Professional Boundaries and Working Hours for Nurses

Running head: 3375 DISCUSSION 1
3375 Discussion
Name
Institution

3375 DISCUSSION 2
3375 Discussion
Question 1
Nursing is a profession Nursing is a profession which requires dedication and sincere
commitment for long hours. Like any other professional worker, nurses should have some
limitations to the number of working hours because everyone needs a break. Pushing these
working hours can cause harms not only to the nurses but also patients. According to Beth
(2010), nurses who work long hours face job dissatisfactions and tend to leave it. Also, long
working hours increase the risks of poor performance which can be harmful to the patients. It can
also make most nurses experience some chronic diseases and obesity. Poor performance in the
nursing practice is dangerous because it can make a nurse to give or prescribe wrong medicine or
even engage in other malpractices which can lead to far-reaching implications to the patient.
Moreover, nurses who work long hours have poor work-life balance and this reduces
their job morale hence poor performance. Susan (2014) argues that lack of sleep or having
irregular sleep patterns do not give enough rest for the nurses to allow their body function at the
optimum levels during working hours. To reduce all these problems of poor performance and
patient’s dissatisfactions, Texas state board of nursing should put limitations on the working
hours of the nurses. This would not only bring about good performance at work but also increase
their job morale. It would also help them balance both their work and life activities. Beth (2010)
argues that, more than 32% of the nurses claim that they rarely get enough sleep and therefore
this board should ensure that nurses in all health facilities should not work for more than 10
hours. This can be made easier if all health facilities introduce shifts and ensure that they are
followed.