Summary: The Shortage Of Registered Nurses

Executive Summary The nursing profession has declined in recent years and now the medical community is faced with a shortage of nurses. “Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Nurses are an important part of patient care and without them can impact the profits and performance in an organization. During the late 90’s, nursing began to change once managed care was implemented which cause reimbursement problems for hospitals. While hospitals were trying to survive the managed care era, the supply of nurses was decreasing at a critical rate. By
Patients are at the center of this problem especially the chronically ill, baby boomers and those suffering from mental disorders. They are the most important stakeholders that will be affected by the care that nurses provide to them. The health care industry is facing new challenges with the enactment of the health care law which will provide care to 44million people without health insurance. As the demand increases for more nurses it will force hospitals to develop retention strategies in order to stay competitive in the health care market. Most importantly, health care organizations must use their resources to analyze the environment to improve the quality of care of their patients. “By 2025, the shortage of RNs is projected to reach an estimated 260,000 full-time-equivalents (FTEs), twice as high as any U.S. nursing shortage since the 1960’s” (Kaiser EDU, 2012). This paper will provide strategies and identify solutions to address the nursing shortage at Renfrey Memorial Hospital. Also, recommend the best solution that will improve cost and increased patient
“A shortage of nurses has been shown not only to limit access to health care services, but also to diminish the quality of care and to endanger patients, putting them at risk for increased illness, disability, and even death” (Heller, 2004). Each stakeholder has a vested interest in the cost, patient assess and quality of care. This analysis will identify five stakeholders who will have the most and least influence to the solutions identified in this proposal. This proposal offers two solutions that will improve quality care and increase patient satisfaction ratings at Renfrey Memorial Hospital. Implementing lift teams will have positive effect on the nursing staff and improve working conditions. This will not be an easy fix to the nursing shortage but it will alleviate the nurses from the physical demanding part of the job. Also, these strategies will keep the nurses more focused to providing care to their patients. The marketing team will recruit new grads and offer incentives such as partial loan reimbursement. They would have to commit to working for 2years at the facility while nurses prepare to retire. The primary stakeholders: Patients, nurses, physicians and administrators. Secondary stakeholders: Human Resources and marketing. Patients are the most important stakeholder who has voiced concerns that without an adequate number of