Organizational Problems Within Healthcare Organization Essay Paper

The problem has been identified as inadequate nurse staffing presented as high patient-to-nurse ratios that not only compromises patient care in terms of safety and quality, but as result in reduced job satisfaction and increased burnout rates among nurse personnel. This is a source of concern in any medical facility since their primary objective is to provide high quality and safe care that improves outcomes, and yet inadequate nurse staffing reduces the possibility of achieving these objectives. Besides concerns about care outcomes, federal regulation 42CFR 482.23(b) indicate the appropriate patient-to-nurse ratios such that inadequate nurse staffing implies a contravention of these regulation. The recommended patient-to-nurse ratios is as low as 1:1 for the operating room and trauma care, and as high as 1:6 for psychiatric, initial medical and postpartum care (McCaffrey, 2016). Optimal nurse staffing is not only considers the ratios, but is also adjusted to account for shift and department level factors. It is important to note that optimized patient-to-nurse ratios allows the medical facility to have flexible staffing levels for each area of need (department) with a focus on accounting for any changes to health needs, admission numbers, transfers and discharges during shifts, experience levels of medical personnel, department layouts, and resources availability. In essence, providing adequate nurse staffing addresses three goals.  Organizational Problems Within Healthcare Organization Essay Paper Firstly, it allows the facility to conformity with the legislative model that indicates indicate the appropriate patient-to-nurse ratios. Secondly, it helps in achieving economic and clinical improvements to patient care. Thirdly, it improves the safety of patients through reducing length of stay, readmission levels, patient mortality, and medication errors. Fifthly, improves safety outcomes from hospital associated infection, pressure ulcers, and fall incidences. Sixthly, it reduce care costs through reducing unplanned readmissions. Finally, it prevents nurse fatigue. Overall, there is a need to ensure that nurse staffing levels are optimized to provide the best possible care while maximizing staff benefits (McCaffrey, 2016).

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Reference

McCaffrey, R. (2016). Doctor of nursing practice: enhancing professional development. Philadelphia, PA:  F. A. Davis.

Departmental problems within a healthcare organization

Organizational problems

Two departmental problems within a healthcare organization

Inadequate staffing and lack of formal and informal recognition are two departmental problems within my healthcare organization. There is insufficient staff to meet the rising healthcare needs of clients. Inadequate staffing results in an overwhelming workload that makes nurses fatigued and be left with little time to offer the caring features of nursing.  Recognition of the meaningfulness and values of a person’s contribution to a healthcare organization is an essential human need and is also fundamental to personal and professional development.

My personal experience I have had with these problems

Inadequate staffing and lack of recognition of work well done and accomplishments make one feel less motivated and dissatisfied with the work environment, and the nursing career.  A low nurse to patient ratio makes staff feel burned out and unable to offer the caring facet of nursing.  Additionally, insufficient staffing is a harmful threat to patients’ safety and nurses’ well-being.  Lack of recognition makes me feel unappreciated because inwardly, we want to feel valued.  As McHugh and Ma (2014) indicate, nurses working in healthcare organizations with unhealthy work environments and excessive workloads have a high likelihood of feeling burned out as well as discontented with their work.

Systems thinking and how my performance affects the overall system and customer satisfaction when addressing these problems

Quality patient care and satisfaction is an objective that nurses and healthcare organizations strive to attain on an everyday basis.  According to McCaffrey (2016), factors in a healthcare organization’s work environment have the potential to negatively or positively influence the quality of care and patient satisfaction.  Therefore, healthcare organizations and leaders must promote a healthy work environment for nurses to improve patient safety and care, as well as retention and job satisfaction of nurses. This can be achieved by ensuring that the goal of staffing and competency of nurses is matched to patients’ needs and providing informal and formal recognition and reward to create job satisfaction and motivation.

References

McCaffrey, R. (2016). Doctor of Nursing Practice: Enhancing Professional Development. Philadelphia, PA:  F. A. Davis.

McHugh, M., & Ma, C. (2014).Wage, Work Environment, and Staffing: Effects on Nurse Outcomes.  Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 150(0): 72-80.

Organizational Problems Within Healthcare Organization Essay Paper