NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5 Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem or Issue

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4000 Developing a Nursing Perspective

Prof. Name

Date

Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem or Issue

Many hospitals and clinics lack doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. This makes it harder to give proper care to patients. Nurses get tired and feel stressed, and some leave their jobs. This worsens the problem and puts patient safety at risk. There are ways to fix this issue. Better pay, improved schedules, and more training can help nurses stay. Technology like telehealth can also make care easier (Jonasdottir et al., 2022). Hospitals and leaders must act quickly to prevent further harm to patients and healthcare workers. This assessment looks at the shortage of healthcare workers and its impact on patients and staff. It also explores possible solutions to improve care and support workers.

Describing the Healthcare Problem

The shortage of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers is a big problem. Many hospitals and clinics do not have enough staff to care for all their patients. This makes it harder for the workers there because they have too much to do. They get tired and feel stressed, and some even leave their jobs. In the United States, nurse turnover is very high. About 27.65% of nurses leave their jobs yearly (Bae, 2023). Not having enough nurses can put patients at risk. Recent studies have demonstrated an association between nurse staffing levels and patient mortality rates. For instance, a 2021 study conducted at a Swiss university hospital found that exposure to shifts with low registered nurse staffing was associated with a 10% increase in the odds of patient mortality. In contrast, high staffing levels corresponded to an 8.7% decrease in mortality odds (Musy et al., 2021).

Healthcare professional shortages are important because they affect healthcare workers and patients. When there are not enough nurses, the ones who are working have to do extra. They feel very tired, and some may not want to continue working in healthcare. For patients, this means they may not get the care they need. Research shows that there are ways to help with this problem. The solution is improving work schedules and offering higher pay (Zhang et al., 2024). Another way is to provide more training and support to keep nurses in their jobs.

In rural areas, giving nurses extra benefits like housing and better pay can help keep them working in those places (Witter et al., 2021). Hospitals and healthcare leaders must find ways to keep nurses happy and ensure they have the support they need. If not, patients will suffer, and the healthcare system will struggle. Addressing hospital workforce shortages is crucial because understaffing leads to burnout, increased patient mortality, and poor care quality (Musy et al., 2021). Solutions like better wages, improved schedules, and training programs can enhance retention and patient outcomes (Zhang et al., 2024).

Analyzing the Problem or Issue

Many hospitals and clinics lack doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. This is a big problem in the United States and many other countries. When there are not enough workers, the remaining ones have too much work (Zhang et al., 2024). This can lead to mistakes, poor patient care, and even higher death rates. Zaranko et al. (2022), analyzing data from the English National Health Service, reported that each additional 12-hour shift by a registered nurse was linked to a 9.6% reduction in the odds of patient death.

Conversely, teams with registered nurse staffing 16 hours or more below target had a 22.8% higher odds of patient death. This problem matters to me because I have seen how it affects healthcare workers and patients. In my experience, my unit was short on staff, and I had to take care of too many patients. This made me feel exhausted and overwhelmed. It also made it hard to give each patient the best care. Many of my coworkers felt the same way, and some even left their jobs. This shows that when hospitals do not have enough staff, it can cause burnout and job dissatisfaction.

Nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers are most affected by this issue. Patients also suffer because they may not get enough attention or care. Families worry when their loved ones do not receive proper treatment. Hospital leaders and the government need to find ways to fix this problem. Solutions could include hiring more staff, increasing salaries, and improving working conditions (Bae, 2023; Zhang et al., 2024). Research is important because it helps us understand the problem and find the best ways to solve it. Research on staff shortages is needed to quantify their long-term impact on patient care, burnout, and healthcare costs (Bae, 2023). Areas of uncertainty include the effectiveness of staffing policies, the role of technology in mitigating shortages, and the sustainability of retention strategies (Zhang et al., 2024).

