bullying, unit closers and restructuring, floating, nurse turnover, nurse staffing ratios, use of contract employees (i.e., registry and travel nurses), or magnet designation.

Benchmark – effective approaches in leadership and management

Introduction: Nursing leaders and managers are crucial in addressing issues that affect patient safety and quality care in healthcare settings. This paper will discuss the issue of nurse staffing ratios, which has been identified as a major problem affecting quality care and patient safety. The paper will describe how professional standards of practice should be demonstrated in this situation to help rectify the issue and the different approaches taken by nursing leaders and managers to address the problem.

Nurse Staffing Ratios: Nurse staffing ratios refer to the number of patients assigned to a nurse. The issue of nurse staffing ratios is a critical one that affects the quality of care and patient safety in healthcare settings. Research has shown that there is a strong correlation between nurse staffing ratios and patient outcomes. Inadequate staffing ratios increase the risk of adverse events, including patient falls, medication errors, and hospital-acquired infections (Aiken et al., 2014).

Professional Standards of Practice: Professional standards of practice require nurses to ensure that they provide quality care to their patients, maintain professional conduct, and abide by the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. Nurses are also required to demonstrate critical thinking, effective communication, and ethical decision-making in addressing issues that affect patient safety and quality care.

Role of Nursing Leaders and Managers: Nursing leaders and managers have different roles in addressing the issue of nurse staffing ratios. Nursing leaders are responsible for creating a vision for the organization and setting strategic goals that promote quality care and patient safety. They are also responsible for developing policies and procedures that promote safe staffing ratios and ensure that there are adequate resources to support staffing needs. On the other hand, nursing managers are responsible for implementing the policies and procedures developed by the nursing leaders. They are responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, managing staff, and ensuring that the policies and procedures are followed.

Approaches Taken by Nursing Leaders and Managers: Nursing leaders and managers take different approaches to address the issue of nurse staffing ratios. Nursing leaders are proactive in identifying staffing needs and developing policies and procedures that ensure that staffing ratios are adequate to promote patient safety and quality care. They also collaborate with nursing managers and other stakeholders to ensure that the policies and procedures are implemented effectively. Nursing managers, on the other hand, are responsible for ensuring that the staffing needs are met on a day-to-day basis. They use scheduling techniques to ensure that there are enough nurses on duty to meet the needs of patients. They also monitor the workload of nurses to ensure that they are not overwhelmed.

Additional Aspects to Ensure Professionalism: To ensure professionalism throughout diverse healthcare settings, nursing leaders and managers need to ensure that nurses are adequately trained and equipped to provide quality care. This can be achieved through ongoing education and training programs that promote professional development. Nursing leaders and managers should also create a culture of accountability that encourages nurses to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to professional standards of practice.

Leadership Style to Address Nurse Staffing Ratios: The transformational leadership style would be the best approach to address the issue of nurse staffing ratios. This leadership style involves inspiring and motivating nurses to achieve their full potential, and it encourages teamwork and collaboration. Transformational leaders are also proactive in identifying problems and developing innovative solutions to address them. This style could be successful in addressing the issue of nurse staffing ratios because it promotes collaboration between nursing leaders and managers, and it encourages nurses to take ownership of their work and make a positive impact on patient outcomes.

Conclusion: The issue of nurse staffing ratios is a critical one that affects patient safety and quality care. Nursing leaders and managers play a crucial role in addressing this issue and promoting patient safety. They take different approaches, but their ultimate goal is to ensure that staffing ratios are adequate to promote quality care and patient safety. By adhering to professional standards of practice