After you view the case study, reflect upon what you have learned and how it is related to the learning materials. Compare the case study to your nursing practice and give a similar example from your experience in which you might have run into staffing issues.
Your reflection content should be a minimum of 500 words, equal to five to six paragraphs.
LINK:
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440%20Overstaffing/story_html5.html
MenuMenu
Overstaffing Case Study, 1 of 1 Overstaffing Case Study
Overstaffing Issues, 1 of 9 Overstaffing Issues
Slide 1, 2 of 9 Slide 1
Slide 2, 3 of 9 Slide 2
Slide 3
, 4 of 9 , activeSlide 3
Slide 4, 5 of 9 Slide 4
Slide 5, 6 of 9 Slide 5
Slide 6, 7 of 9 Slide 6
Slide 7, 8 of 9 Slide 7
The End, 9 of 9 The End
TranscriptTranscript, active
Slide 3
Susie: What’s going on? Nancy: We were all scheduled an extra day each week. Susie: Oh great, an extra day each week! What are you frustrated about? I’ll take an extra one from one of you ladies, or I’ll let the Lead know I can work another day.
What’s going on?
We were all scheduled an extra day each week.
Oh great, an extra day each week! What are you frustrated about? I’ll take an extra one from one of you ladies, or I’ll let the Lead know I can work another day.
SUBMIT ALLvolume
play
replay
PREVNEXTSUBMITFINISH
Drag up for fullscreen
M
M
2/6/22, 6:26 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
Grace: Just look at this schedule. The Lead
Nurse has placed m andatory overtim e for
this m onth again! I just can’t do it again. I’m
so tired, and I m ade a m edication error last
m onth. I’m afraid that I m ay hurt a patient
and could never forgive m yself.
Nancy: Oh no! I have a wedding I’ve already
RSVP’d to on that Saturday. That’s three
Saturdays in a row! And each weekend I
work, I’m always the senior nurse, with all
new grads or nurses with less than a year’s
experience.
Narrator: Uh oh, it looks like the nurses are
unhappy with their schedule.
Slide 2
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:29 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
Yes, understaffing does impact the quality of
care and may lead to increased rates of
infection. As registered professional nurses, we
must ensure that we are all practicing safely and
are not fatigued, because understaffing goes
hand-in-hand with nurse fatigue.
because understaffing goes hand-in-hand
with nurse fatigue. According to the Nursing
Staffing Strategy, 69 percent of health care
professionals surveyed said that fatigue
caused them to feel concern over their ability
to perform during work hours. Additionally,
nearly 65 percent of participants reported
they had alm ost m ade an error at work
because of fatigue. The aging nurse
population and nursing work shifts that are
longer than eight hours can also have an
im pact on errors and fatigue. When
discussing the aging nurse, according to
Reese, the director of Kronos ( K. Brim m er
2013) in “2008, the average age of nurses
was 45.5. The average age is probably
closer to 52 now and we’ve found that the
aging workforce tires easily and working
extra shifts doesn’t help. These highly
skilled workers have to m ake critical
decisions related to patient care and if doing
it in a fatigued state, will only increase the
risk for errors and injuries”, said Reese. We
can only hope that we continue to discuss
these sensitive issues including m andatory
staffing.
Slide 7
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:25 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
PREV NEXT
Narrator: It is high census season for the
hospital. The nurses are concerned
because they have been working extra shifts
for a m onth and they are tired. Click on the
Nurse Schedule to view their current
schedule.
Slide 1
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:28 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
Yes, understaffing does impact the quality of
care and may lead to increased rates of
infection. As registered professional nurses, we
must ensure that we are all practicing safely and
are not fatigued, because understaffing goes
hand-in-hand with nurse fatigue.
