Inadequate Staffing Levels On Inpatient Psychiatric Patients

Inadequate staffing levels on inpatient psychiatric units has several down sides, for example, there is an increased risk for nurse burn out, decreased nurse satisfaction, high staff turnover rates, risk for poor patient outcomes, increased risk for patient on staff and patient on patient violence, and increase risk for safety concerns to patients and staff. All of these issues are currently costly to time, resources and finances. Four years ago the American Psychiatric Nurses Association identified how these issues are impacting the care of psychiatric patients and call for changes to be made in staffing (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2011). However, there has continued to be no recommendations or staffing models developed to remedy this issue. …show more content…
“Feasibility refers to whether the solution can actually be implemented” (Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2015). The current staffing model that the Department of Veteran Affairs is using is staffing methodology. This staffing model has proven that it has the potential to overstaff or understaff the inpatient psychiatric unit. Overstaffing the unit cost the facility financially, people are being paid when their services are not necessarily required. Understaffing the unit save money on staffing for that day, but cost the facility in overtime pay later when scheduled staff call in sick due being overworked and/or exhausted. When implementing or suggesting change there are five factors that must be considers, for instance, the compatibility, complexity, trial-ability, relative advantage, and the observability of the solution (Chamberlain College of Nursing,