Introduction
Formation and research of the PICOT question require an understanding of various factors and aspects that affect it. These include the importance and impact of the issue in nursing practice, the variables needed to investigate it, and the importance of management. The PICOT question of this study is: “In registered nurses (P), can the introduction of an advanced workload plan (I), compared to no efforts from the management (C), reduce the issue of understaffing (O), within a six- month period (T)? “For this reason, the qualitative studies selected to study this issue examine the impact of understaffing on the quality of care and the importance of mentoring for its management.
Background of the Studies
The first article that contributes to the study of the PICOT question is “The relationship between workforce characteristics and perception of quality of care in mental health: A qualitative study.” Baker et al. (2019) note that despite strong demand, changes in the workforce, and government regulations, there is insufficient research on the impact of staffing on the quality of patient care in mental health services. For this reason, the main question and goal of the study are to determine the impact of staffing and skill mix on safety and quality of care in mental health services (Baker et al., 2019). The value of this article is that it examines the problem of understaffing and its negative impact on health care to justify the need for change. In addition, the more significant contribution of the article is that it identifies priorities for future research and work areas, in particular skill mix, which promotes improving the quality of patient care.
The second article that contributes to the study of the PICOT question is “How do nurse managers describe clinical nurses’ work arrangements? A qualitative study.” Gan (2020), in his article, focuses on alternative work arrangements that managers use to operate in understaffing conditions effectively. This concept means a shift in work or temporary work different from standard full-time employment conditions (Gan, 2019). In other words, nurses can take on responsibilities that are not in their role to cover the lack of staff. For this reason, Gan (2020) examines how managers describe nurses in alternative work arrangements and what impact mentoring has on the quality of work in a given setting. This article is of great importance for nursing, as it qualitatively describes the practices common in the working environment and characterizes the role of a leader in the management of understaffing. Consequently, the author’s findings contribute to the manager’s work and practices for effective personnel management.
The Articles’ Application
Both articles are necessary and valuable for studying the PICOT Question. The article by Baker et al. (2019) is needed to justify the research problem as it demonstrates the impact of a nursing staff shortage on the quality of patient care. This aspect is critical for healthcare as it influences patients’ health outcomes and satisfaction and, therefore, facilities’ funding. In turn, the availability of financial resources affects the ability of facilities to hire and educate employees. Hence, this article is necessary to explain the significance and background of the PICOT question.
An article by Gan (2020) is also essential for exploring the PICOT question since it describes one of the practical approaches to manage understaffing. Managers often apply alternative work arrangements to ensure adequate quality of care in the face of a staff shortage; however, they are often used intuitively. Therefore, this approach must be studied to design and use an advanced workload plan adequately. In addition, the article provides an overview of one of the manager’s functions, such as mentoring, which is essential to the success of nurses’ practice. Thus, this article is useful for studying the method of overcoming the problem presented by the PICOT question.
The articles also have similarities with the interventions and comparison groups of the PICOT question, which demonstrates their relevance for research. First, Gan (2020) examines the impact of mentoring interventions on a group of nurses using alternative work arrangements. Consequently, these groups coincide entirely with the PICOT question, since in both cases, a specific managerial intervention in the work of a nurse is compared with the absence of a manager’s actions. The article by Baker et al. (2019) also has an intervention group similar to the PICOT question as they study the impact of nurses shortage and their skills. However, nurses are also a comparative group because the effect of a manager’s actions on skills or operations has not been studied. Consequently, both articles and the PICOT question aim to examine the work of nurses and various factors’ influence on it.
Methods
Both studies have the same research, data collection, and analysis methods. Gan (2020) and Baker et al. (2019) used a semi-structured interview with open-ending questions to gather information and obtain a complete overview of the respondents’ experiences. The authors of both articles conducted telephone interviews, transcribed audio recordings, and analyzed them using the open coding method. The only difference is that Gan (2020) used reflection to compose and examine items, while Baker et al. (2019) adapted questions from the Twitter discussion.
One of the drawbacks is that the authors conducted interviews via phone, which made it difficult for them to observe the participants’ responses and ask clarifying questions. However, the advantage of this method is the convenience for the respondents, along with the detail of the answers, which can bring unexpected findings to the researchers. In addition, the disadvantage and advantage of Gan (2020) may be his experience, which, on the one hand, contributed to the interpretation of answers, but at the same time could influence his objectivity.
Results
Both articles had significant findings for research and nursing practice. Baker et al. (2019) concluded that while understaffing decreases the quality of care and the safety of patients and staff, safe staffing requires more than enough employees. Nursing mix skills also have a significant impact on staff interaction and performance. At the same time, Gan (2020) found that managers distinguish nurses according to their alternative work arrangements, although this typology is flexible. In addition, managers perceive temporary and regular nurses differently, expecting high knowledge and adaptation from the first group. For this reason, managers often devote insufficient time to mentoring temporary nurses, which can negatively affect their skills, quality of work, and interaction with permanent staff.
Consequently, both articles contribute to nursing practice as they demonstrate the areas for nurses’ and managers’ development. Baker et al. (2019) emphasize the importance of having enough staff and developing their skill mix to ensure safety and quality care. At the same time, Gan (2020) demonstrates the importance of mentoring and allocating time resources for all nurses, regardless of their responsibilities and working conditions. Consequently, the findings of both authors are useful for nurse managers and personnel management.
Ethical Considerations
The studies have ethical considerations related to the privacy of information. The participants shared their personal experiences in the hospital, and their statements could harm their relationships with managers or co-workers. In addition, participants could also disclose their professional mistakes that could affect their careers. However, this problem in both cases was solved by signing a consent form for participation, ensuring data confidentiality, and replacing real names with pseudonyms. In addition, since the interview was conducted via phone, the researchers could not see the participants’ faces, which also added to the confidentiality of the information.
References
Gan I. (2019). How do nurse managers describe clinical nurses’ work arrangements? A qualitative study.Nursing Open, 7(1), 160–169. Web.
Baker, J. A., Canvin, K., & Berzins, K. (2019). The relationship between workforce characteristics and perception of quality of care in mental health: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 100, 1-21. Web.