Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor

Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor

Developing Organizational Policies and Practices

Competing needs arise within any organization as employees seek to meet their targets and leaders seek to meet company goals. As a leader, successful management of these goals requires establishing priorities and allocating resources accordingly.

Within a healthcare setting, the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients are often in conflict. Mandatory overtime, implementation of staffing ratios, use of unlicensed assisting personnel, and employer reductions of education benefits are examples of practices that might lead to conflicting needs in practice.

Leaders can contribute to both the problem and the solution through policies, action, and inaction. In this Assignment, you will further develop the white paper you began work on in Module 1 by addressing competing needs within your organization.

To Prepare:

• Review the national healthcare issue/stressor you examined in your Assignment for Module 1, and review the analysis of the healthcare issue/stressor you selected.
• Identify and review two evidence-based scholarly resources that focus on proposed policies/practices to apply to your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post regarding competing needs.

The Assignment (1-2 pages):

Developing Organizational Policies and Practices

Add a section to the 2-3 page paper you submitted in Module 1. The new section should address the following in 1-2 pages:

• Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Critique the policy for ethical considerations, and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.
• Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.
• Cite evidence that informs the healthcare issue/stressor and/or the policies, and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.
• Due to the nature of this assignment, your instructor may require more than 7 days to provide you with quality feedback.

Expert Answer and Explanation

Analysis of the Nursing Shortage and Its Impact on Healthcare Organizations

The national healthcare issue of the nursing shortage has turned out to be a hard nut to crack in the healthcare fraternity. This shortage has ripple effects on health organizations through the following consequences: increased staff workloads, compromised patients, and financial burdens. The demand for nurses has remained high, and this is expected to increase in the coming years because of issues such as aging populations and high turnover rates.

This paper aims to discuss the nursing shortage, the effects it has on organizations, and measures that other organizations are taking to mitigate the problem. The results will also be applied to make recommendations on reducing the impact of this shortage in our organization.

The Nursing Shortage and Its Impact on the Organization

The shortage of nurses is a major concern in the nation’s healthcare system since it impacts most of the hospitals and healthcare centers in the United States of America. The American Nurses Association (ANA), in its 2023 report, reveals a shortage of RNs, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that over 200,000 new nurses will be required annually to fill the positions. In particular, this shortage has resulted in several problems in our organization. For instance, nursing positions have been open, causing increased pressure on those employed. Thus, they suffer from fatigue and are likely to make mistakes.

Patient satisfaction scores have decreased because people are waiting longer to see the doctor and not receiving the attention they deserve. In the financial aspect, the organization has had to hire employees from temporary staffing agencies, which has proved very costly to the firm’s budget. Based on the organizational data, we have found that the turnover rate of the nursing staff is higher than the national average of 16%. This high rate of turnover has aggravated recruitment and retention problems.

Summary of Articles on the Nursing Shortage and How to Adrress It

The nursing shortage is now a world concern and has been felt in almost all healthcare fields, including oncology. Tamata et al. (2023) synthesized current literature to determine factors contributing to the shortage, including policy and planning failures, inadequate capacity in nursing education, high turnover rate, and burnout. It is important to note that solving these problems requires more effort and multi-faceted interventions, including increasing the number of nursing schools, offering incentives, and enacting policies to address workload and stress. These solutions are intended to address the nursing shortage issue while providing the best care to patients.

In the same manner, Challinor et al. (2020) focused on the workforce in oncology nursing. They point out that the increasing incidence of cancer also enhances the need for oncology nurses while the stock of specialized nurses is declining. The authors provide strategies like increasing global cooperation for developing oncology nursing curricula, increasing access to continuing education in oncology nursing, and sharing tasks with other healthcare professionals. These steps are taken to enhance the workforce and help the patient.

Each article emphasizes that an effective approach to addressing the nursing shortage requires interventions at organizational and policy levels. While Tamata et al. investigate more general systemic concerns, Challinor et al. zoom into oncology nursing, calling for international cooperation and creativity in addressing workforce challenges.

Potential Impact on Our Organization

The measures to tackle the nursing shortage could have the following implications for our organization: Such strategies as nurse residency programs could result in lower turnover rates and increased levels of confidence among the workforce. However, initial investment in training and mentoring is required, which can be burdensome to the company’s cash flow. Likewise, using technology to streamline the workflow will increase effectiveness and decrease staff stress, but the use may take time to be accepted by staff due to the change in workflow; hence, the change of new technologies may initially have low acceptance rates among the staff.

