Planning Your Visit, Research Paper Example

Introduction

In recent years, there has been an increased effort to address staffing for nurses, due to the challenges associated with maintaining high quality care and treatment, particularly when staffing ratios are low. Therefore, Senator Barbara Boxer of California has advocated to address this matter further through the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act (S. 739), which is based upon a successful model that has transpired in California that requires minimum nurse-to-patient ratios (National Nurses United, 2014). This piece of legislation at the national level would provide greater oversight involving nursing practice objectives and the number of staff members that are required to sustain high quality delivery of patient care, which includes hospitals providing Medicare and Medicaid services to patients (National Nurses United, 2014). This Act represents an opportunity to overcome the status quo in nursing practice and to recognize the importance of developing models that are designed to improve patient care quality rather than to discourage this practice. It is important to address this legislation more fully with Senator Boxer and her team in order to better understand its implications on a widespread basis, as well as an opportunity to convey the importance of the Act and its application to nursing units in hospitals throughout the United States. The following discussion will address this policy in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of developing different perspectives that encourage positive outcomes in nurse-to-patient staffing in order to reduce risks and improve patient care quality over time.

Analysis

739 represents a means of challenging current practice methods in nursing units in order to accomplish greater quality care with the appropriate number of nurses staffed within a given unit over a given period of time (Advance Healthcare Network, 2013). This Act would provide the following provisions to nursing units throughout the United States: “1)Establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios that will save lives, improve the quality of care and help to address the nursing shortage by creating a work environment that encourages nurses to remain in the hospital workforce; 2) Provide whistleblower protections to protect the right of nurses to advocate for the safety of patients and report violations of minimum standards of care; and 3)Invest in nursing mentorship demonstration programs to better prepare nurses for work in a hospital setting” (Advance Healthcare Network, 2013). Under these conditions, it is possible for nurses to be able to improve their practice settings when they are working under conditions that are conducive to high quality care and treatment for patients (Advance Healthcare Network, 2013). These factors play an important role in determining the most feasible course of action to promote nursing staffing requirements as critical in supporting the success of patient care and treatment objectives (Advance Healthcare Network, 2013).

With the continued problems associated with nursing staffing ratios and a shortage of nurses, it is important to identify the resources that are required to ensure that patient care outcomes are achieved effectively with the appropriate level of staffing in place (Samuel, 2013). The shortage of nurses that is evident throughout the United States represents a challenge to nurses to work longer hours and manage larger numbers of patients, which could ultimately contribute to burnout and could compromise patient care quality (Samuel, 2013). Therefore, it is important to identify the resources that are required to ensure that quality of care is effective and timely, and this is accomplished through minimum staffing ratios and the subsequent reduction of patient-related errors (Samuel, 2013). This Act provides a basis for exploring new dimensions of nursing practice so that staffing issues become minimal or nonexistent, while quality of care is optimized as best as possible (Samuel, 2013). It is important to identify the resources that are available by adopting minimum staffing ratios in order to accomplish the desired care and treatment objectives.

Healthcare reform is a continuous process that requires specific attention to detail and an understanding of the challenges that nurses face as they attempt to provide high quality care and treatment to patients, even if staffing levels are low (Croswell, 2013). These factors support the growth of practice settings and enhance patient care quality by enabling nurses to manage a smaller number of patients on any given shift to improve quality (Croswell, 2013). It is important to address this Act as a means of nursing reform and in supporting the development of new perspectives that impact nurses in a positive manner (Croswell, 2013). The Act will also create penalties for hospitals who do not comply with the law: “Subject hospitals found in violation of the law to civil monetary penalties of up to $25,000 for each knowing violation, or to greater, unspecified monetary penalties if the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines the hospital has a pattern or practice of such violation” (Croswell, 2013). This provides further support of the Act and its commitment to supporting greater quality of care using proven techniques and strategies to alleviate the burden for individual nurses on any given shift (Croswell, 2013).

