NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

Student Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX4000 Developing a Nursing Perspective

Prof. Name

Date

Analyzing a Current Healthcare Problem or Issue

Healthcare Workforce Shortage

The shortage of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and support staff, is a pressing issue affecting hospitals and clinics. This workforce deficit leads to increased workloads, stress, and fatigue among healthcare providers, resulting in higher turnover rates. As nurses and other medical staff leave their positions due to burnout, patient safety and care quality are compromised. Research highlights the necessity of strategic interventions such as enhanced compensation, optimized scheduling, and access to professional development programs to improve retention rates. Additionally, integrating technology, such as telehealth services, can alleviate some burdens on healthcare workers, improving efficiency and patient care delivery (Jonasdottir et al., 2022). Addressing this crisis requires healthcare administrators to act proactively, ensuring that both patient outcomes and staff well-being are protected.

Implications of the Shortage

The insufficient number of healthcare professionals presents significant challenges for healthcare institutions. Hospitals and clinics struggle to meet the rising demand for medical services, resulting in overburdened staff and compromised patient care. The stress associated with excessive workloads contributes to high turnover rates, with nurse attrition in the United States reaching approximately 27.65% annually (Bae, 2023). Studies have also demonstrated a direct correlation between nurse staffing levels and patient mortality. For example, research conducted in a Swiss university hospital indicated that inadequate registered nurse staffing increased patient mortality odds by 10%, while adequate staffing levels reduced mortality rates by 8.7% (Musy et al., 2021). These findings emphasize the critical need for adequate staffing to maintain quality care and patient safety.

Addressing the Issue

To mitigate the healthcare workforce shortage, healthcare leaders must implement targeted, evidence-based strategies. Increasing wages and improving work conditions, including manageable scheduling, are proven methods for reducing staff turnover and improving job satisfaction (Zhang et al., 2024). Moreover, offering professional development programs enhances career growth and encourages long-term retention. In rural healthcare settings, financial incentives such as housing allowances and salary increments can attract and retain healthcare professionals (Witter et al., 2021). Failure to address this issue will result in continued burnout, increased patient mortality rates, and declining healthcare service quality. Further research on staffing policies, technology integration, and long-term retention strategies is essential to overcoming this crisis.

Healthcare Workforce Shortage Table

Category	Key Insights	References
Healthcare Workforce Shortage	The shortage of healthcare workers, particularly nurses, leads to stress, burnout, and patient safety risks. Retention strategies include improved salaries, enhanced work conditions, and training programs.	Jonasdottir et al. (2022)
Implications of the Shortage	High nurse turnover rates (27.65% annually) impact care quality. Research links low staffing to increased patient mortality.	Bae (2023); Musy et al. (2021)
Addressing the Issue	Effective solutions involve raising wages, optimizing work schedules, and providing professional development opportunities. Rural healthcare benefits from financial incentives to attract and retain staff.	Zhang et al. (2024); Witter et al. (2021)

References

Bae, S.-H. (2023). Comprehensive assessment of factors contributing to the actual turnover of newly licensed registered nurses working in acute care hospitals: A systematic review. BMC Nursing, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01190-3

Jonasdottir, S. K., Thordardottir, I., & Jonsdottir, T. (2022). Health professionals’ perspective towards challenges and opportunities of telehealth service provision: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 167, 104862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104862

Musy, S. N., Endrich, O., Leichtle, A. B., Griffiths, P., Nakas, C. T., & Simon, M. (2021). The association between nurse staffing and inpatient mortality: A shift-level retrospective longitudinal study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 120(103950), 103950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103950

NURS FPX 4000 Assessment 5

Witter, S., Herbst, C. H., Smitz, M., Balde, M. D., Magazi, I., & Zaman, R. U. (2021). How to attract and retain health workers in rural areas of a fragile state: Findings from a labour market survey in Guinea. PloS One, 16(12), e0245569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245569

Zhang, H., Abdullah, V. C. W. B., & Wong, L. (2024). The association between burnout, perceived organizational support, and perceived professional benefits among nurses in China. Heliyon, e39371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39371