On the positive side, promoting a supportive organizational culture and increased satisfaction at work could enhance nurse retention, reduce absenteeism, and ultimately produce improved patient care. That said, if not well executed, these strategies could lead to burnout of the leadership and management teams who are expected to spearhead these changes and handle the day-to-day challenges occasioned by the shortage of nurses.

Section 2

Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor

One of the key competing need is the quality of care. The shortage of nurses affects the quality of care because there are not enough nurses to care for patients. Due to the nurse shortage, patients in acute care settings receive delayed, less attention from providers, and fragmented care (Tamata et al., 2023). Healthcare organizations find it challenging to offer high-quality care and meet the set standards without compromising their current human resources, which leads to poor care delivery outcomes.

The second competing need is the wellbeing of nurses. Lack of human resources affects nurses’ physical and mental status, resulting in burnout, stress, and fatigue. Moral distress, along with high turnover rates emanating from high workloads, gives rise to the worsening of the shortage. Still, patient-centeredness is not the only thing that must be considered to support a healthy workforce of nurses. The ethical issue that occurs due to this is that staff are brought to the stress edge to meet organizational demands at the expense of health (Turale & Nantsupawat, 2021).

Organizations must ensure that workplaces and support systems are safe for employees to prevent burnout while offering the best care. Nurse retention and avoiding further loss of the workforce are other reasons why it is important to address nurse wellbeing.

Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor

Our organization deals with staffing shortages by having a policy that forces employees to work extra hours. Nurses must work more than 12 hours to meet patients’ basic needs. It also provides for staffing deficiencies to be covered and maintains care constancy during extreme scarcities. However, it creates ethical issues regarding nurses’ autonomy and satisfaction levels. Fatigued shifts lead to mistakes, burnout, and compromise patient safety, and long shifts are also dangerous. While the policy can be beneficial for the short term, it could be more sustainable and, in fact, drives turnover. In this case, staffing cannot be achieved without considering the nurses’ health and the organizational outcomes.

Critique the policy for ethical considerations, and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics

The mandatory overtime policy has some advantages and some ethical issues.

Strengths: It is effective in maintaining patient care during staff shortages and minimizing interruptions to health services (Ingstad & Haugan, 2024). The policy offers an instant fix to staffing shortages, thereby ensuring that organizations remain functional and patients receive optimal care.

Challenges: In an ethical context, the policy violates the nurses’ right to workload and excessive physical and emotional demands. Fatigue-induced mistakes compromise patient integrity and safety while pursuing organizational objectives; this is an ethical paradox between the needs of the organization, the patient, and the nurse (Ingstad & Haugan, 2024). Such dynamics have prompted the need for sustainable interventions that will address the immediate need for coverage and the future welfare of the workforce.

Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples

Flexible staffing models and incentives can help manage competing needs and reduce ethical issues. Using internal float pools and per diem staffing, the nurses can work reasonable shifts while providing adequate staffing (Duru & Hammoud, 2022). For instance, the idea of nursing cross-skill across departments can solve the issues of staffing shortages without embracing mandatory extra working hours. Also, incentives such as retention bonuses, tuition support, and wellness programs help enhance staff satisfaction levels and retention (Duru & Hammoud, 2022). These changes effectively address patient care needs and nurses’ morale, create an ethical work climate, and decrease turnover while enhancing the quality of care.

Conclusion

The nursing shortage issues are complex and affect healthcare organizations, patients, and employees. It overloads the nurses with additional working hours, decreases patient satisfaction, and creates extra expenses due to costly staffing arrangements. Solving this problem is possible only with the help of short-term interventions, including contingent staffing, and long-term solutions, including proposals to expand the production of nurses with higher education and to provide retention bonuses.

Also, a supportive organizational culture and promoting the use of technology make the workforce happy and enhance operations. It is, therefore, important for healthcare organizations to embrace sustainable and ethical policies that will assist in averting the impacts brought about by this shortage of patients and nurses.

