Nurses play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare services. They are a vital component of team professionals who ensure patients’ wellbeing. Nurses spend considerable time with patients while in healthcare facilities, administering treatments and assessing their progress. Therefore, the nurse-patient ratio can significantly influence the quality of care as well as patient outcomes. This pare summarizes articles that evaluate nursing shortages and their effect on patient care outcomes.
Fagerström, L., Kinnunen, M., & Saarela, J. (2018). Nursing workload, patient safety incidents, and mortality: an observational study from Finland. BMJ Open, 8(4), 1-10.
This article investigates the impacts of nursing workload, which is determined by the number of nurses in a unit, on mortality rate and patient safety incidents. The authors hypothesized an association between nurse staffing and daily workload, and patient outcome. The study’s findings showed that high nurse workload leads to hurts quality of care and patient outcomes. The article’s main strength is that it suggests adequate staffing to ensure optimal nurse workload and prevent adverse patient outcomes. However, it does not include all factors that can contribute to a high workload among the nurses. This article will help show that nursing shortage has negative impacts on patient outcomes.
Haegdorens, F., Van Bogaert, P., De Meester, K., & Monsieurs, K. (2019). The impact of nurse staffing levels and nurse’s education on patient mortality in medical and surgical wards: an observational multicenter study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1-9.
This article assesses how nursing staffing levels and education affect patient mortality in surgical and medical wards. The study was observational in 14 surgical and 14 medical wards from seven hospitals in Belgium. The findings indicate that patient mortality decreases as staffing level increases. The article effectively shows how the number of nurses in a unit significantly influence patient outcome. However, the results cannot be generalized because the authors included few hospitals from Belgium in the study. The article will help support the argument that nursing shortage hurts patient outcomes.
Jarrar, M., Rahman, H., Minai, M., AbuMadini, M., & Larbi, M. (2018). The function of patient‐centered care in mitigating the effect of nursing shortage on the outcomes of care. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 33(2), 464-473. Web.
The article is a descriptive, cross-sectional study that evaluates patient-centered care’s effectiveness in addressing the impacts of nursing shortage on patient outcomes. Participants were nurses from 12 private hospitals working in medical and surgical wards. The findings show that patient-centered care can help mitigate the adverse effects of nursing shortage on patient outcomes. The article guides hospital leaders and managers on instilling a patient-centeredness culture to ensure quality and safer care. However, the results cannot be generalized because the authors used only a few private hospitals to make conclusions. The article will help propose a possible solution to the nursing shortage.
MacPhee, M., Dahinten, V., & Havaei, F. (2017). The impact of heavy perceived nurse workloads on patient and nurse outcomes. Administrative Sciences, 7(1), 1-17.
The article’s main objective was to investigate the impacts of nurse workload on patient and nurse outcomes. Authors identified nursing shortage as a critical factor that influences nurse workload. The findings indicated that low nurse staffing levels increased workload and risked adverse patient outcomes. The inclusion of RNs and LPNs from several hospitals are a significant strength of the article. However, it does not include all factors that influence the perception of workload. The study will help show that nursing shortage negatively affects patient outcomes.
Maresova, P., Prochazka, M., Barakovic, S., Baraković Husić, J., & Kuca, K. (2020). A shortage in nurses is a case study from a selected region in the Czech Republic and international context. Healthcare, 8(2), 1-16.
This article analyzes the lack and needs for nurses in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, where a higher shortage is reported. The authors confirm that the nursing shortage is an international issue. The analysis found higher turnover, lack of potential educators, increased demand for health services, nurse burnout, and inequitable workforce distribution as factors contributing to the nursing shortage. Although the article explains how multifaceted factors contribute to the problem, it does not describe the extent of the problem and its impacts on patient outcomes. Nevertheless, it will help show that the nursing shortage is a real issue in the healthcare industry.
Marć, M., Bartosiewicz, A., Burzyńska, J., Chmiel, Z., & Januszewicz, P. (2018). A nursing shortage – a prospect of global and local policies. International Nursing Review, 66(1), 9-16. Web.
This article evaluates various nursing shortage determinants in Poland and other nations. The authors used a literature review on healthcare and nursing challenges and international reports to make conclusions. They found that nursing shortage is critical in the healthcare sector, caused by various factors such as ineffective planning and new staff’s undersupply. Recommendation for policies to address nurse shortage is a significant strength for this article. However, it does not provide guidelines to implement those strategies. The article will help show that nursing shortage is a global health issue that can adversely impact patient outcomes.