Review of Current Health Issues Short Essay

Review of Current Health Issues Short Essay

Review of Current Health Issues

The nursing shortage is a national healthcare issue that has serious implications for the quality and safety of patient care. A recent study by Drennan and Ross (2019) found that nearly half of all nurses are over 50, and more than one-third are over the age of 55. This means that a large population of experienced nurses is not available to help meet the community’s medical needs. The nursing shortage has significant consequences for patients. For instance, it has led to longer wait times for surgery or medical procedures, reduced patient care quality, and increased hospital infections. In addition, a shortage of nurses can also lead to decreased morale among nurses and a decline in the quality of nursing care.

A nursing shortage has impacted my work setting and care delivery in the medical-surgical unit. The nursing shortage has caused nurses to be overworked and has resulted in the cancellation of elective surgeries. The nursing shortage has also resulted in nurses being pulled from the medical-surgical unit to cover other units in the hospital. This has resulted in patients receiving less attention and care. The nursing shortage has also resulted in the use of alternate providers, such as registered nurses or physician assistants, which has increased costs for the hospital. Staff burnout is another result of the nursing shortage (Marć et al., 2019).

In response to the nursing shortage challenge, my work setting has proposed and enacted a number of implementations. One such implementation is increasing the number of nursing students the health facility admits to its training institution each year. Additionally, the facility has revised its nursing policies and procedures to make them more efficient and effective (Haryanto, 2019). These policies and procedures include implementing a favorable nurse-to-patient ratio, creating a learning environment for nurses, and developing intensive care unit (ICU) protocols.

References

Drennan, V. M., & Ross, F. (2019). Global nurse shortages: the facts, the impact, and action for change. British medical bulletin, 130(1), 25-37.

Haryanto, M. (2019). The nursing shortage: Myth or fact? Orthopaedic Nursing, 38(1), 1-2.

Marć, M., Bartosiewicz, A., Burzyńska, J., Chmiel, Z., & Januszewicz, P. (2019). A nursing shortage–a prospect of global and local policies. International nursing review, 66(1), 9-16.