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STURES.docxHi Ryan,
Nurses play a critical role in the delivery of safe, quality care within the U.S. health care system. Throughout the history of the health care workforce in the United States, a cyclical pattern of nursing shortages has occurred. A perpetual supply of highly trained and qualified nursing personnel is essential. An inability to match supply with demand can have significant unfavorable consequences not only for our health care system, but also our nation’s economic health (Elgie, 2007). The fallout from a nursing shortage is detrimental, affecting a number of entities across the United States. Chronic nursing vacancies can result in distressing effects on local, regional, and national levels. Perhaps the most noteworthy consequence is that nursing shortages directly contribute to increased health care costs. Hospitals with inadequate staffing are correlated with higher readmission rates and unnecessary hospital re-admission cost with high patient to nurse ratios also being associated with adverse events that harm the patients (Snavely, 2016).
With new EHR systems being implemented, some nurses may feel scared or intimidated. The most common expectation was reduced documentation that would allow for more time with patients, which did not happen, leading to disappointment (Zadvinskis, Garvey Smith & Yen, 2018). Nurses should advocate and be involve in leadership to support for system features that improve nursing workflow, so that they could spend more time at the bedside. The clinical workflow involved with operating Health Information Technology systems must be consistent with internal policies and procedures. After all, a reduced patient load with better nurse staffing can be very helpful for adapting to a new system and ultimately for patients and nurses.
References
Elgie, R. (2007). Politics, economics, and nursing shortages: a critical look at United States government policies. Nursing Economic$, 25(5), 285–292.
Snavely, T. M. (2016). Data Watch. A Brief Economic Analysis of the Looming Nursing Shortage In the United States. Nursing Economic$, 34(2), 98–100.
