Assignment instructions: Read the White Paper https://jnj-connectivity.brightspotcdn.com/82/0b/73a328424720942431766cc999ea/future-of-nursing-white-paper-final-v2-01-06-21.pdf (Links to an external site.)
and answer each question thoughtfully in complete sentences, then formulate a brief Clinical Problem Statement using 2-3 sentences. A problem statement is a clear description of the issue(s), it includes a vision, issue statement, and method used to solve the problem.
What is the problem? (1 point)
Who does this affect? (1 point)
How does this problem make you feel? (1 point)
When is it a problem?(1 point)
Why should I care?(1 point)
How does it affect the patient? (1 point)
Write a problem statement using White Paper (2-3 sentences- 4 points)
Assignment: Read White Paper: Covid 19Impact on the Future of Nursing Profession in the US. Answer questions using complete
supportive sentences, then develop a concise problem statement using two to three sentences that identifies and summarizes the nursing problem or issue that needs quality improvement.
White Paper
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
White Paper
White papers documented by nursing entities are meant to highlight complex issues related to the nursing profession that readers should understand and that stakeholders are required to come together to address. Being the frontline healthcare providers, nurses suffered great impacts during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (Kentucky Nurses Association, n.d.). The purpose of this paper is to analyze a white paper that presents the findings of a 2020 quantitative survey conducted to unleash the impact of COVID-19 on the nursing profession in the United States.
What is the Problem?
Nurses are the backbone of a healthcare system because operations within healthcare organizations cannot succeed in the absence of nurses. The problem that the United States healthcare system is facing today, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic is that nurses remain undervalued and underutilized despite the fact that they are well-educated and experienced. This problem is contributing inefficiency of the United States healthcare system (Kentucky Nurses Association, n.d.). Most healthcare organizations in the United States do not value nurses. As such, they do not adequately balance the workload for them by not hiring adequate professionals. This leaves nurses overworked and mentally disturbed. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed some of the factors that are contributing to the undervaluing and underutilization of nurses. Based on the survey findings, the identified problem is attributed to the barriers to practice imposed by some states against advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), limited nurses’ participation in innovation decisions, and the failure to involve nurses in interdisciplinary collaboration.
Who Does This Affect?
The underutilization and undervaluing of the nursing workforce affect nurses, healthcare organizations, patients, and the United States healthcare system. A healthcare organization that does not value nurses will not find it important to hire adequate nurses to address the workload. Such nurses feel overworked, demoralized, experience burnout, and may develop an intention to leave their organizations (Schlak et al., 2022). High nurse turnover rates due to burnout deprive a healthcare organization of an experienced workforce to provide healthcare services to patients. Healthcare delivery processes in an organization cannot flow freely in such settings. Notably, patients are unable to receive patient-centered care in an environment where nurses are underutilized and undervalued. The reason is that barriers to practice for APRNs limit healthcare access. Besides, critical patients’ needs cannot effectively be met when nurses are not allowed to lead innovative solutions and participate in interdisciplinary decision-making. Another important point to note is that the underutilization and undervaluing of the nursing workforce weakens the resilience of a healthcare system, especially during a crisis as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does This Problem Make You Feel?
I feel unhappy when nurses are undervalued and underutilized. Healthcare organizations that do not value nurses do not make efforts to create positive working environments for them. Indeed, the problem is preventing nurses from achieving their personal and professional goals.
When is it a Problem?
The failure of the United States healthcare system to effectively value and make use of the nursing workforce is a problem at all times. However, the problem manifests itself more when there is a crisis such as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the approach to healthcare delivery and organizational management (Kentucky Nurses Association, n.d.). As a result, challenges that have persisted in the United States healthcare system became pronounced thereby revealing gaps that need to be filled to enhance efficiency.
Why should I care?
As a nurse, I should be concerned when nurses are not effectively utilized and when they are undervalued because such a problem prevents them from adequately fulfilling their roles. In addition to providing primary care to patients, I should be keen to identify issues that are affecting nurses and patients in healthcare settings and advocate for the implementation of actions to improve their well-being (Schlak et al., 2022). The survey involved 1000 nurses together with other healthcare professionals. From the survey findings, nurses have expressed concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic will cause shortage and burnout among nurses, and that nurses are not adequately prepared to meet the demand of the United States healthcare system (Kentucky Nurses Association, n.d.). As a nurse, there is a need for me to expand my role in advocating for the delivery of high-quality health care and for the enhancement of the United States healthcare system.
How Does it Affect the Patient?
Patient care is negatively affected when the nursing workforce cannot execute its roles as defined in their scopes of practice. Patients are unable to receive patient-centered care in an environment where nurses are not allowed to deliver to their full potential (Schlak et al., 2022). Therefore, underutilization and undervaluing of the nursing workforce will continue to result in negative outcomes for patients.
A Problem Statement using White Paper
Empowering the nursing profession and supporting nurse-led innovations to improve patient care and outcomes will enhance the efficiency of the United States healthcare system. The United States is experiencing inefficiency in its healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic because nurses remain undervalued and underutilized despite the fact that they are well-educated and experienced. Strengthening the organizational structures of healthcare organizations to enable them to foster a culture that encourages nurses to lead innovative solution, remove practice barriers for APRNs, and prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration among nurses can help to enhance the efficiency of the United States healthcare system now and in the future.
References
Kentucky Nurses Association. (n.d.). The impact of COVID-19 on the nursing profession in the U.S.: 2020 quantitative survey summary. https://kentucky-nurses.nursingnetwork.com/nursing-news/183228-ana-aonl-and-johnson-johnson-release-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-nursing-profession-in-the-u-s-2020-quantitative-survey-summary-white-paper
Schlak, A. E., Rosa, W. E., Rushton, C. H., Poghosyan, L., Root, M. C., & McHugh, M. D. (2022). An expanded institutional- and national-level blueprint to address nurse burnout and moral suffering amid the evolving pandemic. Nursing Management, 53(1), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000805032.15402.b3