NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4000 Developing a Nursing Perspective

Prof. Name

Date

Applying Research Skills

The staffing shortage in healthcare has emerged as a critical global problem affecting the industry. Various studies have indicated a significant deficit in healthcare professionals, with notable shortages in nursing staff, physicians, and allied health workers. For instance, in the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected a 9% increase in employment in healthcare occupations from 2020 to 2030 (Haddad et al., 2023).

This reflects the growing demand for healthcare services. However, the need for more qualified personnel severely challenges meeting the demand. The paper aims to provide an overview of the topic’s professional relevance to nursing. It will state the process for selecting and assessing credible sources along with a summarization of four peer-reviewed articles, focusing on key findings related to staffing shortage in healthcare. The paper concludes with learning points derived from the annotated bibliography. 

Professional Relevance

The professional relevance of the topic to nursing is paramount. Nurses constitute a substantial portion of the healthcare workforce and are indispensable in health promotion and disease prevention. The shortage of nurses increases the workload and compromises patient care quality and safety. Overworked healthcare personnel are more prone to burnout, leading to increased medical errors and a decline in patient health outcomes. Several incidents are witnessed and experienced during nursing practice (Jun et al., 2021). For instance, there were consistent working shift hours during the COVID-19 pandemic and also in emergency cases.

These consistent working hours and high patient-to-nurse ratios increased stress levels. This jeopardizes the well-being of nurses and also impacts the quality of care provided to patients of emergency or acute care (Maghsoud et al., 2022). Due to nurse staff shortage, delayed response time and inadequate monitoring were part of the routine, which led to a decline in the standard of care. The staff shortage requires collaborative efforts and promotion of recruitment campaigns, training programs, and flexible working hours for a sustainable and efficient healthcare system. (Griffiths et al., 2021).

Article Selection Process

A systematic approach to article selection is important for compiling articles relevant to the staffing shortage issue through various databases, including Capella Library, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. I used keywords such as ‘healthcare staffing shortage,’ ‘nursing shortage,’ and ‘patient safety’ that guided my search for pertinent information. 

Assessing Credibility

CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) test was conducted to assess the credibility of the annotated bibliography utilized to research staffing shortages (George, 2021). The articles on staffing shortages issues were taken from publications from the past four years to ensure their currency. The peer-reviewed articles’ relevance is evident as they address multiple aspects of the chosen topic.

The authority was ensured through reputable publishers and journals known for their rigorous methodologies for research and evidence-based information on staffing shortages. The accuracy of an annotated bibliography is established in selected articles by the methodological research designs, statistical evidence, and well-supported claims. Lastly, the purpose aligns with highlighting the critical issue and informing healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers to bring evidence-based interventions to address staffing shortages in the healthcare system (George, 2021).

Annotated Bibliography

Knapp, T. C. (2022). The nurse staff pandemic. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2022.02.007 

The purpose of this article is to examine the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on

Nurse staffing levels and burnout in acute care hospitals. The study utilizes a quantitative approach, analyzing data from multiple hospitals to assess the pandemic impact on nurse staffing levels and burnout rates. The information presented in this article highlights the increased burnout rates due to heightened workloads and resource constraints. The rationale for including this article is justified through its timely exploration of crucial aspects of healthcare staffing shortages, particularly in a global health crisis that will assist in timely interventions.

The study’s findings emphasize the need for a targeted intervention support system to address burnout rates and ensure the resilience of the healthcare system to unforeseen events and public health emergencies. The article provided valuable insights into challenges faced by healthcare workers and underscored the ongoing relevance of staffing shortages.  

NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Zhang, X., Lin, D., Pforsich, H., & Lin, V. W. (2020). Physician workforce in the United States of America: Forecasting nationwide shortages. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-0448-3 

The article examines the shortage of healthcare workers in the USA due to the aging population. The article highlights that the U.S. is projected to face a substantial shortage of healthcare workers, especially physicians, with varying impacts on different regions of the country. The information provides reasons for the shortage, such as an aging workforce, increased healthcare demands after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and geographic disparities. The rationale for choosing this article is its comprehensive analysis by collecting data from reputable sources and offering an understanding of the impending healthcare staffing challenges.

The article’s conclusion highlights the importance of training and retaining specialized practitioners. The concluding article also emphasizes the urgency of addressing staffing shortages and advocating for strategic planning to mitigate the impact on healthcare delivery. It forces us to take proactive measures to ensure a well-balanced healthcare workforce in the face of increasing demands and regional variations. 

NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Winter, V., Schreyögg, J., & Thiel, A. (2020). Hospital staff shortages: Environmental and organizational determinants and implications for patient satisfaction. Health Policy, 124(4), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.01.001 

The article aims to investigate the effects of California’s minimum staffing

regulation on patient outcomes, nurse employees, and hospital outcomes. The study comprehensively analyzes nurse staffing levels and their correlations with various factors. The research has utilized a large dataset spanning multiple years and used statistical methods to assess the impact of staffing regulations. This article explains nurse staffing regulation’s impact on patient care quality, nurse well-being, and hospital performance. It encourages policymakers, administrators, and practitioners to understand the importance and benefits of staffing regulation in the healthcare system.

The rationale for the article’s inclusion is justified due to its empirical approach, rigorous methodology, and relevance to the broader discussion on mitigating staffing shortages. In conclusion, the article reveals that increasing nurse staffing in compliance with California’s minimum staffing regulations positively correlates with improved patient outcomes, nurse satisfaction, and hospital performance. These findings contribute to ongoing dialogue on the importance of nurse staffing policies in enhancing quality care. 

NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Kovacs, R., & Lagarde, M. (2022). Does high workload reduce the quality of healthcare? Evidence from rural Senegal. Journal of Health Economics, 82, 102600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102600 

The article examines the relationship between nursing workload and patient safety in acute care settings. The authors conducted a comprehensive scoping review of existing literature on this topic. The article provides summaries from various studies highlighting different aspects of nursing workload and its implications on patient safety. The article provides a different perspective that shows that the relationship between the two variables is not direct, and workload may not affect the quality of care negatively.

The rationale for including this article is justified due to its relevance to nursing, a critical component of healthcare staffing shortages, and patient safety, which is a key concern in addressing staffing challenges. The article’s findings emphasize the need for effective staffing strategies to mitigate adverse outcomes and encourage further research to find the relationship between quality care and a healthcare professional’s workload. 

Reflections on Developing the Annotated Bibliography

Developing an annotated bibliography has helped me learn that short-term solutions by partnering with vendors and service providers are possible. However, compensation strategies, for instance, retention bonuses and overtime incentives, should be more effective. Long-term solution recruitment programs, cross-training programs, and flexible hours that promote work-life balance should be introduced (Knapp, 2022). Moreover, addressing the physician shortage involves increasing the number of medical school graduates, leveraging mid-level providers, attracting foreign doctors, and integrating emerging technologies to meet the demand and reduce the workload on healthcare professionals (Zhang et al., 2020).

Another learning from the article is that organizations influence staffing levels through policies; for instance, the policies help promote patient satisfaction and outcomes through adequate staffing levels (Winter et al., 2020). Contrary to the assumption that low staffing level leads to low-quality care, it is challenged. This article encouraged reevaluation to find solutions to focus on effective demand and provider performance drivers (Kovacs & Lagarde, 2022). 

References

George, T. (2021, August 27). Evaluating sources with the CRAAP test. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/craap-test/ 

Griffiths, P., Saville, C., Ball, J. E., Jones, J., & Monks, T. (2021). Beyond ratios – flexible and resilient nurse staffing options to deliver cost-effective hospital care and address staff shortages: A simulation and economic modelling study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 117(117), 103901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103901 

NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Haddad, L. M., Toney-Butler, T. J., & Annamaraju, P. (2023, February 13). Nursing shortage. National Library of Medicine; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/ 

Jun, J., Ojemeni, M. M., Kalamani, R., Tong, J., & Crecelius, M. L. (2021). Relationship between nurse burnout, patient and organizational outcomes: Systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 119(103933). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103933 

Knapp, T. C. (2022). The nurse staff pandemic. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2022.02.007 

Kovacs, R., & Lagarde, M. (2022). Does high workload reduce the quality of healthcare? Evidence from rural Senegal. Journal of Health Economics, 82, 102600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102600 

Maghsoud, F., Rezaei, M., Asgarian, F. S., & Rassouli, M. (2022). Workload and quality of nursing care: The mediating role of implicit rationing of nursing care, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion by using structural equations modeling approach. BMC Nursing, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01055-1 

Winter, V., Schreyögg, J., & Thiel, A. (2020). Hospital staff shortages: Environmental and organizational determinants and implications for patient satisfaction. Health Policy, 124(4), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.01.001 

NURS FPX 4000 Assignment 2 Applying Research Skills

Zhang, X., Lin, D., Pforsich, H., & Lin, V. W. (2020). Physician workforce in the United States of America: Forecasting nationwide shortages. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-0448-3