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Nurse Staffing Shortage Issue
Nursing Staffing Shortage
One of the greatest challenges to the continued development of a high quality health care delivery system is the continued and frequently increasing shortage of qualified nurses active in the profession of nursing. The nursing shortage has waxed and waned for decades but seems to currently be in a state of constant shortage (Fox & Abrahamson, 2009, pp.235-236). In addition the research associated with low levels of staffing and increased adverse patient outcomes has also increased, stating rather starkly that staffing shortages increase the odds that poor patient outcomes are a more frequent result, worse in some settings than others and also dependent on skill mix (Clarke, 2008, p.8). The consensus has and will likely remain that the system must learn to utilize existing practicing nurses in a smarter way by adjusting policy and practice to the situation at hand, i.e. there is a nursing shortage and it seems to be enduring so we must all work smarter to keep patient care high (Clarke, 2008, p.8).
Flynnn & McKeown note that some experts, especially on the administrative staffing end stress research and practice changes that develop smart staffing and skill mix systems that determine who needs to be...
patient acuity and need levels based again on statistical models from research, practice and collective algorithms (2009, pp.759-760. In other words the stress has again been on working smarter and more efficiently in an evidentiary manner, by taking research and using it to determine what the best possible "minimal and/or optimal" staff, skill mix is in any given situation. Yet, the same researchers are also quick to point out that no "system" is perfect and that staffing mistakes are still possible and can still result in lowered patient outcomes (pp. 760-761) This is also supported by Clarke who contends that even the skill mix/staffing ratio research demonstrated that even when optimal situations are achieved poor patient outcomes can result and more needs to be done to address smart work (2008, pp.8-9).
The problem with the work smarter theory is that it often also involves a work harder mentality that falls almost entirely on the backs of the nurses themselves as they simultaneously experience shortage of qualified colleagues, higher technology demands, longer working hours (shift work), increased physical demands, higher levels of liability and a flattening compensation scale, as…
References
Clarke, S.P. (2008 Dec) Nurse staffing and patient outcomes: getting to the heart of the matter in research, practice, and policy. Pennsylvania Nurse.;63(4):8-9.
Fox, R.L. & Abrahamson, K. (2009 Oct-Dec) A critical examination of U.S. nursing shortage: Contributing factors, public policy implications. Nursing Forum. 44(4): 235-244.
Flynn, M. McKeown, M. (2009) Nurse staffing levels revisited: A consideration of key issues in nurse staffing levels and skill mix research. Journal of Nursing Management 17: 759-766.
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