NATIONAL NURSING SHORTAGE NEGATIVELY IMPACTS PATIENT CARE
When you or someone you love is in the hospital you want to be sure that the nursing staff assigned to each shift is is adequate to meet the individual patient’s needs as well as the needs of every patient on the floor for both routine care and for any emergency that might arise.
The COVID pandemic created a national healthcare arena of burnt out, anxious, stressed, and overworked nurses. Since the pandemic, nurses have left the field in droves, leaving hospitalized patients at great risk.
If you or your loved one is in the hospital, how do you know if safe and quality nursing care is being provided? Do you wait long periods of time between your nurse visits to your bed side? Do you have to wait a long time to have your call bell responded to? Are your meds always late? Do you have to wait long times to receive your pain medications? Is your nurse rushing with care? Does your nurse make eye contact with you when you are talking to him or her? Does your nurse seem stressed out or tired? Does your nurse smile during the administration of care? Is your nurse working a double shift? Is your nurse complaining about the job?
If you feel the you or your loved one’s well -being is being jeopardized by inadequate nurse staffing, you need to share your concerns IMMEDIATELY. Pick up your hospital bedside phone and dial the hospital Operator. Ask to be connected to a nurse manager or the director of nursing. You might also reach out to the medical director, the hospital administrator, the hospital CEO, the patient’s lead doctor and/or the hospital chaplain (regardless of your religious affiliation). Let that agent know that you are uncomfortable with the staffing inadequacy of a particular shift. Be prepared to give him or her examples of what you have observed. Do not be afraid to ask what the patient : nurse ratio is on every shift if you have any doubts about the adequacy of care. If you do not get a satisfactory response to your inquiry about safe staffing you also might want to consult with an attorney in the state where you or your loved one is hospitalized who can provide you with the state’s requirements for staffing in such a facility. Many times, continued, unencumbered licensure for a facility is based on adequate staffing patterns.
Also reach out to the American Nurses Association (ANA), which is the governing professional organization of licensed nurses here in the United States. The ANA’s Principles for Nurse Staffing states that adequate staffing is essential for the delivery of quality patient care (1999). Adequate staffing also is essential for the safety of the nursing staff because fatigue, short staffing and stress, among other factors when staffing is not adequate, can lead to health problems in the nursing staff itself and to the potential for patient care errors. The ANA’s toll free phone number is -800-274-4ANA (4262). Ask them for any current publications they may have on nursing staffing and its effects on patient care which would provide you with a solid foundation upon which to voice your understandable concerns.
You can also report your concerns to the Joint Commission’s Office of Quality Monitoring at 800-994-6610, which is a non-profit group that accredits and certifies the quality and care standards in many American hospitals. The address is: The Joint Commission - Office of Quality Monitoring, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook, Illinois 60181.
You can speak with your or your loved one’s doctor and ask for a prescription for a private duty aide who can stay at the patient’s bedside during those seemingly inadequately staffed shifts. This can become costly but your health insurance might cover it. When push comes to shove and your voice is not being heard, you can always ask for the patient to be transferred to another unit in the facility or to another facility all together... assuming such transfer is not hazardous to the patient’s well-being.
You Have a Voice…Use it! And be sure to complete the patient survey that you receive at the end of your hospitalization. I promise you, they are all read and patient comments are taken very seriously by the administration.
Related Topics:
Your Patient Bill of Rights
The Patient Care Partnership
Why You Need A Patient Advocate
How To Be A Patient Advocate
Disclaimer: this website is not intended to disseminate medical information or facilitate medical diagnosis or treatment. Be sure to consult with your own physician to discuss any signs & symptoms, medical conditions, diagnoses, treatments and over-all-care. The goal of this website is to empower you by helping you find your voice. You have a voice... use it!