Walden University NURS 6053: Nursing Staff Shortage Policy Analysis

This report addresses the critical issue of nursing staff shortages in healthcare organizations. It identifies the competing needs of patient care quality and an aging workforce, analyzing how these factors contribute to the problem. The report examines the impact of high nursing turnover and inadequate nurse-patient ratios, highlighting the ethical considerations of current policies. It critiques existing organizational practices and policies, emphasizing the importance of ethical decision-making and the impact on both nurses and patients. The report provides recommendations for policy changes, including increasing nurse-patient ratios and implementing training programs for newly joined nurses. The conclusion emphasizes that these recommendations are essential for improving patient care quality and addressing the ethical shortcomings of the current system, ultimately advocating for a more sustainable and supportive healthcare environment.

Running Head: ATTENDING TO NURSING STAFF SHORTAGE 1
DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES AND PRATICES FOR NURSING
STAFF SHORTAGE
Student Name
Walden University
NURS 6053
Date:
Dr. E. Townsley
Introduction

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The role of leader in a healthcare organization is to meet goals and establish priorities
while allocating resources in an appropriate manner. Competing needs of the workforce,
resources and patients often might result in conflict. Leaders possesses the capability to
develop solution to the problems through policies and actions. Nursing profession comprises
of the largest section of health profession and according to World Health Statistics Report
there are 3.9 million nurses and midwives in US, with additional 1 million needed by 2020.
Post review of the national healthcare issue/ stressor examined as shortage of nursing staffs,
policies and practices to be applied in the healthcare issue/ stressor is developed is the current
analysis. As per the American Nurses Association, nursing jobs will be available more than
any other profession in the United States. Article in Nursing Times and The US Bureau of
Labour Statistics projects requirement of 11 million nurses to meet shortages of nurse
(Rosseter, 2014).
Developing policies and Procedures
Competing needs impacting healthcare issue/ stressor
The two competing needs that affects shortage of nursing staffs, is providing quality
services to patient in timely manner and ageing nursing staffs, with most registered nurse
being above the age of 50 years. The first competing need is inability of trainee nurses to
provide high quality services to patient at the time when it is necessary (Somers, Finch, &
Birnbaum, 2010). Due to shortage of nursing staffs there is enormous pressure on the present
staffs of nursing. Present RNs needs to continue providing patient care at appropriate quality
levels to prevent any negative consequences thereof. This leads to high burnout amongst
nurses due to increasing work pressure. Some nurses graduate and immediately starts
working experiencing high levels of burnout and leaves the profession. Current average for

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turnover is 8.8% to 37.0%, changing in regards to geographical locations and speciality in
nursing.
The second competing need is that most of the registered nurses are older than 50 years
(approximately 1 million) and it is expected that approximately 70,000 nurses will retire by
2024. It has been estimated that 1/3rd of the nursing workforce will retire within the next 15
years (Haddad, & Toney-Butler, 2019). This number encompasses nursing faculty, indicating
that their fewer graduating nurses will have resources while learning. There will be
limitations in enrolment deteriorating overall quality of the nursing program, which might
lead to declining in classes. This might lead to declining number of nurses in the future.
Relevant policy or practice influencing healthcare issue/stressor
The relevant policy with the organization’s healthcare setting that influences nursing
shortage includes high level of nursing turnover that affects staffing ratio. The current
organization does not have the requisite number of nurse-patient ratios. Due to low nurse-
patient ration creates job pressure and stress which ultimately leads to burnout forcing nurses
to leave the organization (Duvall, & Andrews, 2010). Often new nurses are not provided with
adequate training and support to deal with complex situation and patient cases. There is no
organizational policy to train newly joined nurses, such that they can easily understand their
job role. Moreover, senior nurses are expected to provide training to newly joined nurses and
junior nurses regarding their job roles, which creates more pressure for senior nurses. With
most nurses being female, childbearing years are often seen to take leave or abstain from their
profession altogether. While some nurses are seen to return to their job but they might
consider new job. Managers and leaders within the organization have failed to diagnose
shortage in nursing ration that often leads to errors, higher morbidity and rates in mortality

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(MacLean et al, 2014). There is currently absent any policy that might bridge requisite
number of nurses needed at the organization.
Criticising policy for ethical consideration
The policy present in the organization has several ethical considerations attached to it.
According to the Utilitarian ethics principles, a decision for the organization has to be taken
which ensures greatest good for all. Applying such ethical principles in action however
reveals that the organisation did not adapt such ethical principles as neither did it benefit the
workforce not the customers in the organization. The policy implemented by the organization
has significant ethical consideration as due to low nurse-patient ratio, the nurses as well as the
patient suffered leading to negative outcomes (Toh, Ang, & Devi, 2012).
The policy is devised by the organization in view to retain maximum possible revenues
and operate at a cost-efficient system. While the organization has many patients overflowing,
yet the policies are old and not updated on a regular basis to meet the new demands. Thus, the
major strengths of the policy comprises of cost-saving approach and ability to retain revenue
for the organization. Updating the old policy is the major strength in promotion of ethics for
the organization.
The negative aspects of the policy includes high pressure on nursing staffs leading to
stress and burnout. High rates of turnover amongst nursing staffs affecting overall
functionalities at the organization (Snavely, 2016). The challenges in promoting ethics of the
policy includes revising the old policy and replacing with new one, which might be difficult
to adopt. Another challenge might include lack of vested interest amongst stakeholder to
change the policy and adapt a new one in its place. Stakeholders of the organization might

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not be interested in developing and applying a new policy which is not in favour of revenue
retention or cost-minimisation.
Recommendation
Policy change at the organization is necessary, in view of balancing the competing needs
of resources, workers and patients. Also, it is essential for addressing the ethical
shortcomings of the existing policies in place. The recommended policy change suitable for
the organization includes;
 Increasing the nurse-patient ration by way of nurse recruitment (Gill, 2011).
Increasing the number of nurse-patient ratio will enable providing quality care and
reduce nurse stress and burnout. For example, with new nurses being recruited
there will be distribution of work load amongst the nursing staffs. This is bound to
reduce work load and enhance quality of patient care enabling better ethical
outcomes.
 Providing training to newly joined nurses (Cathro, 2011). A nursing induction
program will assist newly joined nurses to understand their job roles better and
cater to patient in a better manner. This will be ethical for patients and nurses as
well reducing nursing errors and increasing quality of providing care.
Conclusion
The competing needs can be attended and overcome by means of the recommendations
provided. The shortages of nursing staffs can be attended to by way of new recruitment and
training provided to nurses.

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References
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Duvall, J. J., & Andrews, D. R. (2010). Using a structured review of the literature to identify
key factors associated with the current nursing shortage. Journal of Professional
Nursing, 26(5), 309-317.
Gill, R. (2011). Nursing shortage in India with special reference to international migration of
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Haddad, L. M., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2019). Nursing shortage. In StatPearls [Internet].
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MacLean, L., Hassmiller, S., Shaffer, F., Rohrbaugh, K., Collier, T., & Fairman, J. (2014).
Scale, causes, and implications of the primary care nursing shortage. Annual Review of
Public Health, 35, 443-457.
Rosseter, R. (2014). Nursing shortage. American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
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United States. Nursing Economics, 34(2), 98-101.
Somers, M. J., Finch, L., & Birnbaum, D. (2010). Marketing nursing as a profession:
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Toh, S. G., Ang, E., & Devi, M. K. (2012). Systematic review on the relationship between the
nursing shortage and job satisfaction, stress and burnout levels among nurses in

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