Discussion: Organizational Policies and Practices to Support Healthcare Issues
Quite often, nurse leaders are faced with ethical dilemmas, such as those associated with choices between competing needs and limited resources. Resources are finite, and competition for those resources occurs daily in all organizations.
For example, the use of 12-hour shifts has been a strategy to retain nurses. However, evidence suggests that as nurses work more hours in a shift, they commit more errors. How do effective leaders find a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of ensuring quality, effective, and safe patient care?
In this Discussion, you will reflect on a national healthcare issue (nursing burnout) and examine how competing needs may impact the development of polices to address that issue.
ASSIGNMENT:
Post an explanation of how competing needs, such as the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients, may impact the development of policy. Then, describe any specific competing needs that may impact the national healthcare issue/stressor (nurse burnout) you selected. What are the impacts, and how might policy address these competing needs? Be specific and provide examples.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Competing needs are the different demands placed on an organization, often arising from different stakeholders with varying interests, resources, and priorities. These needs can be challenging to balance, and nurse leaders must negotiate and develop policies that consider the needs of the organization, patients, and workforce.
Answer:
Competing needs can significantly impact the development of policies that aim to address nurse burnout. For instance, ensuring quality of care to patients is a fundamental objective of healthcare organizations. However, this can clash with the needs and preferences of the workforce. Nurses often work long shifts, and this may cause fatigue, exhaustion, and stress, leading to burnout. Addressing nurse burnout may require a delicate balance between meeting the needs of the patients and the workforce while ensuring that quality care is provided.
Resource constraints may present additional challenges when considering the development of policies to address nurse burnout. Limited staffing or budget can influence the level of support available for nurses that may lead to increased burnout rates. For example, when staffing levels are low, nurses may be forced to work longer shifts, which can lead to fatigue and burnout.
To address competing needs, policies can be developed to define clear expectations of the workforce, identify interventions to reduce burnout, and provide access to mental health services to address the stress and fatigue that results from long working hours. Policies can also focus on implementing a better work-life balance, offering additional professional development opportunities, and improving working conditions.
In conclusion, balancing competing needs is critical in addressing nurse burnout. The development of effective policies must consider the needs of the workforce, patients, and organization’s resources. By balancing these competing needs, nurse leaders can develop solutions that aim to address nurse burnout and improve the quality of care provided to patients.
