Patient-To-Nurse Ratio and Poor Performance Research Paper

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Updated: Feb 29th, 2024

Introduction to the Research: Patient-to-Nurse Ratio as a Reason for Concern

The focus on increasing the quality of patient care and incorporating the information about the target demographics’ characteristics as the foundation for efficient management of their needs can be viewed as the key tendencies of the contemporary healthcare (Driscoll et al., 2017). However, there have been population changes that seem to have caused significant concern among the target audiences (Rahman & Shamsudin, 2015). The fact that the patient-to-nurse rate has been getting increasingly big over the past few years deserves to be listed among the key issues on the agenda of the humankind. Because of the rapid rise in the workload levels and, therefore, the increase in the number of workplace burnouts, one must consider the existing situation concerning the rise in the patient-to-nurse ratio (PNR) a significant threat to the global well-being (Cho et al., 2015).

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To address the issue successfully and prevent the instance of a global catastrophe, one must consider adopting a strategy based on the redesign of the present-day HRM strategy; particularly, an increase in salaries, as well as employee benefits in general, and the following alteration of the workplace schedule. Furthermore, a significant change in the amount of independence with which nurses are provided in the workplace must be altered significantly so that the needs of patients could be met during the decision-making process. The alterations in the PNR are bound to affect how nurses view their duties, therefore, restricting their responsibilities to a less numerous and, thus, more manageable set (Giammona et al., 2015). The identified changes are bound to create the environment in which rapid progress and the introduction of a series of improvements will become a possibility. Particularly, the newly designed environment can be created so that a set of new values based on a patient-centered philosophy and the active promotion of the relevant values and nursing ethics could be possible. The identified innovations will serve as the foundation for fostering the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among nurses and compel them to focus on incorporating the essential principles of ethics into their decision-making process. Thus, a rapid rise in the number of positive patient outcomes is expected.

Conclusion: Recommendations for Reducing the Patient-to-Nurse Ratio

At present, it is strongly recommended that the PNR levels should be monitored closely. PNR can be listed among the primary factors contributing to the development of numerous health issues among nurses, including workplace burnouts, stress, depression, etc. Thus, it will be imperative to make sure that the premises for improving the current schedule and reducing the workload levels among nurses should be built. It is expected that the identified measure will help address the instances of mismanaging patients’ needs, errors made in the course of the information processing stages, etc. The issues mentioned above can be considered essential factors defining the success of healthcare outcomes among the target population. Therefore, removing the factors that define the development of the problem can be viewed as an essential step toward success. Moreover, reducing the PNR levels will have to be considered a priority because of the need to meet the requirements of patients from different backgrounds.

Indeed, with the lack of time that the low PNR levels imply, exploring the needs of people coming from different social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds is barely a possibility. With the enhancement of the principles of diversity and the promotion of a multicultural dialogue in the context of the healthcare environment, one is likely to create a positive framework for managing the needs of the target population and avoid a range of misconceptions leading to a drop in the number of positive patient outcomes. Furthermore, the opportunities for enhancing patient safety will be built since the drop in PNR rates is bound to affect the amount of time and attention that a nurse will devote to each patient individually. The specified change, however, will only be possible with the reconsideration of the existing schedule and the number of tasks and responsibilities that each nurse is supposed to face in the context of a healthcare institution. Therefore, opportunities for professional growth and training must be provided to nurses to create an environment in which they will be enthusiastic to get a job in the specified healthcare facility.

Annotated Bibliography

Cho, E., Sloane, D. M., Kim, E. Y., Kim, S., Choi, M., Yoo, I. Y.,… Aiken, L. H. (2015). Effects of nurse staffing, work environments, and education on patient mortality: An observational study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52(2), 535-542.

The effects that PNR has on the quality of nursing services provided to patients can be defined by not only considering specific health issues but also exploring the problem from a more general perspective, such as the assessment of mortality levels. The paper in question addresses the issue of reinforcing the significance of PRN and patient education as the means of making the promotion of the relevant clinical guidelines more efficient. The study results showed that, by placing a powerful emphasis on the significance of low PRN levels and the enhancement of patient education, positive patient outcomes increase exponentially. The specified phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the efficacy of the communication process increases once the PNR levels drop.

Driscoll, A., Grant, M. J., Carroll, D., Dalton, S., Deaton, C., Jones, I., … Astin, F. (2017). The effect of nurse-to-patient ratios on nurse-sensitive patient outcomes in acute specialist units: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 1(1), 1-17. Web.

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The study focuses on exploring the implications of reducing the number of nursing staff and increasing the number of patients on the quality of the services delivered to the target population in the acute care environment. The research, therefore, sheds light on the way in which the PNR levels affect the quality of patients’ lives and reduces the threat of contracting nosocomial infection. The study results indicate that there is a need to increase PNR levels so that nurses could meet the needs of every patient individually and, thus, offer the services of the finest quality. For instance, the risk of infections can be reduced significantly as long as the PNR levels remain reasonable.

Giammona, S., Arena, G., Calò, M., Barone, M. B., Scelsa, D., Lepre, A.,… Schlenk, E. A. (2016). Nursing workload and staff allocation in an Italian hospital: A quality improvement initiative based on nursing care score. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 7(2), 420-427. Web.

The authors of the study address the issue of staffing and the associated concerns regarding job satisfaction levels among nurses, the instances of a workplace burnout, and the connection that the specified factors have to patient mortality levels. The research results show that there is a tangible link between the specified elements. Particularly, low staffing rates contribute massively to a rapid rise in the workload levels and the subsequent increase of the instances of workplace burnout among the staff members, Furthermore, the study points to the fact that the rise in the PNR rates leads to an inevitable drop in quality of data management and, therefore, a rise in the number of errors made by nurses.

Rahman, H. A., & Shamsudin, A. S. (2015). The impact of patient to nurse ratio on quality of care and patient safety in the medical and surgical wards in Malaysian private hospitals: a cross-sectional study. Asian Social Science, 11(9), 326. Web.

The inconsistency of staffing levels leads to the development of massive problems with patient safety and the management of the relevant data. As a result, the efficacy of the nursing services and the well—being of the target population are jeopardized heavily. Therefore, tools for maintaining PNR high should be introduced into the contemporary environment of nursing and patient care. Thus, a significant rise in positive patient outcomes is expected.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Patient-To-Nurse Ratio and Poor Performance." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/patient-to-nurse-ratio-and-poor-performance/.

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IvyPanda. "Patient-To-Nurse Ratio and Poor Performance." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/patient-to-nurse-ratio-and-poor-performance/.

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