Posted: March 28th, 2021

Nursing Shortage Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue Module 1

Nursing Shortage
Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue Module 1
Develop a 3- to 4-page paper, written to your organization’s leadership team, addressing the national nursing shortage and how it is impacting your work setting. Be sure to address the following:
• Describe the national nursing shortage and its impact on your organization. Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization).
• Provide a brief summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources on the national nursing shortage. Explain how the national nursing shortage is being addressed in other organizations.
• Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of the national nursing shortage presented in the scholarly resources you selected. Explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples.

Grading Rubric for 1st part of paper

• Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization. Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization).–
Excellent 23 (23%) – 25 (25%)
Good 20 (20%) – 22 (22%)
Fair 18 (18%) – 19 (19%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 17 (17%)
• Provide a brief summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources, on the national healthcare issue/stressor and explain how the healthcare issue/stressor is being addressed in other organizations.–
Excellent 27 (27%) – 30 (30%)
Good 24 (24%) – 26 (26%)
Fair 21 (21%) – 23 (23%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 20 (20%)
• Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the scholarly resources you selected and explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples.–
Excellent 27 (27%) – 30 (30%)
Good 24 (24%) – 26 (26%)
Fair 21 (21%) – 23 (23%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 20 (20%)
Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization:

Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided which delineates all required criteria.–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards:

Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)

Looking Ahead
The paper you develop in Module 1 will be revisited and revised in Module 2. Review the Assignment instructions for Module 2 to prepare for your revised paper.

To Prepare:
• Review the national healthcare issue/stressor you examined in your Assignment for Module 1, and review the analysis of the healthcare issue/stressor you selected.
• Identify and review two evidence-based scholarly resources that focus on proposed policies/practices to apply to your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post regarding competing needs.

The Assignment (4-5 pages):
Developing Organizational Policies and Practices
Add a section to the paper you submitted in Module 1. The new section should address the following:

• Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting the national nursing shortage.
• Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence the national nursing shortage.
• Critique the policy for ethical considerations, and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.
• Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.
• Cite evidence that informs the national nursing shortage and/or the policies, and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.

Grading Rubric for 2nd part of paper

Add a section to the paper you submitted in Module 1. In 4–5 pages, address the following:

• Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.–
Excellent 23 (23%) – 25 (25%)
Good 20 (20%) – 22 (22%)
Fair 18 (18%) – 19 (19%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 17 (17%)
• Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.

• Critique the policy for ethical considerations and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.–
Excellent 27 (27%) – 30 (30%)
Good 24 (24%) – 26 (26%)
Fair 21 (21%) – 23 (23%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 20 (20%)
• Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.

• Cite evidence that informs the healthcare issue/stressor and/or the policies and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.–
Excellent 27 (27%) – 30 (30%)
Good 24 (24%) – 26 (26%)
Fair 21 (21%) – 23 (23%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 20 (20%)
Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization:

Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided which delineates all required criteria.–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards:

Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.–
Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)