References

American Nurses Association. (2023). Nursing shortage statistics. https://www.nursingworld.org

Challinor, J. M., Alqudimat, M. R., Teixeira, T. O., & Oldenmenger, W. H. (2020). Oncology nursing workforce: Challenges, solutions, and future strategies. The Lancet Oncology, 21(12), e564-e574. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30505-8

Duru, D. C., & Hammoud, M. S. (2022). Identifying effective retention strategies for front-line nurses. Nursing Management, 29(1). Https://Doi.Org/10.7748/Nm.2021.E1971

Ingstad, K., & Haugan, G. (2024). Balancing act: Exploring work-life balance among nursing home staff working long shifts. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 499. Https://Doi.Org/10.1186/S12912-024-02165-8

Tamata, A. T., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2023). A systematic review study on the factors affecting shortage of nursing workforce in the hospitals. Nursing Open, 10(3), 1247-1257. Https://Doi.Org/10.1002/Nop2.1434

Turale, S., & Nantsupawat, A. (2021). Clinician mental health, nursing shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic: Crises within crises. International Nursing Review, 68(1), 12–14. Https://Doi.Org/10.1111/Inr.12674

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Identifying and Addressing Competing Needs in Healthcare Issues: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare organizations face numerous challenges that require careful balance between competing priorities. Understanding these competing needs is crucial for developing effective organizational policies and practices that address healthcare stressors while maintaining quality patient care. This comprehensive guide examines the most significant competing needs impacting healthcare issues and provides evidence-based strategies for healthcare professionals.

Understanding Healthcare Competing Needs: Definition and Framework

Healthcare competing needs refer to conflicting priorities, resources, or demands that healthcare organizations must balance simultaneously. These needs often create tension between different stakeholders, including patients, healthcare workers, administrators, and regulatory bodies.

Key Characteristics of Healthcare Competing Needs:

• Resource limitations vs. increasing demand for services
• Quality care delivery vs. cost containment
• Staff well-being vs. operational efficiency
• Patient satisfaction vs. clinical outcomes
• Innovation adoption vs. budget constraints

Major Healthcare Issues and Their Competing Needs

1. Healthcare Worker Burnout and Stress

Healthcare worker burnout represents one of the most critical issues facing modern healthcare systems. The competing needs in this area include:

Competing Need A: Staff Well-being vs. Operational Demands

• Staff perspective: Adequate rest, manageable workloads, work-life balance
• Organizational perspective: 24/7 patient care coverage, cost efficiency, productivity targets
• Patient perspective: Continuous access to quality care

Competing Need B: Resource Allocation vs. Staffing Levels

• Financial constraints: Budget limitations for hiring additional staff
• Quality requirements: Maintaining safe patient-to-staff ratios
• Regulatory compliance: Meeting accreditation standards while controlling costs

Statistical Overview of Healthcare Worker Burnout

2. Patient Safety vs. Cost Management

Healthcare organizations must balance patient safety initiatives with financial sustainability:

Competing Need A: Technology Investment vs. Budget Constraints

• Safety imperative: Implementation of advanced monitoring systems, electronic health records
• Financial reality: Limited capital budgets, ROI requirements
• Regulatory pressure: Compliance with safety standards and quality metrics

Competing Need B: Staffing Ratios vs. Labor Costs

• Patient safety: Adequate nurse-to-patient ratios, specialized staff availability
• Cost management: Labor represents 60-70% of hospital operating costs
• Quality outcomes: Lower staffing associated with increased mortality rates

3. Access to Care vs. Quality of Care

This fundamental tension affects healthcare delivery at all levels:

Competing Need A: Volume vs. Time per Patient

• Access pressure: Reducing wait times, seeing more patients
• Quality requirements: Thorough assessments, patient education, follow-up care
• Provider satisfaction: Adequate time for comprehensive care

Competing Need B: Specialized Services vs. General Care

• Specialization benefits: Advanced treatments, better outcomes for complex conditions
• General care needs: Primary care access, preventive services
• Resource allocation: Distributing limited specialists and equipment

Impact of Competing Needs on Healthcare Outcomes

Patient Care Quality Metrics

Financial Performance Indicators

Research shows that unresolved competing needs significantly impact healthcare organizations’ financial performance:

• Turnover costs: High staff turnover due to burnout costs hospitals $40,000-$100,000 per nurse replacement
• Liability expenses: Medical errors from overworked staff increase malpractice claims by 15-25%
• Efficiency losses: Burnout reduces productivity by 20-30% among healthcare workers
• Quality penalties: Poor patient outcomes result in Medicare payment reductions

Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing Competing Needs

1. Implementing Comprehensive Workforce Management

Strategy: Develop flexible staffing models that balance patient needs with staff well-being

Components:

• Predictive analytics for patient census forecasting
• Float pool programs for surge capacity
• Flexible scheduling options including 12-hour shifts and compressed work weeks
• Mandatory rest periods between shifts

Measurable Outcomes:

• Reduced overtime costs by 15-20%
• Decreased turnover rates by 10-15%
• Improved patient satisfaction scores

2. Technology Integration for Efficiency

Strategy: Leverage health information technology to address multiple competing needs simultaneously

Key Technologies:

• Electronic Health Records (EHR) optimization
• Clinical decision support systems
• Automated medication dispensing
• Telehealth platforms for expanded access

Benefits:

• Reduced documentation time by 30-40%
• Improved clinical decision-making
• Enhanced patient engagement
• Expanded care access without additional physical infrastructure

3. Quality Improvement Initiatives

Strategy: Implement systematic approaches to balance quality and efficiency

Framework Components:

• Lean Six Sigma methodologies
• Evidence-based practice protocols
• Continuous quality improvement programs
• Performance dashboards and metrics

Regulatory and Policy Considerations

Current Healthcare Policies Affecting Competing Needs

Federal Regulations

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): Quality reporting requirements and value-based purchasing
• The Joint Commission: Accreditation standards for patient safety and quality
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Workplace safety requirements

State-Level Policies

• Nurse staffing ratio legislation (California, Massachusetts)
• Scope of practice regulations for advanced practice providers
• Certificate of need laws affecting healthcare capacity

Policy Recommendations for Healthcare Organizations

1. Develop comprehensive workforce policies that address burnout prevention and staff retention
2. Implement evidence-based staffing models that balance patient safety with cost-effectiveness
3. Create quality metrics that align with organizational goals and regulatory requirements
4. Establish clear governance structures for managing competing priorities

Future Trends and Emerging Challenges

Technological Disruption

• Artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making
• Robotic process automation for administrative tasks
• Precision medicine and personalized care approaches

Demographic Changes

• Aging population increasing healthcare demand
• Workforce shortages in key specialties
• Changing patient expectations for care delivery

Economic Pressures

• Value-based care transition
• Pharmaceutical cost inflation
• Infrastructure maintenance and modernization needs

Practical Implementation Guide

Step 1: Assessment and Analysis

• Conduct comprehensive organizational assessment
• Identify specific competing needs within your organization
• Analyze current policies and their effectiveness

Step 2: Stakeholder Engagement

• Involve multidisciplinary teams in solution development
• Gather input from patients, families, and community members
• Collaborate with regulatory bodies and accreditation organizations

Step 3: Policy Development

• Create evidence-based policies that address identified competing needs
• Establish clear metrics for measuring success
• Develop implementation timelines and resource requirements

Step 4: Implementation and Monitoring

• Pilot programs in select departments or units
• Collect data on key performance indicators
• Adjust policies based on initial results and feedback

Step 5: Continuous Improvement

• Regular review and updating of policies
• Ongoing staff education and training
• Benchmarking against industry best practices

Conclusion

Successfully managing competing needs in healthcare requires a systematic approach that balances multiple stakeholder interests while maintaining focus on patient care quality and safety. Healthcare organizations that proactively address these competing needs through evidence-based policies and practices are better positioned to achieve sustainable success in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.

The key to success lies in recognizing that competing needs are not problems to be solved but ongoing tensions to be managed through continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive leadership. By implementing comprehensive strategies that address workforce management, technology integration, and quality improvement, healthcare organizations can create sustainable solutions that benefit patients, providers, and the broader healthcare system.

References and Additional Resources

1. National Academy of Medicine. Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being. Available at: https://nam.edu/clinicianwellbeing/
2. American Nurses Association. Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Available at: https://www.healthynursehealthynation.org/
3. The Joint Commission. Resources for Healthcare Worker Safety and Well-Being. Available at: https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/
4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Quality Measures. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality-initiatives-patient-assessment-instruments/qualitymeasures
5. Advisory Board. Nursing Executive Center Research. Available at: https://www.advisory.com/
6. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Available at: http://www.ihi.org/
7. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Available at: https://www.ahrq.gov/