The national healthcare problem/stressor in America
My analysis focuses on the national problem/stressor in healthcare delivery: The nursing shortage. A critical problem that affects healthcare delivery in the United States is the nursing shortage. The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing shortage as “the situation in which the demand for nursing services exceeds the supply of nurses available to provide these services” (ANA, 2021).
Nursing shortages have significant effects on the workplace. They put a strain on available nurses and impact patient care. A shortage of nurses can result in increased workloads, leading to job satisfaction, burnout and high turnover. It can also negatively affect patient outcomes and quality of care.
My health system has made several adjustments to address the shortage of nurses. Retention and recruitment programs are one of the most significant developments. This program is designed to help nurses be attracted and retained by offering competitive salaries and benefits as well as professional development opportunities. Flexible work hours, including part-time and job-sharing, have been implemented by the organization to meet the demands of nurses.
In order to facilitate clinical and internship experiences for nurses, the health system collaborated closely with local nursing schools. It aims to build a nursing pipeline and improve the quality of current nurses. A shared governance model has been implemented in the workplace that allows nurses to take part in any decisions that have an impact on their work environment.
The nursing shortage has a major impact on the quality of healthcare services. To address this problem, the work place of my health system implemented several changes to improve patient care, recruit and retain nurses and create a positive working environment. These are essential changes to solve the nursing shortage, and to provide quality care for patients.
References:
American Nurses Association. (2021). Nurse shortage. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-the-nursing-shortage/
Buerhaus, P. I., Auerbach, D. I., & Staiger, D. O. (2020). Recent surge in nursing employment: Implications and Causes. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 11(3). pp. 10-15.
Joint Commission. (2018). Strategies for nurse retention. Retrieved from https://www.jointcommission.org/-/media/deprecated-unorganized/imported-assets/tjc/system-folders/topics-library/