QUT NSB305 Semester 2: Addressing Skill Mix for GRNs and Patient Care

This report addresses the critical issue of unbalanced skill mix faced by Graduate Registered Nurses (GRNs), emphasizing its impact on workload, job satisfaction, and patient care. The report advocates for a balanced skill mix to mitigate these challenges and improve patient outcomes. It proposes three realistic actions: implementing a clear communication strategy to highlight the benefits of balanced skill mix, collaborating with clinical nurses and administrators to develop staffing solutions, and advocating for an increased percentage of GRNs in patient care. These strategies aim to establish clear roles, reduce workloads, and ultimately promote a team-based, collaborative environment that delivers safe, person-centered care by addressing unit and shift level factors, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced complications.

Video Transcript
(Introduce the issue and the reason why a GRN faced with the issue needs to bring change)
Advocating for a balanced skill mix is one of the most challenging issues facing GRNs as
they transition during practice primarily because, the current staffing models comprise
inappropriate skill mix that creates workloads and create additional responsibilities for nurses.
Ultimately, GRNs find themselves overwhelmed and dissatisfied with their jobs, and unable to
provide patient centered care. Therefore, to ensure that these challenges faced by GRNs are
mitigated and also promote better patient outcomes, there is need to advocate for a balanced skill
mix.
(3 actions being sure to justify how they will be realistic to a GRN to achieve safe person
centered care)
There are a number of actions that GRNs may undertake to address the challenge of
unbalanced skill mix in their clinical practice. For one, GRNs should attempt to use a clear and
consistent communication strategy as a means to sensitize and emphasize on the holistic benefits
of achieving a balanced skill mix. The implications associated with an unbalanced skill mix such
as increased workloads and added responsibilities can be addressed through proper
communication with the physicians and nurses in their area of practice (Berlin et al., 2014).
GRNs should therefore utilize this communication process to articulate on the benefits of
appropriate skill mix such as establishing clear cut roles and reducing workloads to their
superiors including nurses and physicians.
Secondly, with an already established communication strategy, GRNs should strive to
work together with clinical nurses and nurse administrators on developing staffing solutions.

This avenue will enable GRNs to work close with these health professionals in developing
staffing models that protect the health and wellbeing of GRNs. Furthermore, such solutions will
enable this group of professionals to meet the complex patient needs and as such be able to offer
safe patient centered care since the duties and tasks of every involved professional is clearly
defined thereby promoting a team-based and collaborative working environment.
Finally, GRNs should advocate for manipulation of skill mix specifically by increasing
the percentage of GRNs available for patient care. This manipulation should also take into
account unit level and shift level factors. Available evidence from multiple studies indicates that
a higher percentage of GRNs is associated with reduced patient complications and related
morbidities (Huang et al., 2012; Jacob, McKenna & D’Amore, 2015). Hence, by advocating for
higher percentage of GRNs, GRNs will be able to improve patient outcomes and provide patient
centered care.