Professional And Personal Concern For Nurses

Over the last decades both public and private hospitals have been experiencing severe financial situations (Everhart, Neff, Al-Amin, Nogle, & Weech-Maldonado, 2013). The financial shortage is associated with delay or even lack of governmental sponsorship and competition from their rivals. Enacting the policy will mount financial pressure on these hospitals that are on cost-cutting strategies. The salaries and wages of nurses are dominating the costs of operation in the hospitals and therefore adding more staff to correct the understaffing will be like creating another problem (Goddard, 2003). Contrary, Empirical studies prove that adequate nurse staffing produces better outcomes for both the staffs and the patients (Donaldson & Shapiro, 2010). These do not mean that the financial performance of the health centers will be at stake. Quality is associated with profitability. Understaffing leads to increased workloads, fatigue and job dissatisfaction. These situations that can be corrected on the implementation of proper staffing policies (Everhart, Neff, Al-Amin, Nogle, & Weech-Maldonado, 2013). The policy aims at offering quality service, reasonable patient-doctor ratios, reducing high mortality rates, improving the health of patients through proper examination and disease diagnosis among other

The economic impact on healthcare has taken its toll on the number of registered nurses providing bedside care to patients, compromising patient safety and dramatically increasing the potential for negative outcomes. Several factors have immensely contributed to the nursing shortages over the years, including healthcare organizations downsizing, increased workloads, inadequate staffing plans and job dissatisfaction. Mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios have been implemented in several states to date with many more trying to pass some type of legislation. Have these ratios affected the quality of care or is it more realistic to create staffing committees that are based on each unit’s unique situation and varying requirements?

Nurse staffing and how it relates to the quality of patient care has been an important issue in the field of nursing for quite some time. This topic has been particularly popular recently due to the fact that there is an increasing age among those who make up the Baby Boomer era in the United States. There will be a greater need for nurse staffing to increase to help accommodate the higher demand of care. Although nursing is “the top occupation in terms of job growth,” there are still nursing shortages among various hospitals across America today. The shortage in nurses heavily weighs on the overall quality of care that each individual patient receives during their hospital stay (Rosseter, 2014).

Nurse-to-patient ratios is not a new topic of debate for all of us who deliver care to patients every day. Only lately it has been a big issue that have caught the attention of many. Demands by the medical community for changes concerning staffing, asking for the government interventions in minimum staffing laws. Registered nurses have long acknowledged and continue to emphasize that staffing issues are an ongoing concern, one that influences the safety of both the patient and the nurse. (ANA, 2015) .nowadays hospitals are running for profit and the emphasis is not put on job burnout, stress, and endangerment of patients. Nursing shortages is a very pertinent problem, it will be optimum to have laws in place to help with the issue, however meanwhile leadership and management methods to the matter can help to mend the nursing situation and avoid many of the damaging effects of unfitting nurse-to-patient ratios.

Primarily, it is crucial for health care organizations to focus on ensuring safe and quality patient care, as well as improved job satisfaction by enforcing an optimal and adequate nurse-to-patient ratio and creating innovative and long-term strategies through a collaborative effort. In order to ensure the safety of patients and nurses, state-mandated safe-staffing ratios are necessary. Adequate nurse staffing is key to patient care and nurse retention, while inadequate staffing puts patients at risk and drives nurses from their profession. As baby boomers age and the demand for health care services grows, staffing problems will only intensify. Consequently, safe-staffing ratios have become such an ever-pressing concern. In 2004, California became the first state to implement minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, designed to improve patient care and nurse retention. Subsequent studies show that California’s program measurably improved patient care and nurse retention.

The goal of the LeadingAge Texas is to implement higher direct staffing hours for each resident allowing for positive outcomes, which is what the government was trying to accomplish through Texas Quality Incentive Payment Program (QIPP). QIPP implemented the goals of decreased pressure ulcers, decreased usage of antipsychotics, decrease in falls, and physical restraints (Texas Quality Incentive Payment Program, 2016). While these incentives assist in improving quality care, quality care starts at adequate quality staffing. Staffing is the key to quality care and is what consumers advocate; however, the nursing industry would rather implement incentive programs (Harrington et al., 2016). As shown by the failure of QIPP and NHQRE, quality staffing is needed to improve the quality of care.

Inconsistent nurse-patient ratios are a concern in hospitals across the nation because they limit nurse’s ability to provide safe patient care. Healthcare professionals such as nurses and physicians agree that current nurse staffing systems are inadequate and unreliable and not only affect patient health outcomes, but also create job dissatisfaction among medical staff (Avalere Health, 2015). A 2002 study led by RN and PhD Linda Aiken suggests that "forty percent of hospitals nurses have burnout levels that exceed the norms for healthcare workers" (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Sochalski & Silber, 2002). These data represents the constant struggle of nurses when trying to provide high quality care in a hospital setting.

