Compared to its industrialized counterparts, the US performs poorly as regards the delivery of quality care. Various factors have received blame for the country’s ineffective healthcare system. Low nurse to patient ratio is one of these factors. There are few nurses who are charged with the responsibility of attending to the needs of hundreds of patients. If the US is to enhance its healthcare system, it must address this problem. One of the most promising solutions to the problem involves establishing minimum levels of nurse to patient ratio.
Target Audience and Rationale
This policy proposal is intended for a diverse audience. Government agencies and officials in charge of public health are among the members of the target audience. Among other issues, these stakeholders are charged with enacting laws and formulating policies which govern how healthcare providers operate. The government entities are targeted because they hold the key to instituting policies which will require hospitals to endeavor to keep the nurse to patient levels above a defined minimum. In addition to these parties, the proposal also targets hospital and health administrators. These officers are targeted because they possess the authority and influence needed to implement the proposal.
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Issue/Problem
The low nurse to patient ratio is the problem that the policy addresses. Figures show that in the US, the ratio of nurses to patients is worryingly and unacceptably low (“Research shows safe staffing”, n.d). There are various reasons why the proposal focuses on the ratio. Among these reasons is the fact that the low ratio is responsible for various adverse health outcomes. For example, nurses tend to suffer fatigue which hinders their capacity to deliver quality and safe care when they are assigned more patients than they can handle (Caruso, 2014). Basically, the US is grappling with a biting nurse shortage which has forced hospitals to require the few available nurses to work for long hours. As a result, the nurses are overwhelmed and demoralized. There is no question that the US needs to urgently address this problem.
Healthcare Elements
The proposal tackles a number of healthcare elements. They include health promotion, health protection, injury prevention, and maintaining the appropriate levels of healthcare staff. Ethical considerations are yet another issue that the proposal concerns. As already noted, the low nurse to patient ratios are to blame for adverse health outcomes. For example, patients contend with long queues and face the risk of developing complications as a result of the nurse shortage (Sokhela et al., 2013). The implementation of the proposal will secure the health of the patients. In addition to preventing injuries, the proposal also challenges government agencies and hospital authorities to hire adequate staff while complying with the ethical principle of safeguarding the wellbeing of patients. Overall, the proposal holds the key to enhancing the care that patients receive.
Intended Outcomes
Improving the patient experience is the main outcome that the proposal intends to accomplish. By setting a minimum staffing standard, hospitals will be better placed to serve the needs of their patients. For example, the patients will receive personalized care as the capacity of the nurses will not be overstretched. The implementation of the proposal also promises to enhance satisfaction levels among nurses. As stated above, nurses are overworked and suffer fatigue. These issues will be resolved when hospitals join forces with policy makers to push for the adoption of minimum nurse to patient ratios. Overall, it is hoped that the full implementation of the proposal will yield drastic improvements in the quality, cost and safety of healthcare services.
Potential Impacts
For the most part, the proposed solution will yield positive impacts. A reduction in costs of offering services in the long term, enhanced access to care and improved quality of care are some of these impacts. It has been observed that nurse shortage is responsible for poor care quality and high operational costs (Everhart et al., 2013). Furthermore, as a result of the shortage, patients encounter serious hardships as they seek care. Since they are the direct result of shortage, these problems will undoubtedly be eliminated when the proposed intervention is implemented. By requiring all hospitals to keep their nurse staff levels above the minimum, the proposal will facilitate the delivery of better care.
Potential Unintended Outcomes
From the discussion above, it is evident that the proposal promises to fix most of the grave challenges that the healthcare system faces. However, it is important to acknowledge that the proposal could also cause some negative outcomes. An increase in costs is among these adverse consequences. During the initial phases of the implementation of the proposal, hospitals will incur higher costs. For example, the implementation process will involve hiring more nurses. This is a costly undertaking. Despite this negative outcome, the proposal remains promising and by effecting it, hospitals will set the stage for tremendous improvement.
Potential Stakeholders Supporting Proposal
Given that it will solve various challenges, the proposal should be popular and receive wide support. Nurses and patients are among the stakeholders who are likely to throw their full weight behind the proposal. The support from these stakeholders will stem from the fact that the proposal will yield positive outcomes for them. For example, nurses will shoulder lighter workloads while patients will receive improved and safe care at lower cost. Government agencies in charge of public health will also support the proposal. Since the proposal delivers improvements to public health, its implementation will enable the agencies to fulfill their mandate. Overall, any stakeholder who desires to see the quality of care become better will support the proposal.
Potential Stakeholders Opposing Proposal
Whereas it is true that the proposal will receive support from a majority of stakeholders, it is important to recognize that there are some parties who may oppose it. Hospital administrators are among these parties. The fact that the implementation process of the proposal will be costly is the main reason why the administrators would resist the proposal. As stated above, the initial phase of the process will force hospitals to spend huge amounts on such functions as the recruitment of more nurses. In order to secure buy-in and unwavering support from the administrators, funding from various sources should be secured. For example, those charged with the implementation of the proposal could reach out to sponsors and the government to provide funding for the proposal. Challenging the administrators to understand that the proposal will reduce costs in the long run and improve healthcare quality is another strategy that can be used to win their support.
Implications for AGACNP Practice
Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practice (AGACNP) is among the fields in healthcare for which the proposed intervention presents implications. AGACNP professionals are charged with delivering acute care. Furthermore, they are expected to ensure patient satisfaction and provide care of high quality (“Adult-Gerontology Acute Care”, n.d). Given the mandate of the AGACNP professionals, the implications of the proposal are clear. The implementation of the proposal will make it possible for these practitioners to execute their mandate faithfully. For example, it has been noted above that by implementing the proposal, hospitals will deliver cheaper and higher quality care. Furthermore, the proposal will lead to better outcomes for nurses. Essentially, through this proposal, AGACNP practitioners will be able to perform their job while having positive experiences. Since it will revolutionize healthcare, no effort or resource should be spared in the implementation of the proposal.
References
Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG ACNP). (n.d). University of California San Francisco. Retrieved December 16, 2018 from https://nursing.ucsf.edu/academics/programs/master-science-advanced-practice-programs/adult-gerontology-acute-care-nurse-practitioner-ag-acnp
Caruso, C. C. (2014). Negative impacts of shift work and long work hours. Rehabilitation Nursing, 39 (1), 16-25.
Everhart, D., Neff, D., Al-Amin, D., Nogle, J., & Weech-Maldonado, R. (2013). The effects of nurse staffing on hospital financial performance: competitive versus less competitive markets. Health Care Management Review, 38 (2), 146-155.
Research shows safe staffing saves lives. (n.d). New York State Nurses Association. Retrieved December 16, 2018 from https://www.nysna.org/experience-and-research-show-safe-staffing-ratios-work-0
Sokhela, D.G., Makhanya, N.J., Sibiya, N.M. & Nokes, K.M. (2013). Experiences of Fast Queue health care users in primary health care facilities in eThekwini district, South Africa. Curationis, 36(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v36i1.60
