NURS 6053 Walden University Week 3 Policies in The Nursing Industry Discussion STUDENT # 1 Respond to students post 2 Paragraphs 4-5 Sentences each 2 re

NURS 6053 Walden University Week 3 Policies in The Nursing Industry Discussion STUDENT # 1 Respond to students post

2 Paragraphs

4-5 Sentences each

2 references

Student #1 Response

In my memories, when I go back to the years of nursing school, I recall teachers continuously telling us how ethics, morals, values, and respect pay an integral role in the nursing profession. I used to share a vision that nursing is one of the most heroic jobs, and with a strong foundation of leaders, it will be more like a part of my life, my passion, not just a job that guarantees to pay my bills. However, over the years, my experience has become weary. I met nurses who just wanted to get through their day, managers who did not respond to their staff needs, CNOs who cared more about their budgets than their employees. Nurses have become undermined and overloaded with tasks that have caused burnout, anger, tears, fear, and tension (Kelly & Porr, 2018). Poor leadership and increasing demands have caused many nurses to look for new jobs or consider quitting the nursing profession for good. Competing needs of the workforce, patients, and resources impact the development of every healthcare policy, but most of all, it affects its employees.

Competing Needs of the Workforce, Resources and Patients and Their Impact on Development of Policy

Over the last couple of decades, we all have experienced healthcare professionals’ shortage. The units are understaffed, sometimes charge and break nurses are requested to take patients. Outdated electronic resources cause more headaches than help, and lack of authentic leadership leaves us alone helpless. Since hospitals are being paid based on a value-based system, clients and their families have become more demanding and aggressive. Nurses are not protected by law, and there are many cases nationwide of healthcare professionals being attacked, hurt, or even murdered. Some employers say their hands are tied and such situations are “a part of a job”. It almost appears that something tragic must arise to shake our leaders’ heads and prevent it from happening again. Although OSHA does not require employers to establish violence prevention programs, it does fine those who do not provide a workplace free from serious hazards (ANA, n.d.).

Competing Needs and Poor Leadership

The strength of any business lies in the hands of a strong leader. Effective communication, integrity, sharing the same values, professional and personal ethics, always build loyalty supported by honesty and sacrifice (AACRAO, n.d.). Our healthcare nation needs leaders who do not only promise a safe working environment but also deliver resources that make this promise realistic (Kelly & Porr, 2018).

In my organization, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration offered a $5.00 per hour increase to attract nurses to take extra shifts during a shortage. However, when it came to the payout day, each nurse’s paycheck showed variation between $0.75-2.50 based on which unit they worked. When the administration was contacted for an explanation, they said that although they offered this, it was never approved by the higher management. However, knowing that nurses would expect the $5.00 increase, they decided to pay “something” to let them know they had the best intentions.

Such a maneuver cost the organization a high turnover of nurses who either already quit or are desperately looking for new positions.

Policy Needs and Impact of Competing Needs

Working for an institution that keeps bending rules and adhering to policies when it is convenient is like being a Sunday churchgoer and abusing their family daily. I understand that my comparison may seem keen to some. Still, I feel that many healthcare organizations write policies to meet institutional and legal needs, but are nearly impossible to meet by their employees. Hence, burnout has emerged as a significant problem of the 21st century in the healthcare industry (Reith, 2018).

I remember when I was a new nurse, I received six months’ orientation to precept me into the ICU floor. Over the years, the high nurses’ turnover added to a personnel shortage, so the management cut the orientation days to 12 weeks. Last year I precepted a few new nurses who were given four to six weeks. Needless to say, the covering material has not changed in years. Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to severe staff shortage, and lack of travelers and registry nurses, the administration started bringing M/S and Telemetry nurses to the ICU, giving them only two days of orientation. Most people are lost, and charge nurses are overwhelmed. The safety of the patients is hanging on a thread. More nurses are looking for new positions while taking stress leave from the current organization. Leadership is pretty much nonexistent.

Conclusion

Many of us decided to be nurses because of the great desire to help others. We believed that the healthcare industry has our backs and will provide us resources and policies needed to keep us safe while practicing holistic care. Yet over the years, it seems that there is an incredible number of increasing tasks, while resources are diminishing. Our leaders are failing us. It is time they step up and show us their loyalty, support, and integrity, otherwise, the burnout and high turnover will progress, and our healthcare industry will crumble.

Reference:

AACRAO (n.d.). Core competencies: leadership and management. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers.

https://www.aacrao.org/resources/core-competencies…

ANA (n.d.). Workplace violence. American Nurses Association.https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/state/workplace-violence2/

Kelly, P., & Porr, C. (2018). Ethical nursing care versus cost containment: Considerations to

enhance RN practice. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 6. https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man06. http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/AN…

Reith T. P. (2018). Burnout in United States Healthcare Professionals: A Narrative Review.

Cureus, 10(12), e3681. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.3681