For the past decade, nurse-patient ratios have been a widely controversial debate as to whether it should be mandated by law across the United States. Studies have shown nurse-staffing levels are a critical component of determining patient outcomes (Hertel, 2012). Advocates supporting minimum staffing levels argue that it can ensure better quality care, better working conditions, positive patient outcomes and improved rates of nursing retention. Those opposing minimum staffing levels argue that it would be expensive and reduces management flexibility. This topic was chosen because of how essential it is for this issue to be resolved in nursing. Within the past decade, only one state, California, has adapted to this unique law

Studies have shown that increase RN client ratios results in a reduction of 5.7% in patient days spent in hospital. The trend toward higher RN staffing levels has been shown to decrease avoidable never events such as inpatient falls and hospital acquired pressure ulcers. He, J. (2013).Too much burden on nurses tends to negatively affect productivity which compromises patient’s safety and quality of healthcare. In California, the mandatory nurse patient ratio was implemented at the time of severe registered nurse shortage and worsening of financial position of many hospitals. This legislature has been found to improve the health care system in many ways.

Nursing is the powerhouse in the delivery of safe, quality patient-centered care in the healthcare industry. To ensure continued safety of the patient and nursing staff, the issue of inadequate staffing must be addressed. Consequently, patient’s mortality rate has been linked to the level of nursing staff utilized in ensuring an utmost outcome (Aiken, 2011). This paper will outline the issue associated with inadequate nurse to patient staffing ratios in the hospital setting; essential factors such as economic, social, ethical and political and legal affecting the issue will be established; current legislature and stakeholders will be ascertained and policy option, evaluation of bill and the results of analysis will be reviewed.

In recent years, the healthcare industry has seen a significant decline in the quality of patient care it provides. This has been the result of reduced staffing levels, overworked nurses, and an extremely high nurse to patient ratio. The importance of nurse staffing in hospital settings is an issue of great controversy. Too much staff results in costs that are too great for the facility to bear, but too little staffing results in patient care that is greatly hindered. Moreover, the shaky economy has led to widespread budget cuts; this, combined with the financial pressures associated with Medicare and private insurance companies have forced facilities to make due with fewer

The priority issue is safe staffing for nurses working in hospitals. This issue is a priority because many times nurses are overwhelmed with his or her patient load and cannot provide safe, effective patient care. With such a heavy emphasis on patient outcomes and patient satisfaction, more attention should be dedicated to this issue. Research studies consistently find that whenever there is high patient-nurse ratio it negatively impacts patient safety. A great number of studies have demonstrated that higher nurse staffing levels and richer skill mix have a strong association with reduced adverse patient outcomes (Twigg, Gelder, & Myers, 2015). This paper will discuss policy priority issue of safe staffing by identifying key points, providing supporting empirical evidence and recommendations to improve safe staffing, and the impact and importance safe staffing has on nursing.

The nursing shortage and provision of safe nursing care is a significant problem in all countries, and it affects nurses in all practice areas ranging from the bedside nurse to the boardroom. Inadequate nurse staffing levels by experienced Registered Nurses (RNs) is linked to poor health outcomes and higher costs. The reductions in nursing budgets, combined with the challenges presented by a growing nursing shortage has resulted in fewer bedside nurses working longer hours and care for high acuity patients. This situation compromises care and contributes further to the nursing shortage by creating an environment that drives nurses from the bedside.

The 1990s saw a positive improvement in restructuring the hospital environment and staffing. California has adopted a law that mandates nurse-to-patient ratios in the acute care setting. We propose that that a standardized nurse-patient ratio should be adopted in the state of Texas. This would help with help ameliorate some of the issues our state is facing today. The proposed idea would decrease the expenses that come with increased healthcare mistakes, nurse burnout rates, and the increased risk of malpractice lawsuits. Standardized nurse-patient ratios would affect nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and healthcare consumers positively and in ethical manner. Tevington (2011), stated that mandated nurse-patient ratios, would

Nurses are crucial in providing quality care in the health care industry. It is imperative to maintain the proper staffing ratio to ensure that nurses can maintain high quality care for their patients. Studies have shown that the increasing workload of nurses can be linked to increased patient deaths, medical errors, hospital-acquired infections, longer hospital stays, and many other complications. (National Nurses United n.d. ) Leaders and managers play a vital role in developing