Narrator: Yes, understaffing does im pact
the quality of care and m ay lead to increased
rates of infection. As registered professional
nurses, we m ust ensure that we are all
practicing safely and are not fatigued,
because understaffing goes hand-in-hand
with nurse fatigue. According to the Nursing
Staffing Strategy, 69 percent of health care
professionals surveyed said that fatigue
caused them to feel concern over their ability
to perform during work hours. Additionally,
nearly 65 percent of participants reported
they had alm ost m ade an error at work
because of fatigue. The aging nurse
population and nursing work shifts that are
longer than eight hours can also have an
im pact on errors and fatigue. When
discussing the aging nurse, according to
Reese, the director of Kronos ( K. Brim m er
2013) in “2008, the average age of nurses
was 45.5. The average age is probably
closer to 52 now and we’ve found that the
aging workforce tires easily and working
extra shifts doesn’t help. These highly
skilled workers have to m ake critical
decisions related to patient care and if doing
Slide 7
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:28 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
You know I don’t even know the
staffing ratio requirements for this
unit. Yesterday I cared for five
babies, one who was really sick
and required transferring to County
General.
PREV NEXT
Grace: You know I don’t even know the
staffing ratio requirem ents for this unit.
Yesterday I cared for five babies, one who
was really sick and required transferring to
County General.
Nancy: Grace, the ratio is 1:4 on this unit for
lower-risk babies and 1:1 in the NICU
(neonatal ICU).
Susie: You know, there is a nursing shortage
at the bedside and with the im plem entation
of the new com puter charting and the
im plem entation of the affordable care act,
health care costs are soaring. Let’s check
out the guidelines for m andatory staffing
again, and speak with the director. I know
that nurse fatigue is a factor when m istakes
are m ade, and we are taking care of very
sick babies. The hospital does not actually
use acuity guidelines in real tim e.
Nancy: There are classification tools that
m easure the requirem ent needed for each
patient. Som etim es a stated m andatory ratio
does not always m eet the requirem ent for
Slide 6
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:27 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
Susie, are you sure you want to do that? I
think that’s unsafe. We are already on
notice from the infection control nurse
about the increase of central line infections
on the unit. And you were just complaining
earlier about having to work short most of
the time.
Nancy: Susie, are you sure you want to do
that? I think that’s unsafe. We are already on
notice from the infection control nurse about
the increase of central line infections on the
unit. And you were just com plaining earlier
about having to work short m ost of the tim e.
Grace: I can’t work her m andatory extra
shifts. Besides, is it legal for her to do that?
Isn’t it against the law to schedule overtim e?
I’m going to have to see our union
representative. And let’s not forget about
m andatory staffing ratios.
Susie: Ladies, stop whining. I’m saving for a
car, so what if I’m a little tired. I get the job
done. They just want a warm body here and I
provide that.
Slide 4
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:27 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
PREV NEXT
Nancy: I just read this article earlier, and it
points out that nurse understaffing and
nurse fatigue are the two prom inent issues
that negatively im pact the quality of care
delivered to patients.
According to the article in JAMA pediatrics—a
national study found that very few neonatal
intensive care units provide sufficient
num bers of nurses to m eet national
guidelines and that units caring for the m ost
vulnerable babies are also the m ost
understaffed, putting the health of critically ill
newborns at risk.
We need m ore nurses.
Slide 5
Menu Transcript
2/6/22, 6:28 PM Nurs440: Overstaffing
https://webapps.srm-app.net/CanvasContent/SF/WCU_NURS_440_OL_TEMPLATE/Presentations/Nurs440 Overstaffing/story_html5.html 1/2
You know I don’t even know the
staffing ratio requirements for this
unit. Yesterday I cared for five
babies, one who was really sick
and required transferring to County
General.
PREV NEXT
are m ade, and we are taking care of very
sick babies. The hospital does not actually
use acuity guidelines in real tim e.
Nancy: There are classification tools that
m easure the requirem ent needed for each
patient. Som etim es a stated m andatory ratio
does not always m eet the requirem ent for
staffing or m ean that we are unsafe. I think
this m ight be som ething we could bring to
m anagem ent during the next staff m eeting.
You know, becom e a part of the solution.
Susie: We need to get together at the next
union m eeting and talk about this m andatory
staffing issue. I can’t work five days a week
anym ore. I could really hurt m y patients.
Nancy: I do believe an em ployer can ask us
to work as m uch overtim e as needed to
cover shifts. But we m ight want to check our
union contract again, and always put patient
safety first.
Narrator: For m ore inform ation, click the link
on the screen.
Slide 6
Menu Transcript