As an organization dedicated to providing support for nurse
leaders that make decisions related to patient care assignments,
the North Carolina Organization for Nurse Leaders supports staffing
patterns that promote safe patient care. The nursing profession
has historically accepted responsibility to assure that safe
and accessible healthcare is available to the public even in
times of nursing shortages. The profession continues to accept
this responsibility and identifies strategies to promote the
best possible care. In keeping with this philosophy, the NCONL
recognizes the following talking points:
- In
most healthcare institutions, the traditional skill mix
involving registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and
certified nurses assistants has evolved into teams of professionals,
which include interdisciplinary approaches to care. Registered
nurses are at the forefront of leading these teams and collaborating
with the patient's plan of care.
- In
an effort to effectively manage patient care and the nursing
shortage, healthcare settings expanded the role of the nursing
assistant; however, the registered nurse has increased accountability
for ensuring standards of patient care. With this expanded
role of the nurse assistant, healthcare settings should
make every effort to provide ongoing training and competency
validation as per accreditation and regulatory standards.
- Healthcare
settings are experiencing difficulty recruiting experienced
nursing personnel especially in specialty areas. Areas predominantly
facing this shortage include the operating room and critical
care. The applicant pool of available nurses is not enough
to meet the demand.
- Although
the current nursing shortage is not unlike previous shortages,
concern arises when the average age of the bedside nurse
is taken to account as well as the decreasing enrollments
noted at colleges and universities of nursing students.
In addition, we are seeing experienced nurses leave traditional
acute care settings for less stressful yet more lucrative
position outside of acute care.
- Strategies
aimed at increasing nursing school enrollment and promoting
the advancement of nursing practice will assist in the long-term
retention of nurses. Work environment should continually
be assessed at the department and administrative level to
ensure the provision of quality patient care.
- Hospitals
continue to be places where care is a "human experience"
and not a tangible product. Efforts aimed at promoting this
philosophy to regulatory agencies and payors of healthcare
services continues to be a priority in the ever-changing
healthcare environment.
Nurse leaders must have active involvement in legislative
health policy issues and local and national media coverage
on health care needs.
REFERENCES:
NCONE Workplace Issues. 2000 Document.
NCONL Talking Points Document. 2000.
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