Nursing Shortage
Competing needs are impacting the nursing shortage leading to poor health outcomes. The nursing shortage is as a result of two competing needs including the few nurses versus the growing population of people who need healthcare services. The nurses are few since a huge percentage of the nurse practitioners are retiring since they are in their retirement age (Snavely, 2016). Statistics indicate that 70,000 nurses are retiring annually and by 2030 a million nurses will retire. On the other hand, the learning institutions are not providing adequate space to the students who want to study nursing. In 2016, American nursing schools turned away 64,000 students due to lack of sufficient learning resources, trainers and materials.
The population growth of people who need health services has increased since over 75 million aging baby boomers are demanding health services. Statistics indicate that 80 percent of the 75 million aging baby boomers have at least one chronic disease (Monahan, 2015). The issue has further complicated the health problem leading to a shortage of nurses. IPIOD drugs have resulted in an increase in the number of patients who are treated annually. In 2016, 1.3 million people were treated with IPIOD related complications. On the other hand, the United States nursing homework help schools have a shortage of 3,400 nursing instructors every year. A total of 17,000 nursing instructors are needed by 2022 (Lin, Zhang & Dixon, 2015). The shortage of instructors has prompted nursing schools to turn away thousands of students willing to study nursing. Additionally, the few who graduate are lured into other careers that have better pay. Therefore, they do not join the nursing practice leading to the shortage.
Nursing Shortage Policy
My organization has made drastic changes in the policy framework to curb the rising menace of the nursing shortage. One of the policies is to provide friendly schedules that can accommodate personal and professional needs. Most of the people who are serving in the nursing fraternity have families including school-going children. During the holidays they would like to spend time with them. As such, we have adopted a summer off program to nurses who would like to be with their families (Johnson, Butler, Harootunian, Wilson & Linan, 2016). Additionally, the organization has adopted friendly schedules for lactating mothers. The friendly schedules require mothers to be at work from 9 AM to 2 PM to allow them ample time to be with their children. The friendly approach has encouraged hundreds of nurses to continue working during their lactating period. Previously, before the enactment of the policy mothers would quit work since they could not handle the work stress and raising their toddlers.
The organization has also enhanced the requirements for those who are going to study. Friendly schedules are utilized by nurses who want to advance their studies. Therefore, even when nurses want to go back to school, they do not quit their jobs (Fischer, 2016). The friendly approach has been designed through a collaboration with the nurses, their supervisors, and top management. Friendly shifts have also been important in reducing work stress and burnouts. Nurses can now rest and resume work while they have rejuvenated. The policy requires that in every week a nurse must take leave. Therefore, nurses find it accommodating for their specific needs including raising a child, education (Bridges, Griffiths, Oliver & Pickering, 2019). The accommodating schedule was drafted after research on the reasons why nurses were disinterested or quitting the sector. They also pull the millennial nurses to apply for the jobs since the millennial has a different perspective about work compared to baby boomers. The millennial have special needs which must be addressed if any organization will continue being appealing to them. Friendly schedules have also been used by assistant nurses to earn a degree in nursing (Armmer, 2017). The assistant nurses complete their bachelor programs since they allowed to be on leave for professional purposes. Therefore, over the years, the organization has increased the number of nurses and reduced the rate of turnover.
Policy Critique
The policy of introducing friendly working schedules has various strengths, challenges, and ethical issues. One of the strengths is that the organization has retained a huge percent of nurses over the years. It has reduced the national turnover percentage of nurses (Aiken et al., 2017). Therefore, nurses remain employed and satisfied in their work until retirement age. Additionally, it has become a preferred organization for nurses who are looking for greener pastures. The experience of the newly employed nurses from other organizations is that they have experienced no work-related burnouts or stress. Another strength is that it has increased the number of nurses who were previously nurse assistants (Aiken et al., 2017). The reason is that they keep advancing their education during summer or other holidays. It is also important to note that nurses have been critical to referring their friends or newly graduated nursing students into the organization. The referrals have increased due to the conducive working conditions.
The policy has various challenges such as the financial burden on the organization. The hospital is required to employ a huge number of nurses so that they can take care of lactating mothers or nurse assistants when they go for holidays. Another challenge is that patients complain when their nurses go for summer holidays and they are replaced with a new one. The constant hiring of nurses and change of duty allocation has also burdened the institution since it is required to carry out training programs (Fischer, 2016). Another challenge is that sometimes nurses commit medical errors when they are still learning how to prescribe or handle patients in regards to our policies.
The policy has challenges in promoting ethical issues such as gaining an upper hand in recommending our nurse assistants to be absorbed into the learning institutions. The organization always recommends and partially funds the assistant nurses when they are advancing their studies (Fischer, 2016). In some cases, when we hear that organizations are turning away students, we feel guilty that our students took their spots. Additionally, sometimes when the workload is heavy, lactating mothers sometimes leave before their time if there is something wrong with the baby at home. When they do not finish their schedule, they either leave patients unattended. Another nurse has to step in to complete their schedule which is not taken kindly by some patients.
Onboarding Program
The proposed program is to create a sense of community and family bonds among the nurses. All the nurses will have a program of meeting regularly and sharing their experiences. It will encourage all the nurses to create friendship bonds and promote events among nurses such as holding events together regularly (Aiken et al., 2017). The programs will be funded by the healthcare facility. Nurses will meet together and they will also meet in specific groups depending on their level of work. For example, all the qualified nurses will meet together, the assistant nurses who are advancing their studies will have their platform and those who are lactating. The idea will be to help all of them meet and talk about issues that are hindering their performance. Additionally, new nurses will find a platform to be enrolled in the work environment.
The policy is intended to favor nurses, patients, and competing resources. First, the nurses will be provided with an opportunity to create an identity. They will also reduce their work-related stress. It will also improve their work satisfaction and thus reduce the rate of turnover. It will also attract nurses to apply for vacancies. Secondly, the welfare of patients is considered since patients will be handled by a nurse who is happy about the work (Lin, Zhang & Dixon, 2015). They will also be treated by health workers who are stress-free. On the other hand, the resources have been considered since the hospital will attract a huge number of patients. Therefore, the extra income will be used to cater for the friendly programs.
The existing policy has ethical shortcomings since it does not balance the quality of care and welfare of nurses. The policy indicates that nurses can take maternal leave. However, sometimes a patient can be used to a nurse until when a new one comes, they are unable to create a strong bond (Lin, Zhang & Dixon, 2015). Additionally, assistant nurses take nursing courses since the organization will secure opportunities for them. However, some nurse assistants drop out of the way or do not become competent in their work in the end. Therefore, although the policy is successful, it has some ethical shortcomings.

References
Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D., Griffiths, P., Rafferty, A. M., Bruyneel, L., McHugh, M., … & Sermeus, W. (2017). Nursing skill mix in European hospitals: a cross-sectional study of the association with mortality, patient ratings, and quality of care. BMJ Qual Saf, 26(7), 559-568.
Armmer, F. (2017). An inductive discussion of the interrelationships between nursing shortage, horizontal violence, generational diversity, and healthy work environments. Administrative Sciences, 7(4), 34.
Bridges, J., Griffiths, P., Oliver, E., & Pickering, R. M. (2019). Hospital nurse staffing and staff-patient interactions: an observational study. BMJ Qual Saf, 22(5), 122-183.
Fischer, K. M. (2016). How the educational funding provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will affect the nursing shortage in the United States. Nw. JL & Soc. Poly, 11, 54.
Johnson, W. G., Butler, R., Harootunian, G., Wilson, B., & Linan, M. (2016). Registered nurses: The curious case of a persistent shortage. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(4), 387-396.
Lin, V., Zhang, X., & Dixon, P. (2015). Occupational therapy workforce in the United States: forecasting nationwide shortages. PM&R, 7(9), 946-954.
Monahan, J. C. (2015). A student nurse experience of an intervention that addresses the perioperative nursing shortage. Journal of perioperative practice, 25(11), 230-234.
Snavely, T. M. (2016). A brief economic analysis of the looming nursing shortage in the United States. Nursing Economics, 34(2), 98-101.