Potential Solutions

The shortage of healthcare workers, especially nurses, is a big problem. This leads to high stress, burnout, and poor patient care. There are different ways to solve this problem. Some ideas focus on keeping nurses in their jobs, while others try to bring in new workers. One solution is to improve work conditions for nurses. This means giving them better pay, flexible schedules, and support at work. When nurses feel valued, they stay in their jobs. Hiring can reduce turnover and improve patient care (Bae, 2023). However, giving jobs requires more hospital money and may take time to show results. Another solution is to train and hire more nurses. Schools can offer more nursing programs and scholarships to attract students. Hospitals can also create programs to help new nurses adjust to their jobs. The downside is that training new nurses takes years. This means the shortage may not be fixed quickly (Musy et al., 2021).

Some experts believe that using technology can help. Telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI) can reduce nurses’ workloads. AI can help with paperwork, and telemedicine can help doctors see patients remotely. The problem is that not all hospitals have the money or technology to make this work. Improving work conditions is the best solution. Happy and supported nurses will stay in their jobs, reducing burnout and turnover. Research shows that patient care improves when nurses have better working conditions (Lasater et al., 2021). However, combining solutions may be the best way to solve this crisis. Hospitals can improve work conditions while training more nurses and using helpful technology. The success of AI implementation to address workforce shortages is hindered by high costs, data privacy concerns, and resistance from healthcare workers due to fear of job displacement (Lasater et al., 2021). Additionally, limitations in AI accuracy, ethical concerns, and the need for regulatory approval slow widespread adoption (Musy et al., 2021).

The Impact of Ethical Principles on Solutions

Ethics help ensure that solutions are fair, safe, and respectful. Four key ethical principles to consider are beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Beneficence means doing good for others. A solution to improve working conditions and training for nurses would help both patients and healthcare workers. For example, hiring more nurses can reduce stress on current staff and improve patient care. Lasater et al. (2021) showed Illinois hospitals had different nurse staffing levels, ranging from 4.2 to 7.6 patients per nurse.

If all hospitals used a 4:1 ratio, 1,595 deaths could have been avoided, and hospitals could have saved $117 million in one year. This shows how beneficence ensures better care and safety. Nonmaleficence means avoiding harm. Overworked nurses can make mistakes that hurt patients. Patients and nurses will suffer if we do not fix the shortage. To follow nonmaleficence, we must reduce nurse workloads to prevent harm. For this, AI implementation for paperwork can reduce the workload for nurses.

NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

Autonomy means respecting people’s choices. Nurses should have control over their work-life balance. Many nurses leave their jobs because they feel overworked and unsupported. A good solution should offer flexible schedules and better working conditions. This allows nurses to stay in the profession while still having personal time. Justice means fairness. A solution must be fair for everyone, including rural areas that lack enough healthcare workers. For this, telehealth should be available in rural areas for the convenience of both patients and nurses. Research shows that offering better salaries and housing in rural areas helps attract and keep workers (Witter et al., 2021). Rural communities will continue to struggle if resources are given only to big cities. Justice ensures that all patients get good care, no matter where they live.

Bias must also be considered. Solutions like telehealth and training for nurses from rural areas should be fair to all nurses, regardless of gender, race, or location. If we only improve urban hospitals, rural patients and nurses will suffer. Longenecker et al. (2020) suggest that rural-focused training and financial incentives help balance healthcare services. The study mentioned that only 8.2% of medical schools openly say they train rural doctors. However, 64.8% offer rural training, and 21.4% have formal rural programs. These ethical principles can create a fair and effective solution to the healthcare worker shortage.

Sphere of Care

Chronic disease management requires consistent care. However, there is a shortage of healthcare workers. This makes it hard for patients to get the care they need. Many patients, especially in rural areas, struggle to find doctors. Long wait times and fewer available appointments make it difficult to manage diseases like diabetes and heart disease. One solution is telehealth. Telehealth allows patients to see doctors through video calls instead of in-person visits. It also reduces travel time and costs, especially for people living in remote areas. With telehealth, doctors can monitor patients more often.

