Nurse Staffing Levels

Nurse staffing levels have made a difference in the way a nurse practices, as well as the care that the patient receives. The profession of Nursing, is said to be one of the greatest job growths of all US professions, and one that holds continued practice (Zinn, Guglielmi, Davis, & Moses, 2012). Furthermore, nursing is considered an often rewarding job, as there is a great sense of fulfillment to be able to help someone who is in need of care. Many times, patient’s will often look to a nurse as a source of management of care and as their advocate, as these nurses partake in the patient’s care as an autonomous partner. Despite all the efforts to have a sufficient amount of nurses, there have been many challenges that have been brought over the …show more content…
It is projected that these shortages will only increase over the next decade, which is frightening to learn, especially as the population continues to grow and continue to live longer (Zinn et al., 2012). In order to have this issue improved, ideas have emerged to help to resolve the nursing shortage. This discussion not only presents itself with finding a remedy that will alleviate this, but also looks at the legality and policies that need to be in place in order to safe guard patients, and to ensure that the patients care is the number one priority. As there are many nursing acts that have been placed and policies within the hospital, there is still continued work to mandate and enforce the changes needed within each state, and to have the appropriate number of staff for the unit itself and the additional care that the patient may need to receive. In creating the positive changes to the work environment with the right number of staff, it is crucial to not eliminate other important resources that the staff may need as a way to save on certain