Introduction
The systematic analysis will involve the evaluation of the nursing shortage as a health economic issue, which was identified in the previous assessment. The nursing shortage is a problematic issue in our healthcare organization. Where this paper will point out some of its impacts on the organization, the medical practitioners as well as the community. The assignment will also provide a brief description of the issue, explore the disparities associated with the nursing shortage, provide findings that support the problem as an economic health issue, and propose what can be done to solve the issue to promote patient safety.
Summary of the health economic issue chosen (nursing shortage)
The nursing shortage is one of the health economic issues which is faced by many World Health Organization states, which is a result of inequitable labor force distribution, and high turnover rates among nursing professionals (Ghafoor et al. 2021). The issue has led to numerous consequences for the nursing profession, healthcare organizations, and different groups of populations in communities. In my nursing career, I have experienced burnout due to overworking, which has impacted my performance.in addition, colleague nurses have also experienced stress and burnout, which has adversely affected their performance in the delivery of care, which has negatively impacted the growth of the entire organization. Job dissatisfaction is also rampant among colleague nurses associated with unfriendly work environments, which has adversely affected patient outcomes and safety. The community members are also affected by the issue where healthcare services are poor and delayed, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates.
Socioeconomic or diversity disparities associated with nursing shortage
The socioeconomic disparities related to the nursing shortage include the aging population, where the baby boom generation the age has increased the demand for healthcare services. This is because older adults are mainly associated with many morbidities, which require many diagnoses that require treatment. This, in turn, has led to increased use of the available health resources and strain on the workforce as well (Shamsi et al. 2020). Additionally, the aging nursing workforce is another disparity where nurses older than 50 years retire in the next 10-15 years, which is a contributory factor to the nursing shortage. Moreover, high turnover rates are rampant due to nursing burnout, where nurses are leaving the profession for another, depending on the nursing specialty and the geographic location (Shamsi et al. 2020). Also, career and family are another socioeconomic disparity, where many female nurses at childbearing ages often leave the profession and move to another job, leading to a nursing staff shortage. Another disparity is the regional distribution of nurses, where some regions have a surplus of nursing practitioners while others need help to fulfill the local health needs of the population.
The nursing shortage has had various impacts on the various population groups in the community. For instance, in underserved communities, delayed healthcare services are common, leading to high mortality rates and morbidity (Ghafoor et al. 2021). For example, the aged population requires regular healthcare services since they have many morbidities to manage, and as a result of delayed or poor healthcare services, the morbidity rate may increase, as well as their overall well-being and sometimes death (Ghafoor et al. 2021). Additionally, the nursing shortage has affected the nursing professionals, who experience nursing brun and stress, leading to job dissatisfaction and poor performance in the delivery of care. People living with long-term illnesses such as diabetes are adversely affected by the issue of nursing shortage as well, where they receive poor and delayed medical services, especially in underserved communities. This has led to stress and depression for the patients and family members, which has negative impacts on their health condition, which exacerbates the conditions in some cases.
Evidence-based findings supporting the need to address the nursing shortage
In a study by Niskala et al. 2020, the nursing shortage has been identified as a health economic issue that requires serious attention. Where it is suggested that nurse managers need to implement strategies to enhance job satisfaction, which is a contributory factor to nursing turnover leading to shortages. The study also suggests effective interventions such as extrinsic motivation factors such as rewards and increasing salaries to nurses to maintain job satisfaction and increase the overall performance of nurses, hence promoting positive patient outcomes and safety. Some intrinsic factors suggested include spiritual intelligence, professional recognition, and awareness, which will also enhance performance, leading to the growth of the entire healthcare organization.
In a review by Boamah et al. 2021, it is asserted that adequate nursing staff is paramount in promoting nursing leadership as well as preparing future nurses for care delivery services. The study affirms that there is a need to ensure the retention of nurses and implement policies to control the nursing turnover leading to the nursing shortage in healthcare sectors. In addition, the research suggests the need for efforts to reduce nursing shortage both nationally and globally where context-specific resolutions are needed. According to Challinor et al. (2020), enhancing the retention of experienced oncology nurses is pivotal for the future control of cancer in all healthcare systems in the world. The research also suggests various strategies to be implemented to solve nursing shortage causes such as nursing burnout and recruitment barriers.
According to Shamsi et al. 2020, the nursing shortage has been identified as a multifaceted and significant challenge in healthcare systems that has reached a warning threshold necessitating critical attention. The study suggests that factors contributing to a shortage of nurses vary from country to country, and the study has suggested various strategies to help solve this issue. The research asserts that some of the solutions to solve the problem include modification of the work environment for nurses, increment of salaries, retaining of the existing nursing professionals, improving the perspective of the public on nursing, as well as the implementation of flexible working schedules to reduce nursing turnover.
The predicted outcomes and opportunities after solving nursing shortages
The potential clinical significance of solving the issue of nursing shortage includes job satisfaction, where nurses will work for the scheduled time, which will solve problems such as nursing burnout due to working for long hours (Shamsi et al. 2020). In addition, there will be increased performance among nurses, which will positively impact patient outcomes as well as the growth of the entire organization, hence building a good reputation for the facility in its locality (Shamsi et al. 2020). Also, solving the issue will create a conducive work environment for nursing professionals where the strain to provide care will be reduced, which will, in turn, lead to reduced medication errors hence low morbidity and mortality rates among the population. The friendly environment for nurses will reduce nursing turnover and increase retention rates.
Conclusion
In summary, the systematic analysis of the nursing shortage in healthcare facilities provides a comprehensive understanding of the effects it has on the community and on the different groups of people. Also, the evaluation helps to explore a variety of disparities related to the nursing shortage and the evidence-based findings that support the need to address them. Generally, the systematic evaluation lays a foundation for the implementation of policies that seek to solve the issue in order to improve the performance of a healthcare facility and promote the provision of quality services to individuals.
References
Boamah, S. A., Callen, M., & Cruz, E. (2021). Nursing faculty shortage in Canada: A scoping review of contributing factors. Nursing Outlook, 69(4), 574-588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.01.018
Challinor, J. M., Alqudimat, M. R., Teixeira, T. O., & Oldenmenger, W. H. (2020). Oncology nursing workforce: challenges, solutions, and future strategies. The Lancet Oncology, 21(12), e564-e574. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(20)30605-7/fulltext
Ghafoor, Y., Yaqoob, A., Bilal, A., & Ghafoor, S. (2021). Impact of nurse shortage on patient care. Saudi J Nurs Health Care, 4(4), 114-9. https://www.academia.edu/download/80383373/SJNHC_44_114-119.pdf
Niskala, J., Kanste, O., Tomietto, M., Miettunen, J., Tuomikoski, A. M., Kyngäs, H., & Mikkonen, K. (2020). Interventions to improve nurses’ job satisfaction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(7), 1498-1508. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jan.14342?casa_token=kdbqSeofKn4AAAAA:OqgRfMP_aZcOts3AlD9aq_3b3l6XFRZCD8DM5A2HPET7t_cnUWVoIPLDT6rndL_6xIbASJooR0NBb9xGvw
Shamsi, A., & Peyravi, H. (2020). Nursing shortage, a different challenge in Iran: A systematic review. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 34, 8. https://doi.org/10.34171/mjiri.34.8
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