MODULE 5 QUESTION 1 RESPONSES

MODULE 5 QUESTION 1 RESPONSES

Jennifer Millard,

I agree with you on structuring the work environment to not only improve the nurses working conditions but also ensure quality patient outcomes.  The number of working hours determine how effective health care delivery is done and promotion of patient safety. As much as the12 hour shifts seem appealing and acceptable to many nurse due to lengthened day offs and its flexibility, the setbacks are overwhelming (Stone et.al 2016). It is evident that when the number of working hours are longer, nurses become more fatigued and burnout resulting in slow reaction time and reduced patient satisfaction.

The 12 hour shifts help avoid miscommunication of patient information and errors as the handing over processes are reduced (Stone et.al 2016). However, the major risk is that the shifts may be extended due to delays, workload and the handing over process resulting in reduced quality of care and poor patient outcome. Overworking results in sleep deprivation which leads to negative impact on the general health of the nurse and job satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to regulate the number of working hours while putting into consideration the needs of the nurse and the patient.

References

Stone, P. W., Du, Y., Cowell, R., Amsterdam, N., Helfrich, T. A., Linn, R. W., … & Mojica, L. A. (2016). Comparison of nurse, system and quality patient care outcomes in 8-hour and 12-hour shifts. Medical care, 1099-1106.

Danielle Favinger,

The big challenge today among the nurses is failure to satisfy the staffing needs. The nurses Bill of rights states that nurses have a right to a safe and conducive environment and this entails the patient-nurse ratio (Josten, Ng‐A‐Tham, & Thierry,2016). In the ward I currently work, we have 23 patients and only 2 nurses per shift yet about 4 nurses are needed to meet the required ratio. This results in the nurse focusing in job completion rather that patient needs. The health of the nurse is also at risk due to overstraining, lack of rest and burnout due to stress. The end result is unattained goals and objectives, frustrations and reassignment due to the pressure encountered in the work place.

You also mentioned about documentation which a vital nursing role in facilitating continuity of care. Documentation is a way of communicating with other staff on patient care, what was achieved and what is to be done to enhance patient recovery (Maenhout, & Vanhoucke, 2015).  Therefore, it is depressing to see how much nurses do so much yet they are not fully recognized. As a nurse it is important to document all aspects of care immediately they are implemented for safety and avoid forgetting vital information.

References

Maenhout, B., & Vanhoucke, M. (2015). An integrated nurse staffing and scheduling analysis for longer-term nursing staff allocation problems. Omega, 41(2), 485-499.

Josten, E. J., Ng‐A‐Tham, J. E., & Thierry, H. (2016). The effects of extended workdays on fatigue, health, performance and satisfaction in nursing. Journal of advanced nursing, 44(6), 643-652.

John Rice,

Nurse staffing still remains a challenge in many organizations. Despite the shortage, the utilization of the available staff is also a problem and it has led to overworking of other nurses. When there is no se organizational policies and rule on reporting time, then a nurse can report whenever they feel it is right for them. The nurse, especially those on night shift experience much burn out rendering them at risk of musculoskeletal conditions and poor psychological function. At the end, there is no patient or nurse satisfaction as the safety goals are not maintained.

Every organization should have a defined policies and rules governing nurses working schedule. The nurse has a right to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment so that they can settle in an environment that meets their safety needs and promote effectiveness and efficiency in patient care(.Venkataraman,& Brusco, 2016). Besides, the nurse and the organization should collaboratively work to ensure maximum job satisfaction and positive patient outcomes.

References

Venkataraman, R., & Brusco, M. J. (2016). An integrated analysis of nurse staffing and scheduling policies. Omega, 24(1), 57-71.

Erika Hendrickson,

You have clearly pointed out on the increased need for nursing care in the emergency care unit which has mandated nurses to work overtime to meet this need. I agree with you on the need of education for all staff working in the emergency department as patient management process is ever-changing. This will help ease the pilling workload by facilitating faster decision making and improved ways of patient management. According to Ray et al 2017, Mandating staff to work extra hours in not a permanent solution rather the organization should employ more staff to fill in the gap and foster satisfaction of nurse’s safety needs.

It is important for the organization to have well functional staff rather than having many nurses but half being nonfunctional (Ray et.al 2017). When nurses are fatigued and depressed due to sleep deprivation, they tend to make more errors resulting in ineffective care delivery process. consequently, satisfying the needs of the nurse is key to improved service delivery and patient outcomes.

References

Ray, C. E., Jagim, M., Agnew, J., McKay, J. I., Sheehy, S., & ENA’s Staffing Best Practices Work Group. (2017). ENA’s new guidelines for determining emergency department nurse staffing. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 29(3), 245-253.