Healthcare Staffing Budget, Research Paper Example

Establishing and maintaining a successful approach to nurse staffing and training is a difficult task and requires effective knowledge and support from the management team. To accomplish these objectives, it is necessary to determine current budgetary staffing and training requirements to improve cost efficiency and resource utilization over time. Successful patient care requires low turnover rates, cost awareness, and reduced length of stay to optimize resources (Premier). The following budget summarizes current cost breakdowns for the nursing unit over a one-year period:

In evaluating this budget and the current training needs of the nursing unit, additional training resources are required to ensure that nurses and other staff members are effectively prepared to manage the ever-changing scope of patient care and healthcare trends as a whole. First and foremost, budgetary constraints have limited some of the opportunities available to staff on this unit to expand their knowledge as best as possible. The budget is not currently available to seek external opportunities beyond hospital-based resources and mandatory continuing education requirements. Therefore, nurses and other staff members are unable to obtain training regarding newer trends in healthcare. As a result, their motivation to some degree is lacking because they do not feel adequately supported by their management team. In addition, it is unlikely that when nurse turnover takes place and new nurses are recruited to fill available positions, they will not be able to access much-needed training opportunities to improve their performance. Training must be an ongoing event with many important alternatives that will encourage optimal training and preparation for all nurses (Lee, 2012). One area to consider is the effective management of patient care in a team-based environment, which has existed for quite some time but not necessarily in alignment with current trends throughout the healthcare spectrum (Lee, 2012). It is important for nurses to be provided with learning and training environments that embrace change and progress, and which will positively influence the scope and direction of patient care for the foreseeable future. With this perspective in mind, training opportunities on the unit in question must be modified accordingly by utilizing existing resources more wisely so that nurses and other staff members are effectively prepared to meet the needs of the 21^st Century healthcare system.

References

Douglas, K. (2009). The naked truth: staffing in health care needs an overhaul. Nursing Economics, 27(5), 332-334.

Lee, J. (2012). Rush pilots advanced nurse training. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-20/classified/chi-rush-nursing-training-20121020_1_nurse-practitioners-nurse-anesthetists-train-more-nurses

Premier. The key to budget success: optimal staffing and scheduling management. Retrieved from https://www.premierinc.com/consulting/success-stories/Budget_white_paper.pdf