Assignment: analysis of a pertinent healthcare issue: analysis of a
Introduction
The healthcare industry is always under significant challenges due to various stressors such as the growing population that needs care, providing care, and rising healthcare costs. One of the national healthcare issues is the nursing shortage that has impacted healthcare organizations negatively. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nursing shortage as a national healthcare issue and its impact on the healthcare organization. In addition, the paper will summarize two articles that focus on change strategies implemented by healthcare organizations to address the nursing shortage and the strategies used to address the organizational impact of the nursing shortage.
National Healthcare Issue/Stressor: Nursing Shortage
The nursing shortage is a significant issue in the healthcare industry that has impacted healthcare organizations negatively. The nursing shortage has been attributed to several factors, including an aging nursing workforce, increased demand for healthcare services, and inadequate enrollment in nursing programs (Choi, Flynn, & Aiken, 2016). The nursing shortage has had significant impacts on healthcare organizations, including increased workload on nurses, increased patient wait times, and increased healthcare costs.
The nursing shortage has also impacted my organization negatively. For instance, our healthcare organization has been unable to meet the growing demand for healthcare services due to the nursing shortage. This has resulted in longer wait times for patients, which has led to patient dissatisfaction. In addition, the nursing shortage has resulted in increased healthcare costs, which has impacted our organization’s financial performance negatively.
Summary of Articles
One of the articles reviewed is by Tourangeau et al. (2014), which focused on the effectiveness of nursing retention strategies in addressing the nursing shortage. The study found that retention strategies such as promoting a healthy work environment, providing career development opportunities, and offering competitive compensation and benefits could help retain nurses in healthcare organizations.
The second article reviewed is by Squires et al. (2018), which focused on the effectiveness of nurse-led models of care in addressing the nursing shortage. The study found that nurse-led models of care such as nurse-led clinics, nurse-led outreach services, and nurse-led triage services could improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Strategies Used to Address the Organizational Impact of the Nursing Shortage
Several strategies have been used to address the organizational impact of the nursing shortage. One strategy is to promote a healthy work environment for nurses. This involves providing a supportive work environment, offering professional development opportunities, and providing competitive compensation and benefits. Promoting a healthy work environment can help retain nurses and improve patient outcomes (Tourangeau et al., 2014).
Another strategy is to implement nurse-led models of care. Nurse-led models of care involve expanding the scope of practice for nurses, allowing them to perform tasks that were traditionally performed by physicians. This can help improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs (Squires et al., 2018).
However, these strategies may also have negative impacts on the organization. For instance, implementing nurse-led models of care may lead to resistance from physicians, and promoting a healthy work environment may lead to increased costs for the organization. Therefore, it is important for the organization to weigh the positive and negative impacts of these strategies before implementing them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nursing shortage is a significant issue in the healthcare industry that has impacted healthcare organizations negatively. Healthcare organizations can address the nursing shortage by promoting a healthy work environment, implementing nurse-led models of care, and offering competitive compensation and benefits. These strategies can help retain nurses, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. However, these strategies may also have negative impacts on the organization, and it is important for the organization to weigh the positive and negative impacts of these strategies before implementing them.
References
Choi, J., Flynn, L., & Aiken, L. H. (2016). Nursing practice environments and registered nurses’ job satisfaction in nursing homes. BMC Health Services
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