The document discusses the negative impacts of inadequate nursing staffing on patient safety and satisfaction in hospitals, highlighting the correlation between understaffing and increased risks for patients. It explores the reasons for the nursing shortage, including budget constraints and high turnover rates, while suggesting that implementing staffing plans based on patient acuity can enhance care. Key recommendations include addressing the staffing shortage and improving recruitment strategies to maintain a safe and satisfactory healthcare environment.

1. SafetyandSatisfactionamongPatientsInConnectionwithStaffing
JamesMyers
ABCUniversity
Abstract
Background
RRecentsurveysindifferenthospitalshaveshownthatthelackofnursestaffresultstoa
decreaseinthesatisfactionandsafetyamongpatientsduringtheirstayinthehospital.
Itisalsofoundtofurtherincreasetherisksinvolvedinpatientinjuries.Thiscapstone
paperdiscussestheseveralreasonsforthisshortageinnursingstaff,aswellasthe
differentwaysinwhichpatientsatisfactionandsafetycanbeimproved.
Objective
TToachieveabetterunderstandingofthenegativeimplicationsofinadequatestaffingor
nursesinafacility,thedevelopmentofasuccessfulplanwhichpromotessatisfaction
andsafetyamongpatients,andthecreationofasuccessfulplanwhenitcomesto
improvingstaffingamonghospitals.
Methodology
MethodsMethodsusedinthisstudyincludesevidence-basedpractice,literaturereviews,aswell
asclinicalexperience.Thelatteralsoincludedinterviewswithpatients,nurses,aswell
asnursemanagersabouttheirviewsonsatisfactionandsafetyinconnectionwith
staffing.
Conclusions
MandatedMandatedratiobetweennurseandpatientandstaffingaccordingtopatientacuity
levelshavebothenhancedpatientcare.Theimplementationofastaffingprogramthat
isbasedonthelevelsofpatientacuitywouldserveasamoreviablesolutioncompared
tomandatedratiobetweennursesandpatients.Withtheshortageofnursesentering
thepicture,hospitalsneedtofindawaytomaintainstaffinginordertoimprovecare
amongpatients.
Nursingcapstonepapersample

2. Introduction
Asofthemoment,staffingisconsideredasahotissueamongnursesindifferent
hospitals.Thesefacilitiesarebeingfrequentlyunderstaffed.Itisveryimportanttofix
thisproblembecauseofitshugeimpactonthesatisfactionlevelsamongpatients,as
wellastheirsafety.Needlesstosay,ahospitalcannotoperatewhenthepatientsno
longerwanttogotherebecausetheydonotreceivethelevelofcarethattheyexpect
anddeserve.Itisalsohighlydangeroustoputthelivesofpatientsatrisk(Department
ofLaborintheUS,2014).Theaimofthispaperistoresearchthereasonsrelatedto
understaffinginhospitals,andtheirimpactonpatientcarunderstaffinginhospitals,andtheirimpactonpatientcare.Solutions will also be
presentedinordertohelpinfixingtheproblem,withimplementationsthatwillbedone
ontheunit.Thispaperwillalsolookatthecurrentviewsofemployeesregarding
patientcare,anditsrelationtostaffing.Theprimaryhospitalinvolvedinthisstudyisthe
OhioHospital.
ReasonstoUnderstaffing
Oneofthereasonsofunderstaffingamonghospitalsisnursingshortage.However,it
hasbeendiscoveredthattherearemoreregisterednursescomparedtonursingjobs
intheUSA.Howhasthisresultedtoanunderstaffing?Intheyear2007alone,about
49%ofhospitalfacilitieshavereportedthattheyarehavingdifficultieswhenitcomes
torecruitingnewregisterednursescomparedtotheirrecruitmentprocessesin2006
(Malone&Hughes,2011,p.340).Atthesametime,therearehighturnoverrateson
medical-surgicalunits.Adifferentreasonisthatseveraloftheseregisterednursesare
notnothiredonlyforinpatientunitsamonghospitals.Assuch,fastergrowthisalso
expectedeveninnon-hospitalfacilities,includingphysician’shomehealthcare,offices,
aswellasoutpatientunits.Thisisbecauseofthewayinwhichthehealthcareindustry
isevolving.Processesthatusedtobecompletedinhospitalsarenowdoneinphysician
officesandoutpatientunits.Atthesametime,elderlypopulationarenow gearing
towardsreceivingcareintheirhomes.Thiscanfurtherresulttoadecreaseinthe
availabilityofregisterednurseswhoaresearchingforworkinahospitalsetting.

3. Anotherreasonishassomethingtodowithfinances.Mosthospitalorganizationsare
followingastrictbudget.Theincreaseinfederalandbudgetdeficitsinthestatehave
furtherresultedtoanincreaseinthepressureforallorganizationsinthehealthcare
industrytoreducecost.(Thompson,2011).Forthisreason,differenthospitalsalsoneed
toimplementcostcuttingmeasures.Cuttingasmallpercentageonpersonnelbudget
canalreadyresulttohugesavingsonthepartofthefacility.This,however,hasnegative
impactsonpatientcare.
RReferences
Malone,N.,&Hughes,H.(2011).Missedopportunitiesinnursingcareandstaffing.
NursingQualityandCareJournal,28(2),240-243.
Thompson,B.(2011).Managementfunctions and leadership roles in nursing.
Philadelphia,PA:WilliamsInc.,Press.
DepartmentofLaborintheUS.Occupationalmanagementhandbook.Registered
nurses.NewYork:2014.Web.http://www.dl.gov/art/Healthcare/RegisteredNurses.htm