Low Staffing Census Scheduling Policy, Nurse to Patient Ratio Many nurses work with a high patient census and have done so for many years. This has many negative consequences on nurses and their careers but by being understaffed because of a new census scheduling policy can leave the unit unsafe; lead to poor patient care; and even patient death. It is cause for concern for not only nurses but for patients and their families. This affects everyone. Census on the unit is presently 1:14 when according to some states, they are fighting for 1:5. Keeping the nurse to patient ratio low, can help from causing panic by putting nurses in terrible positions with losing jobs, subjecting them to lawsuits, and even losing licensures.
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This can be very dangerous depending on the unit that is being understaffed with nurses. For instance, on a psychiatric unit, patients are there because they are usual a threat to themselves or others which leave on a precaution. The precautions can be labeled as suicide, assault, fall, elopement, seizures and razors precautions. This means that a nurse needs to preform extra care for the patient to ensure safety. Not having enough nurses on a unit increases the workload for each nurse on the floor they are working. This can lead to poor patient care which can lead to more mistakes, late medications, and late treatments. Having poor care may lead up to having the patient stay longer in the hospital. Longer hospital stays also cost the patient and insurance companies more money for the longer visits. The longer the hospital stay, the patient is placed for a higher increased risk for …show more content…
One of the reason is because of how nursing and politics seem cross paths and more so in the last couple of years. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010 has changed the way health care is taking care of patients. Many patients who were unable to seek care from a medical provider is now able to to receive treatment that may have gone undiagnosed for many years. By having this new law, these patients are able to receive treatment for pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes and other diseases with out penalty and denial. This allows more patients to seek care and raises the demand for more nursing staff because more patients are able to seek treatment unlike before this law was in affect. Other issues that also may be a cause of lower nurse to patient ratio is due to due to staff related issues. For instance, high turn over rates because of lack of company incentives. Many nurses look for a significant benefit benefit package to stay long term at their present employer. Some nurses are looking for better pay compensation. While others would rather stay depending on their working conditions. These are just some of the causes that can lead up to shortages of nurses on the
Change Description …show more content…
This can be very dangerous depending on the unit that is being understaffed with nurses. For instance, on a psychiatric unit, patients are there because they are usual a threat to themselves or others which leave on a precaution. The precautions can be labeled as suicide, assault, fall, elopement, seizures and razors precautions. This means that a nurse needs to preform extra care for the patient to ensure safety. Not having enough nurses on a unit increases the workload for each nurse on the floor they are working. This can lead to poor patient care which can lead to more mistakes, late medications, and late treatments. Having poor care may lead up to having the patient stay longer in the hospital. Longer hospital stays also cost the patient and insurance companies more money for the longer visits. The longer the hospital stay, the patient is placed for a higher increased risk for …show more content…
One of the reason is because of how nursing and politics seem cross paths and more so in the last couple of years. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010 has changed the way health care is taking care of patients. Many patients who were unable to seek care from a medical provider is now able to to receive treatment that may have gone undiagnosed for many years. By having this new law, these patients are able to receive treatment for pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes and other diseases with out penalty and denial. This allows more patients to seek care and raises the demand for more nursing staff because more patients are able to seek treatment unlike before this law was in affect. Other issues that also may be a cause of lower nurse to patient ratio is due to due to staff related issues. For instance, high turn over rates because of lack of company incentives. Many nurses look for a significant benefit benefit package to stay long term at their present employer. Some nurses are looking for better pay compensation. While others would rather stay depending on their working conditions. These are just some of the causes that can lead up to shortages of nurses on the