Nurses are the backbone of healthcare. They are the ones who look after us in our times of need, and they deserve all the respect in the world for their hard work and dedication to the profession.
In their attempt to become well-paid professionals, nurses study for years with dedication to make patient care uncomplicated. They look for many ways to become a professional nurse before entering this field.
However, one of the best ways to become a nurse is by enrolling in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This degree acts like a launchpad for you in the nursing world and offers more opportunities than any other degree.
However, nurses do have many unaddressed concerns like any other professional in healthcare. Many nurses have concerns about their work that go unaddressed, and many of them do not feel valued by their employers.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the main issues that nurses have and how healthcare organizations can address them so that they can retain their best nurses while also improving the quality of care they provide to their patients.
Burnout
Having a job that’s both mentally and physically demanding can be draining, but it’s even worse when you’re not getting the support you need from your employer.
This is happening with nurses around the world, especially in the United States. According to a recent Nurse.org survey, 87% of nurses feel burned out. This is a huge concern for healthcare organizations that are trying to attract and retain nurses. The fact that so many of them feel this way means they may not be as happy with their jobs, which can lead to turnover and difficulty in recruiting new employees.
Burnout is a serious problem in the healthcare field because it leads to lower morale and higher turnover rates, which can make it difficult for hospitals and other facilities to provide quality care for patients. Moreover, burnout can cause nurses to make mistakes, which can lead to costly and dangerous errors. It can also lead to poor patient outcomes.
How can healthcare organizations address this issue?
One solution is to provide nurses with more autonomy in terms of how they manage their workloads. By giving nurses more say over when they can take breaks or adjust their schedules based on their needs, hospitals can help prevent burnout from occurring in the first place.
Another solution is ensuring that everyone understands what’s expected from them at all times so there aren’t any surprises when it comes time for things like shift changes or managing deadlines.
Adequate Breaks
According to the American Nurses Foundation’s recent survey, 61% of nurses believe they don’t have enough time for unrestricted meals and breaks. This is a significant concern because it impacts both nurse productivity and patient care. Without adequate breaks, nurses can become fatigued, which can affect their ability to provide high-quality patient care.
Additionally, fatigue among nurses can lead to poor patient outcomes and higher healthcare costs which means that inadequate break times are not just an issue for the well-being of nurses. They’re also a concern for patients and their families.
Given these factors, it’s important that healthcare organizations create policies that help ensure adequate breaks for their staff members.
The following strategies can be used by healthcare organizations to minimize this issue among nurses:
- Give nurses a clutter-free and secure environment for breaks.
- Give each nurse a private office space where they can take calls from family members or friends without disturbing other staff members who may be working at the same time.
- Offer flexible scheduling options so that nurses can work when they feel most comfortable doing so without having to worry about missing out on benefits such as paid vacation days or sick days.
Unsatisfactory Compensation
The “State of Nursing – 2022” report indicates that 84% of nurses believe their pay is unsatisfactory. This is a concern because it can make it difficult for nurses to support themselves and their families. It also may cause them to seek other jobs with higher salaries, which would be a loss for the healthcare organization in question.
Nurses who are unsatisfied with their compensation may be more likely to leave the organization, reducing the company’s ability to provide care to patients. This could lead to increased patient wait times and decreased quality of care.
In addition, if the organization is unable to hire enough new nurses, it may need to increase the number of patients each nurse is responsible for. This could potentially lead to less time spent providing direct care and more time spent on administrative tasks related to staffing or scheduling.
By providing competitive pay, benefits packages, and development opportunities, healthcare organizations can address this issue. If healthcare organizations want to retain their most valuable employees, they need to be able to offer them something more than just a paycheck. They need to offer them a career path that allows them to grow and thrive in their roles as nurses.
Incidents of Bullying
The Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey 2022 indicates that 60% of nurses reported having encountered one or more instances of violence, bullying, or incivility at work. This figure indicates that nurses face harassment and intimidation in their workplace, which can lead to physical and psychological stress.
When nurses are afraid to speak up about these incidents, they may not be able to provide their best care to patients. This can lead to lower morale and even higher rates of attrition among nurses.
Healthcare organizations can employ various tactics to address this issue. First, they should provide training for their staff regarding bullying in general and bullying within the workplace specifically.
Second, they should create a culture of open communication so that employees feel safe to voice concerns or report incidents when they occur. Thirdly, they ought to provide information on the negative effects of bullying and how to stop it. Finally, they should develop policies that protect employees who are bullied from retaliation by their coworkers or superiors.
Summing Up
Nurses are the heart and soul of the healthcare system. They care for patients, families, and communities every day, often for long hours and at a high cost to their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
With nearly 4.2 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States as of 2021, we must address the concerns of nurses so that they can continue to provide the compassionate care they do so well.
