Obstacles Of Staffing

Nursing professionals are faced with many obstacles when caring for patients. These obstacles often leave nurses questioning their ethical, moral, and professional responsibilities. Many times, these questions arise due to issues within the work environment. Working environments impact the quality of patient care, as well as the nurses job satisfaction. One contributing factor directly affecting patient care, safety, and the nurses work environment is staffing. According to the American Nurses Association, nursing professionals comprise the largest subgroup within the hospital settings (ANA). Thus, healthcare facilities have set organizational policies and procedures in place to guide nursing leaders is staff assignments. When

The policies also state nursing assignments are to be made to by the units’ charge nurse. The assignments are to facilitate prompt recognition of an untoward condition and to facilitate appropriate interventions by nursing, medical, and/or hospital staff (11.04.00). Once the charge nurse appoints care, the registered nurse is to plan, supervise, and evaluate the care of each patient. Prior to assigning staff, the charge nurses have guidelines they must follow which ensure assignments are made in the safest manner possible. The policies outline three factors for the ensuring the safety of staff and patients. The first consideration is the acuity of the patient. The charge nurse must be familiar with all the patients care needs prior to assigning staff within their unit. The second consideration is the degree of supervision required by each nursing staff member based on his/her previously assessed level of competence. In addition to the previously assessed competence, the assignments should be based on the nurses’ current competency in relation to the nursing care needs of the patient. The third consideration for staffing assignments is based on relevant infection control and safety issues. The policy clearly outlines that if an associate has been

But when work environments are strained, safety and optimal care can be negatively impacted. Problems arise when work environments become strained due to situations where inadequate staff are available to provide patient care. For nurses to continue to maximize their contributions to society, their autonomy and dignity must be maintained in the work environment (ANA). The Nurses Bill of Rights states nurses have the right to practice in environments that allow them to act in accordance with professional standards and legally authorized scopes of practice (ANA). Despite the abundant research, safe and appropriate nurse staffing remains one of the toughest problems for hospitals to manage