Nursing Research

Introduction

With the rapid transformations within healthcare, nurses are facing several challenges in the daily delivery of their duties. It is quite evident that the sector is facing scramble, and the health departments need to focus more on empowering the nursing sector. This paper presents data/results on the challenges that nurses face in service delivery.

Advanced opportunities

Nurses work for more hours more than any other person within the healthcare sector. Based on the fact that they have to provide continuous medical care to patients both at home and within the medical facilities, nurses are always close to the patients more than any other person. This study showed that 49 % of nurses lack excellent opportunities. This is a factor that is posing significant challenges to the nurses’ current positions. Concerning the lack of advancement challenge, the transformation in technology that is leading the integration of various forms of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence is posing a threat to nurses’ current job positions. Statistically, there is a continuous demand for nurses, but those already in the field have limited things to enjoy. The chart below shows the state of the nursing sector and market, Buerhaus (2017)

Work overload

Very few chances advanced opportunities get created in the nursing sector annually; this makes the workload to continue growing for those already in the industries. Nurses work for more than ten hours in a day. Currently, the cases of nursing impairment are rising, and this factor attributed to high instances of depression and long working hours that makes nurses turn to misuse of substances such as alcohol and other drugs. According to a study by CareerBuilder, the nursing sector is facing a shortage of nurses, and the deficiency affects the entire healthcare sector and organizations. At least 48% of nurses feel that they are overloaded with long working hours, Martin (2015). The shortage in the number of nurses within the healthcare sector forces the division of duties among the limited number of nurses who forced to provide the health care services to patients even at home through the nursing home care programs.

The low number of staff.

The factors related to low staffing are gradually becoming a personal and professional concern for medical practitioners, especially to the nurses. Almost 60 % of nurses attribute the aspects of work overload to the staffing shortage. The pressure level within the nursing sector is about 0.28 on the values of one. Although the healthcare sector registered substantial growth in the number of nurses by 22% and 39% in the increase in the total number of medical physicians, the industry is still ailing as a result of overstaffing. The staffing challenge affects all levels of health care service provision. The low staffing attributed to inequitable assignments and unit organization, which make several nurses leave their jobs and opt to carry out other obligations outside healthcare facilities.

Various states, such as the state of Massachusetts, have already passed laws approving mandatory staffing of nurses, especially for the intensive healthcare units. According to the adopted regulation, a nurse has to serve a maximum number of two patients at a particular time. A case study published by Health Affairs indicates that understaffing within the healthcare sector affects the nurses’ efforts in carrying their duties in healthcare provision. Other studies show that health care facilities with a high number of nurses have a 25% low chances of facing penalization under the ACCHRRP (Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmission Reduction programs) as compared to similar healthcare facilities with a low number of nurses.

Long working hours

Although regularly, nurses ought to work based on long shifts, the fact is that nurses always work on a back-to-back basis or overextended changes. This factor leads to cases of risk associated with fatigue and results in medical errors. According to a publication by Health Affairs in 2017, long working hours among nurse are the leading cause of burnout and leads to patient dissatisfactions. Over 80% of nurses on America’s four states get satisfied with the work schedule at their places of work. However, the cases of patients’ dissatisfaction increase with an increase in cases of nurses working for over 13 hours in a day. The rise in cases of patients’ dissatisfaction is the leading cause of nurses leaving their jobs. According to a 2014 study by AJCC (American Journal of Critical care), nurses that experience high levels of fatigue sleeps hours during the day, loss of sleep, and the inability to completely recover from long shifts.

Workplace Hazards

The nurture of their job exposes them to several hazards daily. The dangers that nurses are presented include injuries, blood-borne pathogens, hand-wash complications, flu components flu germs. According to an OSHA report, approximately 5.6 million healthcare workers out of the possible 12.2 million are at risk of getting infected with blood-borne pathogens. One good example is the hazard that nurses are getting exposed to as they struggle with the COVID 19 patients. Based on the fact that COVID 19 is an international pandemic, nurses not just in the U.S. but around the world are going the extra mile, ensuring that they provide the best medical care to the affected patients. This factor is posing a great danger not just to their health to the health of their loved ones. Annually, there are more than 35,000 cases of injuries attributed to the working environment.

According to a study by the U.M. (University of Manchester), people working with the healthcare sector, especially nurses and other medical physicians are likely to get severe or moderate skin damage 4.5 times more because of the hand wash hygiene protocol. About 25% of dermatitis reported cases comprises of healthcare workers a more significant part of that population is nurses. The protection of nurses ought to go beyond the aspects of hands. Healthcare facilities and systems ought to create mechanism through which nurses get protection of other complications such as flu. The protection mechanism can include but not limited to vaccinations, continuous use of the antiviral protection masks and other medical clothing. One bitter reality currently is that millions of nurses are at a high risk more than other medical personal of being infected with the current world’s pandemic which is highly contagious (COVID 19)

Compensation

The cases of regional differences are high concerning nurse compensation. Nurses that live in other regions in the U.S. earn more than others in the different areas of the country. Nurses working in America’s pacific regions earn an approximated amount of $ 18,000 more than average nurses. Nurses within the Mid-Atlantic regions make $ 14 800 than the ordinary amount nurses ought to get. Those working in the East-South-Central areas earn $ 4,300 less than the average nurses. The imbalance in payment of nurses across based on regions exists between the genders with male nurses that are fully registered, earning $ 5,000 more than female, registered nurses. A study published by JAMA also shows that nurses in special care such as chronic health care have a small pay gap, which stands at $ 3792 and those within the cardiology sections having the highest difference that stands at $ 6,034.

Workplace Violence

The issue of violence against nurses at the workplace is another significant challenge that nurses face at the workplace. The acts of violence come from patients, while others come from their co-workers, mostly the doctors who view themselves as superior to the nurses. According to statistical data by the OHSN (Occupational Health Safety Network), the number of workplace injuries connected to violence at the workplace increased in 2012-2014. Although the increase affected sections of the healthcare job category, the cases were double for nurses and nurse assistants. According to the data, 112 U.S healthcare facilities in 19 states, Miami being among them recorded 10,680 injury cases, which occurred between January 1, 2012, and September 30, 2014. Among the cases, 2, 034 came from acts of workplace violence, Sturesson & Ziegert (2014). The state of North Carolina is reported to have taken stance measures in the fight against workplace violence, which means that all those found guilty of attacking health workers can be charged with a felony. Other states that have intensified a crackdown on workplace violence include the state of Massachusetts.

Conclusion

Nurses are a primary aspect of the healthcare system, not just in the state but across the globe. As one of the most developed American states, the government of Miami needs to invest more in the health sector through partnership with the private sector, which is the largest provider of healthcare services. The investment should not just target improving the components of healthcare delivery, but should also aim at protecting the rights, or medical practitioners and nurses should get close attention. Protecting the rights of nurses and creating a conducive working environment for them is an essential step that will help in improving service delivery and motivating them at personal levels.

Buerhaus, P. I., Skinner, L. E., Auerbach, D. I., & Staiger, D. O. (2017). Four challenges facing the nursing workforce in the United States. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(2), 40-46.

Martin, G., Beech, N., MacIntosh, R., & Bushfield, S. (2015). Potential challenges facing distributed leadership in health care: evidence from the U.K. National Health Service. Sociology of health & illness, 37(1), 14-29.

Sturesson, A., & Ziegert, K. (2014). Prepare the patient for future challenges when facing hemodialysis: nurses’ experiences. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 9(1), 22952.