From a nursing-based perspective, advocating for minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios requires a greater understanding of the challenges and considerations of why nursing shortages exist. In some organizations, however, resources are limited, which contributes to the reduction of staff members and jeopardizes quality of care in many ways (Wood, 2011). It is known that “Without the proper number of nurses, more patients could be harmed by inadvertent errors in complex hospital systems, and fewer would receive the high quality they expect and deserve… Cutting nursing positions will have an effect on a hospital’s bottom line — a negative one” (Wood, 2011). Under these conditions, it is likely that nurses will continue to experience challenges with respect to staffing and for nurses who are employed and working on particular shifts, they could be overloaded with too many patients, thereby posing a threat to the quality of care and treatment that is achieved (Wood, 2011). It is inevitable that if nursing staffing conditions continue at their current levels, then it is likely that patients will suffer the consequences of this care, which will have a negative impact on their health and wellbeing over the long term (Wood, 2011).

The push to establish minimum nurse staffing ratios is a slow process; however, California has achieved some success with their existing model (Tannen, 2013). Other states should also consider similar objectives and make an effort to support the potential benefits of this type of legislation, which may include reduced mortality rates for many patients and improved nurse retention rates, particularly when nurses recognize that their employers and state or federal regulations recognize their value in the nursing work environment (Tannen, 2013). These factors support a greater understanding of the issues that nurses face and the opportunities that are likely to occur when nurses are provided with a work environment that supports safe and effective care and treatment for all patients (Tannen, 2013). High quality care is an essential component of any nursing work environment, and when nurses are responsible for fewer numbers of patients, they are likely to respond favorably, perform at the maximum level, and continue in these roles for longer periods of time (Tannen, 2013). These efforts will demonstrate the importance of new strategies to enable nurses to gain greater support and respect for the work that they perform by enabling them to focus on fewer numbers of patients (Tannen, 2013).These factors will encourage greater quality of care and the effective utilization of available resources, as well as cost savings, particularly since fewer overtime hours will be required when staffing levels are higher (Tannen, 2013). It is important for nurses to be provided with an environment that is conducive to change and progress, as well as many different opportunities for growth within the nursing practice framework (Tannen, 2013).

Conclusion

739 represents an opportunity to explore the different dimensions of patient care and the ability to be effective in enhancing quality of care across all nursing units. Nurses who are given minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios are likely to respond favorably to these events and to be recognized for their value in supporting high quality patient care and related outcomes. At the same time, this Act proposes that nursing shortages must also be addressed, which may pose a difficult challenge for some organizations to achieve, given the monetary resources that are available and the monetary climate for nurses in the modern era. Advocacy for this Act must demonstrate a commitment to improving patient quality of care and the development of a framework to encourage higher enrollment in nursing education programs that will lead to higher graduation rates and a greater number of nurses to fill available positions. These factors will enable healthcare organizations throughout the United States to be successful in improving their staffing levels and in supporting a new set of perspectives that will improve quality of care for patients over a period of time. California began the trend of addressing minimum staffing ratios; now it is the responsibility of other states and the federal government to adopt similar legislative practices so that all patients are provided with the best possible resources in order to achieve greater health and wellbeing within a given hospital environment. This will also ensure that nurses achieve greater satisfaction with their roles and are able to provide their patients with high quality and focused care, using the resources, knowledge, and degree of flexibility that are available to them.

References

Advance Healthcare Network (2013). New bill in Senate calls for national nurse-patient ratios, staffing solutions. Retrieved from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/News/National-News/New-Bill-in-Senate-Calls-for-National-Nurse-Patient-Ratios-Staffing-Solutions.aspx

Croswell, R.R. (2013). The push for nurse-to-patient ratio laws expands. Littler, retrieved from http://www.littler.com/2013/05/08/the-push-for-nurse-to-patient-ratio-laws-expands

National Nurses United (2014). National legislation. Retrieved from http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/legislation/entry/57/

Samuel, W. (2013). Expressing strong support for the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act (S. 739). AFL-CIO, retrieved from http://www.aflcio.org/Legislation-and-Politics/Legislative-Alerts/Expressing-Strong-Support-for-the-National-Nursing-Shortage-Reform-and-Patient-Advocacy-Act-S.-739

Tannen, E. (2013). More nurses equal better patient care. Aspen University, retrieved from http://www.aspen.edu/school-of-nursing/blog/more-nurses-equals-better-patient-care

Wood, D. (2011). Risks of cutting nursing staff. AMN Healthcare, retrieved from http://www.amnhealthcare.com/latest-healthcare-news/527/1033/