Telehealth can help catch problems early and prevent complications. For example, a patient with diabetes can have regular check-ins to adjust medication or diet without having to leave home. In Moulaei et al. (2023), out % of 1,226 patients, 71% preferred in-person visits, while 29% chose telemedicine. People liked telemedicine for saving money and avoiding infections, but most trusted in-person visits for better exams and treatment.

NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

Furthermore, telehealth also helps healthcare workers. Doctors and nurses can see more patients in a day. This reduces stress and improves efficiency. Telehealth can also connect patients with specialists who may not be available nearby. This ensures that all patients get fair and equal access to care, following the ethical principle of justice. By making care easier and faster, telehealth supports the principle of beneficence (Jonasdottir et al., 2022). Patients get the attention they need, which improves their health. It also reduces the risk of harm, following the principle of nonmaleficence. With better access to care, patients have more, supporting their autonomy. Thus, telehealth is a simple but powerful solution. It helps patients manage their conditions and supports healthcare workers.

This makes chronic disease care more effective. Telehealth improves chronic disease management by enhancing access to care, aligning with the Wellness and Disease Prevention sphere. Patients in rural areas can receive timely consultations, reducing complications from diabetes and heart disease (Longenecker et al., 2020). Regular virtual check-ins allow for early intervention, preventing hospitalizations and improving health outcomes (Moulaei et al., 2023). Telehealth eases the burden on healthcare workers by streamlining patient visits and increasing efficiency (Bae, 2023). It promotes justice by ensuring access to specialists, beneficence by improving patient well-being, and autonomy by giving patients more control over their care (Jonasdottir et al., 2022).

Conclusion

The shortage of healthcare workers is a big problem. It makes nurses and doctors work hard and puts patients at risk. Better pay, fair schedules, and more training can help keep nurses in their jobs. Using telehealth and technology can also make care easier. Hospitals and leaders must take action now to protect both workers and patients.

References

Bae, S.-H. (2023). Comprehensive assessment of factors contributing to the actual turnover of newly licensed registered nurses working in acute care hospitals: A systematic review. BMC Nursing, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01190-3

Jonasdottir, S. K., Thordardottir, I., & Jonsdottir, T. (2022). Health professionals’ perspective towards challenges and opportunities of telehealth service provision: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 167, 104862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104862

Lasater, K. B., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D., French, R., Martin, B., Alexander, M., & McHugh, M. D. (2021). Patient outcomes and cost savings associated with hospital safe nurse staffing legislation: An observational study. BMJ Open, 11(12), e052899. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052899

Longenecker, R. L., Andrilla, C. H. A., Jopson, A. D., Evans, D. V., Schmitz, D., Larson, E. H., & Patterson, D. G. (2020). Pipelines to pathways: Medical school commitment to producing a rural workforce. The Journal of Rural Health, 37(4), 723–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12542 

Moulaei, K., Sheikhtaheri, A., Fatehi, F., Yazdani, A., & Bahaadinbeigy, K. (2023). Patients’ perspectives and preferences toward telemedicine versus in-person visits: A mixed-methods study on 1226 patients. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02348-4

NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

Musy, S. N., Endrich, O., Leichtle, A. B., Griffiths, P., Nakas, C. T., & Simon, M. (2021). The association between nurse staffing and inpatient mortality: A shift-level retrospective longitudinal study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 120(103950), 103950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103950

Witter, S., Herbst, C. H., Smitz, M., Balde, M. D., Magazi, I., & Zaman, R. U. (2021). How to attract and retain health workers in rural areas of a fragile state: Findings from a labour market survey in Guinea. PloS One, 16(12), e0245569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245569

Zaranko, B., Sanford, N. J., Kelly, E., Rafferty, A. M., Bird, J., Mercuri, L., Sigsworth, J., Wells, M., & Propper, C. (2022). Nurse staffing and inpatient mortality in the English national health service: A retrospective longitudinal study. BMJ Quality & Safety, 32(5), bmjqs-2022-015291. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2022-015291

Zhang, H., Abdullah, V. C. W. B., & Wong, L. (2024). The association between burnout, perceived organizational support, and perceived professional benefits among nurses in China. Heliyon, e39371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39371