Staffing Ratios in Hospitals
Janie Kiester
4/4/2016
Types of staffing ratios Mandatory staffing ratios set out a minimum number of nurses to patients staffing ratio to increase the level of staffing in hospitals. Mandatory staffing ratios are used as a way to reduce workload and patient mortality in the hospital setting. (Pamela, 2013). Mandatory nurse to patient ratios are aimed at addressing the perceived imbalance between patient needs and nursing resources. However, issues have been raised on applicability of staffing ratios since it could lead to increased costs without the guarantee of improvement in the quality of health care. Mandatory staffing could also lead to unintended consequences including unit closures, limited …show more content…
Quality health care implies that there will be reduced complications, shorter patients’ stays in the hospitals and lower nurse turnover rates which then reduces the cost of operations in healthcare (Pamela, 2013). Safe staffing ratios are also suggested to ensure improvement in the conditions of both workers and patients. Safe training ratios identify the fact that a shortage in nurses puts the lives of patients in danger while at the same time driving nurses from their professions (Silvestre, Bowers, & Gaard, 2015). With the increasing populations and the higher demand for health services, safe staffing ratios is the only solution to enhance safe service delivery. Safe staffing ratios aim at retaining staff and improving patient care so they can deal with the increased number of patients seeking care. Safe staffing ratios reduce incidences of nurse burn out, and tired nurses who might miss an important assessment/problem after working long …show more content…
Patients are harmed by inadequate staffing at hospitals which then increase the number of people suffering from chronic illnesses and who are unable to access health care services. Hospitals with low staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes. Staffing ratio in hospitals are affected by the changes in attitudes of employees, career expectations and the future of nursing. This implies that there is need to have a larger number of nursing staff in hospitals to provide care for the increasing population. Workers dissatisfaction has led to incidences of higher turnover rates with employees seeking other alternatives to besides nursing. Technological innovations have also led to an increase in the amount of care required by patients such that nurses feel they are
Janie Kiester
4/4/2016
Types of staffing ratios Mandatory staffing ratios set out a minimum number of nurses to patients staffing ratio to increase the level of staffing in hospitals. Mandatory staffing ratios are used as a way to reduce workload and patient mortality in the hospital setting. (Pamela, 2013). Mandatory nurse to patient ratios are aimed at addressing the perceived imbalance between patient needs and nursing resources. However, issues have been raised on applicability of staffing ratios since it could lead to increased costs without the guarantee of improvement in the quality of health care. Mandatory staffing could also lead to unintended consequences including unit closures, limited …show more content…
Quality health care implies that there will be reduced complications, shorter patients’ stays in the hospitals and lower nurse turnover rates which then reduces the cost of operations in healthcare (Pamela, 2013). Safe staffing ratios are also suggested to ensure improvement in the conditions of both workers and patients. Safe training ratios identify the fact that a shortage in nurses puts the lives of patients in danger while at the same time driving nurses from their professions (Silvestre, Bowers, & Gaard, 2015). With the increasing populations and the higher demand for health services, safe staffing ratios is the only solution to enhance safe service delivery. Safe staffing ratios aim at retaining staff and improving patient care so they can deal with the increased number of patients seeking care. Safe staffing ratios reduce incidences of nurse burn out, and tired nurses who might miss an important assessment/problem after working long …show more content…
Patients are harmed by inadequate staffing at hospitals which then increase the number of people suffering from chronic illnesses and who are unable to access health care services. Hospitals with low staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes. Staffing ratio in hospitals are affected by the changes in attitudes of employees, career expectations and the future of nursing. This implies that there is need to have a larger number of nursing staff in hospitals to provide care for the increasing population. Workers dissatisfaction has led to incidences of higher turnover rates with employees seeking other alternatives to besides nursing. Technological innovations have also led to an increase in the amount of care required by patients such that nurses feel they are