Quite often, nurse leaders are faced with ethical dilemmas, such as those associated with choices between competing needs and limited resources. Resources are finite, and competition for those resources occurs daily in all organizations.
For example, the use of 12-hour shifts has been a strategy to retain nurses. However, evidence suggests that as nurses work more hours in a shift, they commit more errors. How do effective leaders find a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of ensuring quality, effective, and safe patient care?
In this Discussion, you will reflect on a national healthcare issue and examine how competing needs may impact the development of polices to address that issue.
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and think about the national healthcare issue/stressor you previously selected for study in Module 1.
- Reflect on the competing needs in healthcare delivery as they pertain to the national healthcare issue/stressor you previously examined.
By Day 3 of Week 3
Post an explanation of how competing needs, such as the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients, may impact the development of policy. Then, describe any specific competing needs that may impact the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected. What are the impacts, and how might policy address these competing needs? Be specific and provide examples.
Solution:
Competing needs e.g. the needs of the workforce, patients, and resources may affect policy development as they need to align with the policy being advocated for. For instance, a policy aimed at addressing nurse staffing needs to meet workforce and patient needs while lowering financial costs. Effective use of and deployment of workforce ensures efficient, quality, and cost-effective healthcare delivery.
The specific competing needs that may impact the staffing issue is the financial/cost needs of the organization. The organization might want to have a sufficient workforce to meet patient demands but the associated costs may make it difficult to achieve this. Organizational are seeking effective ways of ensuring sufficient nursing staff expertise and size, as well as patient needs to ensure quality and cost-effective patient care (Livanos, 2018)…….Please click the icon below to purchase full answer at only $5