Nurses Job Satisfaction Linked to Patient Satisfaction

¶ … Stagnant Health System Meets an Aging Population, Disaster Await The Globe and Mail Published Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 Most Canadians have expressed dissatisfaction with the manner that the health-care system looks after the elderly in society. A study carried out indicated that out of five individuals; four stated of their lack of confidence in accessing needed health care services. Lack of confidence reflects the depleting quality of care offered by nurses based on factors such as understaffing and the lack of resources to cater for the surging aging population.

The study indicates that three-quarters expressed worries of inability to meet medical bills after they retire an indication of unsustainable policies that stretches hospital resources. About 61% doubt the ability of the nation's long health-care facilities and hospitals in meeting the surging aging population in Canada. The challenge indicates a deteriorating state of quality of care offered by nurses due to stretching of the workforce and resources.

Worries expressed by 83,000 members of CMA on the state of healthcare of the country portray the crisis mode that characterizes the healthcare system in Canada (The Globe and Mail, Jan 16, 2015). The latter reiterates the deteriorating state of health care in the country. The issues highlighted envisage the nursing challenges such as shortage of nurses, lack of appropriate policies and standards, and lack of required medical equipment. In this letter, we look into the impact of a stagnant healthcare system in Canada that affects the society, especially the surging aging population.

Analysis The poll conducted by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) highlights the challenges in Canada's healthcare system (The Globe and Mail, Jan 16, 2015). It portrays the dilapidated state of the quality of care offered in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Nurses who form the core of the workforce suffer due to overworking and overstretching resources to meet the increased population of patients. The poorly structured health-care system affects members of CMA, 83,000 in number. Occasionally, accusations leveled against the system have endeavored seeking answers why the health-care system operates in crisis scenarios.

The problem digs into the dilapidated state of Canada's health-care system. The societal problem affects all whether young or elderly. The understaffed emergency wards and crowded hallways depict experiences in the country's healthcare system. In the next fifteen years, it is estimated that a massive population would turn 65, a number close to eight million. Already, the news has caused grief amongst individuals that turn 65 in the next fifteen years.

Hospital administrators, nurses, and doctors have to deal with daily struggles of finding places for the elderly people as they visit hospitals and other medical facilities. The current scenario depicts the failure of the country's healthcare system in establishing proper frameworks for elderly homes equipped with healthcare services. Out of 11, The Commonwealth Fund has ranks Canada 10th in the universal healthcare rankings. Canada has fallen out as one of the internationally recognized nations in the provision of effective, efficient, and quality healthcare.

As a result, other developing nations have come to surpass Canada, previously accredited in the provision of quality healthcare services. Reports indicate that Canada falls behind regarding 'timeliness of care' compared to other nations such as New Zealand, France, Germany, Australia, U.K., U.S., Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway (Flood, 2014). Compared to the mentioned countries, Canada occurs as the second worst in efficiency. A 2014 report indicates the likelihood that sicker adults in Canada experience delays in the notification of abnormal results.

The worrying state of technology utilization brings into play the inefficiency of the country's healthcare system. In Canada, 30% of doctors get computerized prompts and alerts on a potential problem with a drug dose. On the other hand, other countries have depicted better results, for example, 85% in the U.K., 88% in Australia, 89% in New Zealand, and 93% in Netherlands (Flood, 2014). Undoubtedly, the uncoordinated and fragmented Canadian healthcare system depicts the cracks in the way the system miserably manages patients with multiple illnesses (Roy, 2014).

In most cases, the system fails to take in responsibility for the concerns of the patients and their families. The stagnating healthcare system deprives citizens of the confidence in the nation's healthcare system, an integral aspect that drives the economy. A healthy society thrives economically compared to an ailing one. It is disturbing that the some individuals have endeavored to compare the nation with the U.S. According to the Commonwealth Fund ranking, Canada takes the tenth spot whereas the U.S., the eleventh spot.

Riding in a better position than the U.S. does not solve this escalating issue of a poor healthcare system. Comfort in the position adds problems to the already existing ones. However, U.S. has made some progress in their healthcare system with the Affordable Health Care Act whereas Canada has stagnated. Lack of coordination in the preparation of the anticipated massive number of elderly individuals depicts the laxity of placing the interests of individuals a priority.

CMA indicates that elderly patients occupy 15% of the acute-care beds instead of placement in a long-term-care facility. Recommendations Adopting a national seniors strategy meant to deliver elderly patients with chronic patients into long-term care facilities. Getting them out of hospitals into institutions and programs that suit their needs decreases the aspect of overstretching nurses regarding care and hospital resources. Instead of spending billions on makeshift solutions, the stakeholders should spend the money on equipping long-term healthcare facilities.

The government should endeavor to improve the services regarding increasing the nursing workforce and resource allocation in these care facilities. It is crucial that the political wing reach a.