forced many hospitals to reduce staff or close like Quincy Medical Center. This is a concern for nurses because under current federal regulations there are no specific requirements for nurse to patient ratios. Multiple research studies demonstrate that lower nurse-patient ratios save both lives and money long term. For example, hospitals that routinely staff with 1-to-8 nurse-to-patient ratios experience five additional deaths per 1,000 patients than those staffing with 1-to-4 ratios, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Higher nurse to patient traditions lead to higher burnout

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Working with the available staff increases the nurses’ workload and the risk for patients’ negative outcomes. Heavy nursing workload adversely affects patient safety and negatively affects nursing job satisfaction (Carayon & Gurses, 2008, p. 1). Furthermore, a study on the hospital nurse shortage and the California legislation about minimum hospital patient-to-nurse ratios concluded that the nurse staffing levels affect patients’ outcomes detrimentally; for each additional patient per nurse was associated with a 7% increase in the likelihood of dying within 30 days of admission and a 7% increase in the odds of failure-to-rescue. In addition, this study concluded that 23% of the nurses were associated with burnout and a 15% increase in job dissatisfaction (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Sochalski, & Silber, 2002, p.

As a new graduate registered nurse, I know that when I begin my first job the reality shock will occur. I will be overwhelmed at times by anxiety, fear, failure, and disappointment. Burnout is higher for new nurses, and it is my responsibility to help combat it for my fellow graduates and for myself. For years nurses have felt the increased impact of compassion fatigue, with patient safety and satisfaction rates plummeting. Nurses are faced with sicker patients with shorter hospital stays everyday. The pressure to treat the patients, but get them out of the hospital as soon as possible; without making any mistakes is a huge burden most nurses will feel at some point in their career. There have been countless studies, thousands of hours, and billions of dollars for research spent on finding a solution to the problem. In order to find a solution one must first understand the problem. These are three separate issues with one common problem, high nurse-patient ratios.

Nursing is more demanding than many other professions or occupations, as a result of the combination of sicker patients, exhausting schedules and arduous physical work (Gordon 235). It can take a significant emotional toll on many, hence the higher levels of depression and stress-related illnesses (Gordon, Buchanan, and Bretherton 190). Higher workloads not only were related to burnout, but also impacted both the nurses’ and the patients’ safety (Gordon, Buchanan, and Bretherton 191).

Nursing is one of the largest groups of healthcare providers giving high quality direct care in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and in home care. Due to vast reductions in nursing students, coupled with other challenges presented by a growing nursing shortage, this has resulted in fewer nurses working longer hours and caring for even sicker patients than before. This set of circumstances compromises the care of the patient and contributes to the nursing shortage by creating an environment that drives nurses from the bedside and into other professions or out of nursing, due to being burnout.

Due to the ever changing health care system and the reduction of resources, nursing demands are greater which has led to work related stress and ultimately nursing burnout. Nursing burnout has had a significant impact on nurses not only personally, but professionally in addition to impacting the delivery of quality care. Sadly, "we are facing an unprecedented crisis in the profession of nursing; many would be (and should be) nurses are choosing other careers, many wonderful nurses are leaving nursing, and many of the nurses who are staying in the profession are not happy" ( Todaro-Franceshi, n.d., para 3). As a nursing leader, the first step is recognizing that your staff may be potentially suffering from burnout and act upon it immediately, thereby, preventing job dissatisfaction and burnout. Literature continues to reveal that care providers, especially nurses and physicians struggle with this pervasive issue "which impacts their ability to relate to patients and focus on work in a way that avoids medical errors" ( cited by Rousell, 2016, Shandafelt et al., 2012, p. 51). The strategies in creating a positive work environment for nurses would be the

Based on the information presented in this business plan, it is recommended that the organization approves the nurse self-care initiative. The findings of this business plan show that this initiative will be highly beneficial to the organization and has a high probability of success. A committee of staff nurses from vary backgrounds will lead the self-care initiative. The goal is to establish baseline self-care techniques to decrease burnout, reduced quality of care provided to patients and nurse turnover in the organization.

Nurses, always involved in patient care, sometimes experience detrimental effects with prolonged stress or “burnout” during their career throughout the years. Burnout is defined as an extended response to physical or emotional stressors. Some examples of these stressors are; memories of witnessing death, patient and family suffering, emotional stress of losing patients, feeling emotionally and physically drained, or emotional disconnect from staff which can all contribute to burnout. As a result, nurses can experience; exhaustion, anxiety, dissatisfaction and low capacity. Overall, burnout can have negative effects not just on the emotional and physical health of nurses but also on; patient satisfaction, outcomes and mortality of nurses and patients. Although, there are ways to reduce or prevent these negative effects of burnout from manifesting. For example, nurses can apply interventions to reduce these risks including; staff support, onsite counselors and psychiatrists for nurses and salary increases and reimbursement opportunities for nurses through clinical ladder programs. Nurses can also start by just saying no to certain requests, being aware of their tolerance level, by taking care of themselves and having fun outside of work. On the other hand, others do not think nursing burnout is fatal and nurses just need a break from their job to initiate change. Although, the issue of burnout is prevalent in nurse’s careers which need to be addressed more in society in

Nurses are especially vulnerable to several related effects of stress, such as burnout, job dissatisfaction, increased interpersonal problems, increased health complaints, disturbances in sleep patterns, as well as clinical depression and anxiety (Villani, Grassi, Cognetta, Toniolo, Cipresso, & Riva, 2013). The potential for stress can be reduced by resolving difficulties in the workplace promptly, addressing staff shortages, turnover and absenteeism, and developing clear objectives and plans (McIntosh, & Sheppy, 2013). Learning to manage and reduce stress by developing insight and coping strategies will help to maintain and promote nursing integrity and consistent patient care (McIntosh, & Sheppy, 2013).