A current issue nurses are facing is shortage of nurses in health care facilities (Lazaruk, 2015). There is currently a chronic shortage of nurses, with hospitals relying on nursing overtime to function (Lazaruk, 2015). This chronic issue resulted in 70 million dollars of overtime pay in British Columbia in 2014 (Lazaruk, 2015). Gayle Duteil, B.C’s Nurses union president states that sixteen-hour shifts have become the new norm for nurses (Lazaruk, 2015). This raises concerns about burnout and sickness for the nurses (Lazaruk, 2015). Nurse’s burnout and fatigue can lead to serious threats to patient safety (Lazaruk, 2015). With the large amount of money that was used to pay nurses overtime in 2014, 1000 additional nurses could have been hired
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The registered nurse (RN) shortage is posing a serious threat to patient safety and is increasing the risk of adverse patient outcomes (Shipman, & Hooten, 2008). Canadian Nurses Association (2009) believes that nursing shortages pose a significant threat to patient safety and increase nurse’s workloads to the point where they are unable to have therapeutic relationships with their patients, make comprehensive assessments. Nursing shortages result in increased overtime hours and increased workload leading to nurse’s fatigue and burnout, which decreases the quality of care and safety of …show more content…
Farahani et al (2013) states that nurses identify nursing shortages and lack of time for the decreased amount of patient education. This has resulted in lack of effective patient and family education in health care facilities (Farahani et al, 2013). Insufficient patient discharge education puts the patient at an increased risk of readmission to the hospital due to complications (DeMarco et al, 2011). Providing sufficient education to patients including information on medication adherence, restrictions and recognition of warning signs can be as important ensuring patient safety while patient is under the nurses direct care (DeMarco et al, 2011). DeMarco et al, 2011 explored heart failure patients in a 2004 study that proved that patients who lack of medication education from their health care providers prior to discharge, showed to have a higher number of readmission to the emergency room due to heart-related complications. Therefore, this author states that prior to discharge the nurse is expected to educate their patients in an effort to avoid patients safety concerns after being discharged, that can result in readmissions (DeMarco et al, 2011). This concludes that no nursing intervention should be pushed aside in an effort to try to keep up with patient
The registered nurse (RN) shortage is posing a serious threat to patient safety and is increasing the risk of adverse patient outcomes (Shipman, & Hooten, 2008). Canadian Nurses Association (2009) believes that nursing shortages pose a significant threat to patient safety and increase nurse’s workloads to the point where they are unable to have therapeutic relationships with their patients, make comprehensive assessments. Nursing shortages result in increased overtime hours and increased workload leading to nurse’s fatigue and burnout, which decreases the quality of care and safety of …show more content…
Farahani et al (2013) states that nurses identify nursing shortages and lack of time for the decreased amount of patient education. This has resulted in lack of effective patient and family education in health care facilities (Farahani et al, 2013). Insufficient patient discharge education puts the patient at an increased risk of readmission to the hospital due to complications (DeMarco et al, 2011). Providing sufficient education to patients including information on medication adherence, restrictions and recognition of warning signs can be as important ensuring patient safety while patient is under the nurses direct care (DeMarco et al, 2011). DeMarco et al, 2011 explored heart failure patients in a 2004 study that proved that patients who lack of medication education from their health care providers prior to discharge, showed to have a higher number of readmission to the emergency room due to heart-related complications. Therefore, this author states that prior to discharge the nurse is expected to educate their patients in an effort to avoid patients safety concerns after being discharged, that can result in readmissions (DeMarco et al, 2011). This concludes that no nursing intervention should be pushed aside in an effort to try to keep up with patient