Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

Inadequate nurse staffing is a significant economic issue in the healthcare organization. Nurse provide life-saving medical care in various units across the healthcare organizations. Therefore, the demand for nurses in various clinical settings is significantly high, creating nurse staffing shortage in clinical settings, including the selected healthcare organization. Additionally, the healthcare organization’s management faces challenges in assessing new nurse applicants for available nursing positions caused due to significant nursing shortage nationally and worldwide (Brooks Carthon et al., 2020). Lastly, more nurses are retiring and others quitting, worsening nurse staffing shortage. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

In the healthcare organization, inadequate nurse staffing is associated with adverse effects. First, lack of the recommended nurse-to-patient ratio results in increased workload and long working hours for the current nurses, exposing them to burnout, distress, and fatigue. Consequently, nurses’ ability to offer safe and quality care is jeopardized resulting in adverse health outcomes and safety issues, including medication errors, high rate of patient falls, increased hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), and in-hospital mortality (Griffiths et al., 2020). These adverse outcomes exposes patients to prolonged stay and increased treatment cost. As a result, patients are dissatisfied with services provided in the medical facility, which damages the organization’s reputation and images. Additionally, inadequate nurse staffing makes it difficult for the current nurses to meet the intensifying healthcare demand among senior adults, increasing disease burden and deaths among the community members. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

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Inadequate number of staffs in the organization remain a significant concern. Based on data collected from the hospital’s dashboard, the current number of nurses is below the required number by 25%. This variation in nurse staffing rates is attributed to increased nurses’ wages following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for nursing care increased significantly both in the United States and worldwide during the post pandemic period. Consequently, the United States medical facilities have paid nurses $100-$150 hourly to compensate for the extreme demand for nursing professionals (Han et al., 2021). This wage rate is significantly high, discouraging the organization’s executives from hiring the required number of nurses. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

In the organization, inadequate nurse staffing results in nurses’ high workload and long working hours. These unfavorable working conditions predisposes nurses to burnout and occupation distress, compromising their ability to provide safe and quality patient care (Banda et al., 2022). Data collected from the organization’s dashboard indicate a 30% increase in rate of hospital stay, raising the overall treatment. Moreover, inadequate nurse staffing has led to 25% increase in the cost incurred in treating HAIs. Lastly, a 25% increase in operation cost has been reported due to cost of treating patient safety issues associated with nurses’ high workload and burnout. Therefore, these adverse safety issues has increased the organizations operation cost, compromising organization’s sustainability and competitiveness. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

In the organization, inadequate nurse staffing results in nurses’ high workload and long working hours. These unfavorable working conditions predisposes nurses to burnout and occupation distress, compromising their ability to provide safe and quality patient care (Banda et al., 2022). Consequently, inadequate nurse staffing increases the healthcare organization’s monthly expenses by approximately $ 2 000 000. Data collected from the organization’s dashboard indicate a 30% increase in rate of hospital stay, raising the overall treatment. Moreover, inadequate nurse staffing has led to 25% increase in the cost incurred in treating HAIs. Lastly, a 25% increase in operation cost has been reported due to cost of treating patient safety issues associated with nurses’ high workload and burnout. Therefore, these adverse safety issues has increased the organizations operation cost, compromising organization’s sustainability and competitiveness. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

Inadequate nurse staffing imposes a massive economic burden on the medical facility due to the increase in costs associated with compromising quality and safety of patient care. Increased hospital stays is associated with approximately $ 500 000 increase in weekly expenses. Moreover, hospital readmission due to HAIs is associated with approximately $ 700 000 rise in medical facility’s weekly expenses. Lastly, increased patient safety issues, such as medication errors and inpatient falls increased weekly expenses by approximately $ 800 000.

Inadequate nurse staffing is associated with high cost of treating health complications associated with compromised quality and safety, medical facility’s lost productivity hours due to nurses’ burnout and distress, and cost of hiring new nurses due to increased nurses’ turnover rates. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

Thus, inadequate nurse staffing should be addressed to reduce the medical facility’s weekly operational cost. As a result, effective evidence-based measures should be adopted in the medical facility to boost nurses staffing. This initiative will improve quality and safety of patient care, reducing adverse health outcomes associated with unsafe and poor-quality patient care. Consequently, the facility’s weekly expenses will reduce significantly, increasing profit margin.

Monetary incentives enhance nurses’ commitment to quality and safety of patient care in healthcare organizations. In healthcare settings, financial incentives, such as pay-for-performance programs are designed to motivate and encourage nurses to perform their duties well and provide safe and quality patient care, improving overall health outcomes (Martin et al., 2020). Therefore, adopting the proposed financial incentives, including offering competitive salaries, signing-on bonuses, and providing additional monetary incentives, which will enhance nurses’ engagement in patient care. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

The proposed multiple-based strategies will positively various parties. Implementing the proposed financial incentives in the medical facility will encourage nurses to take on more duties and assist colleagues with relatively high workloads. As a result, adverse issues affecting nurses due to high workload such as distress and burnout will reduce significantly. Additionally, adverse health outcomes and patient safety issues associated with inadequate nurse staffing will reduce significantly, improving patients’ health outcomes. Improved patient outcomes and decreased safety issues will lower overall medical facility’s expenses, increasing profitability.

Lastly, enhanced nurses’ job performance and improved health outcomes will reduce disease burden and mortality rates in the community. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment

Cultural competence is the backbone of unbiased and culturally sensitive patient care (Andrews, 2019). The proposed intervention focuses on reducing nurse staffs’ workload, while reducing cost. Consequently, nurses will provide culturally competent, cost-effective, and high-quality patient care, enabling patients with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds to access high-quality and equitable care. As a result, diversity in care delivery will be eliminated, improving individuals’ health outcomes and quality of life. Additionally, disease burden and death rates will reduce significantly in the community. Impact of Inadequate Nurse Staffing Assignment