Introduction
The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports various policies and agenda issues that affect the performance of nurse practitioners (NPs). The agency has several programs aimed at examining the implications of different priority trends and issues. The organization informs more nurses about the major issues and policies that have the potential to transform the nature of healthcare delivery. It is appropriate for nurses to participate in policy discussions. This process can present new insights in an attempt to address the threats affecting nurses and eventually support the health needs of more clients. One of the current agenda items related to nursing is mandatory overtime (Top issues for staff nurses, 2016).
Overview of the Issue
A report published by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in January 2016 indicated that many organizations required their nurses to work overtime. Nurses across the United States “have reported a dramatic increase in the use of mandatory overtime as an important staffing tool” (Top issues for staff nurses, 2016, para. 3). Nursing shortage remains one of the major obstacles affecting the performance of many healthcare facilities. Such facilities have a minimum number of healthcare workers. This scenario explains why more nurses are unable to deliver adequate care to their patients. Mandatory overtime has therefore been embraced by these organizations as the best option towards dealing with nursing shortage. Consequently, the malpractice has affected the quality of patient care. These facts explain why the issue has attracted the attention of the agency.
Brief History and Importance of the Issue
Littlejohn, Campbell, Collins-McNeil, and Khayile
(2012) indicate that the issue of nursing shortage has been affecting the United States’ healthcare sector for the past eight decades. The problem became pronounced during the Second World War (Littlejohn et al., 2012). The baby-boomer generation was characterized by increased population growth and emergence of new academic fields. The number of students joining different medical institutions has reduced within the past four decades. The aging American population and emergence of numerous health complications have also transformed the nature of this problem. The current nursing workforce is inadequate towards supporting the changing health expectations of many people.
Within the past three decades, medical facilities have been outlining new strategies to tackle this problem of nursing shortage. Many nurses were initially required to work for more hours in order to deliver care to more clients. The last decade has been characterized by increased cases of overtime duties (Littlejohn et al., 2012). Many hospitals and clinics have embraced the malpractice and even made it a mandatory required. The number of caregivers forced to work overtime has increased dramatically in the United States. Mandatory overtime is used as a staffing tool to address the problem of nursing shortage. Unfortunately, the strategy has produced new challenges that continue to undermine the nation’s healthcare system. A detailed analysis of this agenda issue will ensure better strategies are put in place to support the health demands of more people.
Key Points
Mandatory overtime is supported by different Health Leaders (HLs) because it ensures more patients are able to receive better care. With the problem of nursing shortage affecting many institutions, the approach is embraced in an attempt to ensure more patients have access to adequate nursing services (Littlejohn et al., 2012). Unfortunately, the strategy has led to numerous challenges thereby affecting the quality of care available to the targeted patients. The points presented below examine the problems associated with mandatory overtime.
Negative impact on patient care
Studies show that nurses who work overtime find it hard to deliver quality health services to their patients (Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee, 2011). Cases of fatigue and burnout increase thereby making it impossible for nurses to address the needs of the targeted patients. Mandatory overtime is associated with reduced morale and delivery of poor care. The nurses also find it hard to engage in meaningful work-life balance (Bae, Brewer, & Kovner, 2011). Consequently, the targeted patients receive compromised healthcare services. This issue affects the health outcomes of many patients.
Reduced morale
Mandatory overtime makes it impossible for nurses to practice optimally. The nurses have reduced capabilities mainly due to exhaustion. Individuals who are forced “to work for more hours every single day will record reduce morale levels” (Bae et al., 2011, p. 4). Over 80 percent of nurses who work overtime tend to make inaccurate healthcare decisions.
Medication errors
Medication errors occur when a patient is allowed to take wrong drugs. As well, the error might occur when the right drugs are consumed at the wrong time. Nurses can also calculate the targeted dosages in a poor manner. Mandatory overtime has been recognized as one of the potential causes of medication errors (Bae et al., 2011). Exhausted healthcare workers cannot make accurate decisions. When such errors occur, the affected patients are forced to use more money. As well, the rate of re-hospitalization increases thereby affecting the lives of many patients. Studies have indicated that 90 percent of nurses working overtime will have increased chances of committing such errors (Mason et al., 2011).
Potential Implications
The ultimate goal of every nursing practice is to deliver timely and quality health support to patients with diverse needs. The targeted issue focuses on an area that has been ignored for many years. The important thing is for the government and policymakers to present new insights that can deal with the issue of mandatory overtime. The current problem of nursing shortage cannot be addressed using unorthodox method such as mandatory overtime (Mason et al., 2011). This is the case because individuals working overtime find it hard to offer desirable services. The affected workers commit a wide range of mistakes and errors.
A policy change will ensure every nurse offers quality services within a specified period (Bae et al., 2011). The new policy will equip nurses with the best resources. Moe hospitals will be allowed to hire more nurses in order to deal with the current shortage of caregivers. When this agenda item is analyzed and addressed in a professional manner, more nurses will be empowered to deliver timely healthcare to more clients from diverse backgrounds. The level of morale in different health settings will increase significantly.
Conclusion
Mandatory overtime has become common despite its adverse effects on the quality of care available to the targeted patients. The malpractice results in diminished morale and commitment. That being the case, the required action during the meeting is to illegalize the use of mandatory overtime in every healthcare organization. This move will make it possible for more nurses to offer adequate services to their clients (Top issues for staff nurses, 2016). It will be appropriate for the government to identify new measures that can deal with the shortage of nurses. Nurses will not be forced to work overtime when the above measures are in place.
References
Bae, S., Brewer, C., & Kovner, C. (2011). State mandatory overtime regulations and newly licensed nurses’ mandatory and voluntary overtime and total work hours. Nursing Outlook, 1(1), 1-12.
Littlejohn, L., Campbell, J., Collins-McNeil, J., & Khayile, T. (2012). Nursing shortage: a comparative analysis. International Journal of Nursing, 1(1), 22-27.
Mason, D., Leavitt, J., & Chaffee, M. (2011). Policy and politics in nursing and healthcare. St. Louis, MO: Saunders.
Top issues for staff nurses. (2016). Web.