Important Issues Facing the Profession of Nursing Today

In a profession where others' health and well-being are priority, there leaves room for neglect of those who are delegated to care for these people. As a professional nurse, there are many obstacles that arise and affect the care provided to a patient, as well as the livelihood of the nurse. The current deteriorating and unsafe staffing conditions in hospitals and other institutions prompts workplace advocacy as the universally appropriate concept for maintaining professional nursing practice.  Common

In the ever changing world of healthcare, healthcare organizations in order to be the most efficient in their delivery of healthcare, streamline their organizational structure to stay competitive, while providing the best patient care possible. This process can place increasingly undue stress onto its staff resulting in nurses having to do more with less available resources which ultimately increases their workload, has them working longer hours due to staff shortage, which contributes to an increase in the nurse burnout rates. This eventually filters down to the patient’s level of care and means less time spent on each

Nursing has become one of the most important professions in healthcare however; there are many aspects as to what is needed for nurses to become more efficient in their skills. The IOM report has much information as to the impact of nursing in regards to nursing practice, education, and leadership. In each of these, the IOM report explains the importance of these subjects as well as the impact it has on future nursing. In this paper, the explanations of the importance of each of these skills are explained as well as what suggestions should be implemented to improve nursing practices.

America is one of the most affluent countries in the world, but is also a nation that has a healthcare industry that is in much turmoil. One of the more pivotal influences of this turmoil is nurse turnover rate. Nurse turnover does not have a universal meaning, consequently making it difficult to associate turnover rates in healthcare facilities and geographical areas. In all actuality, “"Nurse turnover" is an undesirable trend for healthcare employers. It 's expensive, it 's disruptive, and it threatens the quality of care and patient safety” (Kovner, Brewer, Fatehi, and Jun (2014). All throughout America healthcare organizations demand a steady, extremely trained and completely engaged nursing staff to provide efficient levels of patient care. However, a budding shortage of experienced nurses has led the United States healthcare industry to a continual increase in the turnover rate among registered nurses. As a matter of fact, “Hospitals are experiencing an estimated 16.5% turnover rate of registered nurses (RNs), increased from 14.7% in 2012” (Yarbrough, Martin, and Alfred, 2014). Turnover costs of these leaving nurses are as much as a universal problem throughout the healthcare industry, occurring at staggering prices. According to Yarbrough, Martin, and Alfred (2014) “Estimates of RN turnover costs range from US$44,380 to US$63,400 per nurse—an estimated US$4.21 to US$6.02 million financial loss per year for hospitals.” This ascending trend in turnover rates is a clear

With over three million nurses in the United States nurses play an important role in healthcare today. As the future of health care changes the nurses’ role will change as well. In 2008, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) combined partnership and put together a committee to assess nursing practices and make recommendations for the future transformations in the health care system. This report was released in 2010 and included four key components in which three will be discussed in this paper.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the nursing profession is the largest population in the nation 's health care workforce with over three million members. Because of this, nurses have a fundamental role in the transformation of the nation 's rapidly changing health care environment. To achieve this role, the IOM addressed several key recommendations to serve as a guide to the direction of the future of nursing (Institute of Medicine, 2010). This paper will focus on three areas that the IOM considers as obstacles the nursing profession encounter as they tackle the challenges of the changing health care system and how it will impact the future of nursing.

As the largest group of health care professionals, nurses hold the key to effective health care system change. Without the nurses and their leadership skills and expertise, we know that the efforts to address the challenges facing the healthcare system will be in vain. So much of what nurses do directly addresses health care reform goals concerning better quality care for more people at a lower cost. Throughout the years nurses have made a tremendous effort to reduce the rates of medical errors,

A significant amount of individuals experience job insecurity and are not satisfied with the job markets. Jobs in healthcare have taken a turn and seems to be dramatically downsizing. In the early to the middle of the 1990s, the health care sector in several countries engaged in restructuring and downsizing efforts to contain costs. Currently, health care was is the largest budget item in almost all countries. It is projected to increase in size as the population ages. Hospitals have become targets for cost reductions. Health care restructuring and downsizing are associated with greater job insecurity, low job satisfaction, higher levels of burnout, greater psychological distress, heavier workloads, greater attrition among nursing staff, lower

to the increasing numbers of people involved and its impact on the whole healthcare. The

It is likely that most people have heard about the nursing shortage for years now, and perhaps they believe it’s been fixed. However, the nursing profession is experiencing a reoccurring deficiency. According to Brian Hansen, (2002), there was a nation wide shortage in 2001 of 126,000 full-time registered nurses, but the shortage will surge to 808,000 by 2020 if something isn't done. This pattern is a persisting cycle of high vacancies followed by layoffs and a high over supply of registered nurses. Various factors contribute to the lack of nurses within the health care facilities, but today’s shortages are a little different. Many feel that this scarcity is severe and long-drawn-out. The four major issues contributing to

Nursing is one of the most popular professions in healthcare. To become a professional nurse, one must acquire certain level of education, whether it is at associate or baccalaureate degree level. Once becoming a nurse a number of professional standards must be maintained to stay abreast with the profession. In that respect, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2010 report had suggested many recommendations focusing on the future of nursing. The aim of the report is to put forth recommendations that allow nurses to “(1) ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training (2) improve nursing education, (3) provide opportunities for nurses to assume leadership positions and to serve as full

The discussion topics raise a lot of issues that nurses and family members of nurses face today. As nurses, we have a responsibility to society, but we also have personal responsibilities. Dealing with fatigue and unsafe patient-to-nurse ratios are only two of the issues that come to mind when I contemplate my nursing responsibilities. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is fighting for the rights of nurses as well as patients, to establish safe working conditions and safe health care delivery. The ANA does not encourage nurses to work overtime, not do they encourage unsafe patient-to-nurse ratios (American Nurses Association, 2014).

Nursing care delivery is defined as the way task allocation, responsibility, and authority are organized to achieve patient care. Tiedeman and Lookinland (2004) suggested that systems of nursing care delivery are a reflection of social values, management ideology, and economic considerations. (Tiedeman&Lookinland, 2004) According to Fewer (2006), the quality of nursing care delivery systems affects continuity of care, the relationship between nurse and patient, morale, nurse job satisfaction and educational preparation.(Fewer, 2006) Nurses are essential human resources to provide medical services with professional knowledge and skills in the healthcare setting. However, the registered nurse turnover rate has increased in recent years resulting

Nurses play the major role in the healthcare system because they are the largest group of professional healthcare providers that give direct care for patients. That is why nursing shortage give an profound impact on the healthcare system. According to Nursingworld.org, the vast increase of the population of people over 65 who requires increasing health services, and the healthcare reforms in 2010 that help millions people can afford health insurance and lower the uninsured population. To respond to these major forces, more nurses and healthcare professionals are needed. That is why the nursing shortage will increase greatly in the future. To look at the effects of nursing shortage to the quality of care; this literature review will develop

Nursing in the 21st century has developed many new, old and continuing challenges. Nursing is an environment where challenges have been present since it started and it will continue to be present. These challenges are forever changing and present, nurses experience challenges which enhance the chances for the job to inflict pressure and stress on the nurse.