To ensure proper quality of care and provide patient-oriented service, a nurse needs to have a sufficient amount of time allotted per patient. The specified parameter is closely interconnected with and largely dependent on the concept of patient-to-nurse ratio (PNR) (Musy et al., 2020). In turn, the latter is defined a step number of patients to whose needs a nurse must cater daily (Ambani et al., 2020). Though PNR improved notably after the COVID-19 rates had subsided, the issue of high PNR remain an issue in modern healthcare, which is why strategies aimed at increasing staffing rates must be prioritized in the present-day nursing context.
Strategies for minimizing PNR need to be regarded as essential in the current healthcare context. Indeed, the effects of high PNR are quite drastic both in terms of nursesā performance and the resulting patient recovery rate (Ambani et al., 2020). Namely, increased PNR and the resulting drop in the amount of time spent on managing each patientās individual needs is likely to entail reduced performance quality (Musy et al., 2020). More importantly, the problem of medical errors becomes highly probable in the context of high PNR (Musy et al., 2020). Since medical errors may entail dire consequences, including a rapid deterioration of patientsā health and even fatal outcomes, high PNR must be considered an urgent issue to address.
Studies also demonstrate that high PNR typically leads to an increase in turnover rates within a hospital setting. Specifically, the research by Musy et al. (2020) establishes that a rise in PNR causes nurses t6o experience increased distress in the workplace context, which, in turn, leads to an exposure to a range of mental health issues ranging from stress to anxiety to depression (Chatzittofis et al., 2021). Therefore, PNR should be regarded as a crucial indicator of whether the workplace setting can be described as healthy.
Among the core strategies for improving the current PNR, one should mention the idea of increased staffing levels. Specifically, a larger number of nursing experts in the context of a healthcare facility implies a lower number of patients per nurse (Musy et al., 2020). However, the specified option also suggests dealing with certain challenges. First, the problem of incentivizing potential recruits to consider the option of working in a healthcare facility should be resolved by offering a larger range of benefits and career development opportunities for nurses (Ambani et al., 2020). Additionally, developing a workplace climate that allows nurses to relieve their stress should be prioritized in the context of the specified issue (Ambani et al., 2020). With the specified solutions implemented, the issue of uncontrollably increasing PNR will be addressed.
Additionally, introducing digital tools for amplifying the efficacy of data processing should be seen as a crucial change. The proposed improvement will help minimize the time and effort taken to analyze patient-related data and arrange it in a way that will become useful for the nursing staff. Furthermore, the proposed change will allow for more effective interdisciplinary collaboration among nurses, specifically, during patient handoffs and the relevant procedures (Ambani et al., 2020). With the specified interventions in place, the current problem of increased PNR will be resolved.
Since PNR remains drastically high despite a drop in COVID-19 admissions, efforts must be made to contain PNR and reduce it by introducing improved staffing strategies and reducing staff turnover rates in the hospital setting. The described change can be implemented by introducing improvements into the current healthcare context and, thus, inviting more recruits to join the workplace. Thus, premises for an increase in the number of experts and, therefore, a drop in PNR are expected to emerge.
References
Ambani, Z., KutneyāLee, A., & Lake, E. T. (2020). The nursing practice environment and nurse job outcomes: A path analysis of survey data. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(13-14), 2602-2614. Web.
Chatzittofis, A., Karanikola, M., Michailidou, K., & Constantinidou, A. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1435-1443. Web.
Musy, S. N., Endrich, O., Leichtle, A. B., Griffiths, P., Nakas, C. T., & Simon, M. (2020). Longitudinal study of the variation in patient turnover and patient-to-nurse ratio: descriptive analysis of a Swiss University Hospital. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(4), 1-14. Web.