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Part 1
Subject: Nurse Staffing
How does this issue affect your practice and the health promotion topic of your choice? This topic affected me more in my previous unit as a bedside nurse. The unit covered Orthopedics, Spine, and trauma, and typical assignments were 6:1. This never felt safe, especially working overnights. Many nurses including I felt burnt out, underpaid, and underappreciated. We often feared we would miss something leading to unsafe care, but it felt like too much work to be safely done by one person. The Nation Institute of Health (NIH) stated “that an inadequate level of staffing can result in burn-out, turnover, and high vacancy rates, as well as threats to patient safety” (Pittman, P, 2021).
From what you learned at the site, name a minimum of two actions that are currently in place to address this issue. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the issue of safe staffing is addressed in numerous ways. Staffing committees composed of nurse-based groups help create plans that address acuity and needs and consider staff skills and experience. Mandates create nurse-to-patient ratios through regulations in some states. “As of March 022, 16 states currently address nurse staffing in hospitals through either laws or regulations” (ANA 2023).
Provide a minimum of two ways you as a professional nurse can become involved with this issue. The ANA webpage offers webinars that nurses can participate in if they would like to learn more about staffing issues. The ANA website offers the opportunity to join a task force with suggestions on how to appoint leadership and address change. There is an abundance of education and other resources to stay informed and participate in change. One opportunity on the site allows nurses to share their voices on topics they wish to inform the public about.
Part 2
What are the signs that someone is experiencing burnout? Nurse burnout can be caused by many factors, but most often resulting from unmanaged stress in the workplace. According to the ANA nurse burnout can look like “mental and physical exhaustion, mental distance from the job, cynicism about the job, reduced efficacy in the workplace” (ANA 2023).
What are some evidence-based strategies you can implement to help prevent burnout and build resilience? The ANA suggests avoiding nursing burnout a person could prioritize getting enough rest and sleep between shifts. Having a solid support system helps nurses stay supported emotionally and feel safe to ask for help. A person should also focus on staying healthy by getting exercise as often as possible and eating healthily. Nurses can utilize their PTO and take a break from the demands of the job.
Safe nurse staffing affects my everyday practice as a nurse for several reasons. Safe staffing means adequate staffing to be fully attentive to patients and efficiently complete every patient’s daily needs. Aside from my everyday practice, the health promotion topic I chose to decrease the number of adults addicted to opioids relates to the topic of safe nurse staffing as well. Some patients require total care on the floors in some scenarios, while others can go to the bathroom and feed themselves. Keeping this in mind, we may dismiss some signs of opioid addiction in those patients. The more patients we add to our workload, the less we watch their almost every move.
From what I learned on this site, a few things are to address this issue. There are staffing committees, mandated nurse-patient ratios, and mandated disclosure of staff levels (ANA, 2017). These are all valid actions to be aware of the staffing situation, but there is always more we can do together. As a professional nurse, I would first go to my chain of command within my hospital. My hospital staff, even the higher-ups, have been very present in how we feel as nurses and what we must do within 12 hours. I would also develop a group of nurses who feel the same way and want to see a change. We could present our argument to those who will listen.
Part 2-
The signs of someone experiencing burnout are less attentive patient care, complaining, being exhausted at work, and having a change of attitude toward those around them. From my experience, this is what I have noticed in others. The article states, “Simple self-care strategies for combatting burnout include getting sufficient rest and exercise, engaging in relaxation techniques such as meditation, focusing on non-work-related social activities such as hobbies or volunteering, limiting exposure to communications technology, and organizing one’s priorities while advocating for flexibility. Attitude adjustment, emotional support from loved ones and counseling professionals, and self-reflection about specific stressors can help as well” (Rholetter, 2024).
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