Free Essay Sample on Shortage of Nurses

The centrality of the nursing profession in the medical field is unquestionable and unparalleled. In addition to carrying out diagnostics, professional nurses not only administer treatment and drugs to the patients but also take the patients through the healing and recovery process. It is for the above reason that nurses are the most trusted healthcare professionals by various patients or clients across the world. It also portrays the invaluable worth and importance of their profession in the medical fraternity (Cherry, 2016). However, in the world over, there is an immense shortage of health care professionals which impedes and derails the quality of services as well as the sustainability of the sector. Therefore, it is understood that the event of turbulence in the nursing profession such as the shortage of nurses sends adverse ripple effects to the entire medical community, a fact that this paper explores at length.

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Clarifying the problem

With the sophisticated technological advancement that has engrossed our contemporary society, work has been made more efficient and more comfortable in all the sectors to the extent of replacing human labour. The nursing profession is not an exception as Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and the introduction of specialists such as nursing informatics have propelled the issue of nursing shortages (Melnyk et al., 2011). The point of the deficit in nursing practice is a severe problem because it not only affects the professional health care from a local perspective but also internationally. Several issues of concern are articulated to the shortage probelm and some of which include the following.

Aging population: there is a simultaneous and constant rise in the number of young nurses referred to baby boom generation as the majority of the workforce in the nursing profession aging. A statistical report by (WHO, 2016) asserts that the United States of America leads now with people over the age of 65 more than any other time in the past. The report shows that the result read 41 million in 2011 compared to a projection of 71 million in 2019. An aging population means increased health care services. Elders often have co-morbidities and a multitude of diagnosis that makes them seek treatment most often. Furthermore, unlike the past, the population today is surviving longer since many diseases that were terminal are now survivable for an extended period hence straining the workforce.

Nurse burnout, Career, and Family: adding to the shortage menace some nurses right after graduation begin working and realize that the profession is not what they thought it would be, others experience the burnout and quit the profession. Similarly, as it was in the past, the majority of the nurses are still female, thus during the childbearing years, the number of nurses as others cut off or leave the profession altogether (Herzlinger, 2004).

Additionally, to some extent, this problem has been perpetuated by the violence in the healthcare setting. Factors adding to the already stressful environment such as the ever-persistent threats of physical and emotional abuse contribute to the well-being of the health professionals. The study has revealed that the majority of nurses across the work are at the brink of violence in their career most especially those in the psychiatric department (Jonas et al., 2007). Therefore, the above factors substantiate the shortage of nurses being a huge menace at the moment and a very big looming disaster if adequate and satisfying solutions correct the mess.

Describing the ethical considerations

The increasing shortage of nurses across the world has raised several ethical concerns not only to the nurses themselves but also to the patients globally. The shortages in various countries such as the United States, have led to an astronomical influx of foreign nurse in to the country. Researches show that majority of the foreign nurses migrating to the US and other developed countries from the developing countries only pursue their career, economic and lifestyle interests, which have high ethical risks (Cherry, 2016).

Significantly, considering the terms of global equity and national sovereignty, there are ethical concerns about how the developed countries pull developing countries' assets and skilled workers. Different job opportunities to fill the gap of caused by the shortage such as the United States incentives 'signing bonuses can be viewed as Brain Drain (WHO, 2016). The concern here is that majority of the developing countries is bound to suffer as the developed countries take their brilliant brains. Some activists have gone to the streets protesting this situation terming it as "brain waste in the north, brainwash in the south."

On a personal basis, the foreign nurses stand a significant chance of exploitation by their employers as most of them are recruited as nurse aides instead of registered nurses. Moreover, nurses face a lot of moral distress in their struggle to meet their goals in their day-to-day obligations. Even though nurses know that it is their ethical responsibility to provide adequate healthcare to a patient, too much work and obligation interfere with their principle of excellent service. Furthermore, the nurse is a tone to give care to the patient or to his or herself who overworked and strained (WHO, 2016).

The shortage makes the nurses go beyond their limit and not once but on a daily basis. As a result, the majority of nurses due to the stress, physical straining, and too many obligations are dissatisfied with their jobs. The increasing number of patients compels some hospital to provide payment for overtime for nurses. In this case, the hospital administration focuses only on the technical aspect of the nurse but not his or her ethics of care or personal value that most nurses cherish.

The constant ethical conflicts at workplaces have propagated intense physical and emotional stress and mental burnout. Moreover, nurses working all round the clock to meet their targets are likely to suffer from physical exhaustion and metal distress hence quitting the job. Nurses have also faced unnecessary lawsuits even outside other systems since the majority of the patient go unserved and put the blames on nurses.

Choosing a solution

Possible solutions to the nursing shortage menace include the following: firstly, is the Nursing Service Delivery Theory. System theory harbors some strategies and ways that can be used to solve the nursing shortage menace in many organizations and the big hospitals.

The Nursing Service Delivery theory is devised to link the existing gaps in the staffing, work environments, nursing work, and outcomes, which are paramount in management decision-making, and policing about the allocation of nursing resources in an organization (Jonas et al., 2007). Furthermore, the components of the theory best describe the selected topic effects of the shortage of nurses in the medical field since it examines, output, throughput, inputs, systems as cycles and negative feedbacks. One way provided by the system to curb the problem of staff shortage is the buffering of personnel inventories to respond to regular staffing needs or health care organizations.

According to the Nursing Service Delivery Theory (Meyer, & O'Brien-Pallas, 2010) asserts that primary components such as the recipients of care and staff members, which include the registered nurses as well as medical and surgical patients respectively. Similarly, the two elements also form the input into the system that symbolizes the energy flow from the external environment thus indicated as the inputs. Regarding the topic of reference recruitment of more qualified professional nurses as an input outlined by the theory is a preliminary step to curb the menace.

Melnyk et al., (2011) posits that the strategy model of onboarding program alongside key creative strategies such as compensating nurse's referrals facilitate more recruits into various hospital departments. Investing in professional development and long-term training sensitize nursing practice in organizational departments such as pediatric, surgical and orthopedics more attractive. Thereafter, the nurses stack in community nursing group and are overwhelmed with the job satisfaction and cohesion there in will join the organizations. Furthermore, the model will also make the professional more exciting and attractive and aiding the transition from nursing students to professionals dealing with responsivities in the various organization department

Implementing and evaluating the solution.

Professional standards and desired outcomes: on a daily basis regardless of the existing challenges such as exhaustion or shortage of nurses, in this case, there are preset professional standards expected from the nurses. Some of these include diligent service to the client or the patients at all times, occupational provision of health care to all patients in equal measure devoid of any partiality, hence on the implementation process the above core duties must be uphold to improve the service delivery.

Consequently, as per the terms of the theory and the work expectation, the desired outcome is always formulated to ensure no traces of nursing shortages and the organization or the facility mandate is to provide quality health care. As a primary mandate to human resource department, strategically and effectively manage organization workers to help the organization and business gain the competitive advantage they are the best team implement the strategy (Jonas et al., 2007). Moreover, for the realization of effective and active nursing practice in the organizations, the profession should be sensitized and marketable, overseeing recruits and replacement of retirement equivalently. The process requires, of course, a competent professional with some essential leadership quality skills such as patience, empathy, accountable and honest as well as a positive attitude to deal with the menace.

Goals objectives and policy formulation: Furthermore, the primary goal and objective of the nursing fraternity are to provide high standard and quality health care whenever the need arises. In matters management and staffing, the purpose of the organizations is to ensure that the nursing team is up to task not exhausted and that the system of the healthcare facility in the organization is effective and not impaired.

It is critical to note that no single policy or the "magic bullet" policy will solve the nursing shortage saga. Only a concerted effort with feasible human resource policy interventions and systematic approach will arrest the situation. To achieve desired results, I propose a clear and choreographed strategy to make the program effective. Primarily, the manager will oversee an effective onboarding strategy program to facilitate the retention of the recruits. The management of the organization will then formulate incentives behaviors they expect from the nursing fraternity. Thirdly, the management will then undertake the necessary capacity building and long-term training to foster professional growth. The strategy outlines build professional passion, and more quest to work in the organization as a nurse and this will aid in retaining more nurses in organizations.

Particularly, the desired goals and objectives can always be transformed into effective and feasible policies and procedures for the different departments in the facility such as orthopedic and surgery departments. Some policies entail organizing or securing the nursing departments in the hospital in a manner that complements the technology used as well as the setting. Some of the objectives such as departmental growth can be transformed to the centralization of the departments or the unit structures.