NRSG Unit 2 Discussion Board
NRSG 412 Unit 2 – Discussion Board
An adequate nursing staff is important for better patient care and ensuring that patients are safe in the patient care settings (Harrington et al., 2020). Staffing levels may vary from work environment to environment; while some settings may require more staff, such as intensive care, other settings may require less (Carthon et al., 2019). One situation when we were understaffed was a time when patients were brought to the emergency department after an accident. The nurses on shift at the department were not able to offer emergency care to the patients. The situation was handled by seeking the help of nursing staff from other departments, such as those working in long-term care and surgical units. Those nurses offered a helping hand, and the patients were well-managed and taken care of.
Seeking the help of nurses from other departments led to difficulties in those departments as the departments were temporarily understaffed. Solving this situation can be a complex initiative. Even though the situation was carefully handled and managed, as the patients brought to the emergency unit were well taken care of, the facility should always prepare for such situations where there is an overflow of patients. Therefore, handling the situation differently may mean changing the staffing model or employing more nurses (Butler et al., 2019).
State laws regarding the nurse-to-patient staffing ratio can significantly impact the nature of patient care services offered to patients.
However, the state of New Mexico currently does not have any law dealing with this matter, as only California has such legislation. However, currently, there is a proposed New Mexico Patient Safety Act that aims to address the issue (Twenter, 2023). The lack of such legislation has led to poor patient care services as nurses are overburdened.
Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: NRSG 412 Unit 2 – Discussion Board
NRSG 412 Unit 2 – Discussion Board References
Butler, M., Schultz, T. J., Halligan, P., Sheridan, A., Kinsman, L., Rotter, T., … & Drennan, J. (2019). Hospital nurse‐staffing models and patient‐and staff‐related outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007019.pub3
Carthon, J. M. B., Davis, L., Dierkes, A., Hatfield, L., Hedgeland, T., Holland, S., … & Aiken, L. H. (2019). Association of nurse engagement and nurse staffing on patient safety. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 34(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1097%2FNCQ.0000000000000334
Harrington, C., Dellefield, M. E., Halifax, E., Fleming, M. L., & Bakerjian, D. (2020). Appropriate nurse staffing levels for US nursing homes. Health Services Insights, 13, 1178632920934785. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178632920934785
Twenter, P. (2023). New Mexico eyes codifying nurse-to-patient ratios. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/legal-regulatory-issues/new-mexico-eyes-codifying-nurse-to-patient-ratios.html#:~:text=Similar%20legal%20efforts%20in%20the,five%20patients%20for%20one%20nurse.
Primary Discussion Response is due by Thursday (11:59:59pm Central), Peer Responses are due by Saturday (11:59:59pm Central).
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 250 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. You are required to use 1 scholarly resource in addition to your textbook. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
In your new job as a leader in a nursing department, you want to prepare yourself for any situation that may occur. You take time to review your relevant experiences and some of the laws that will affect your actions.
Staffing levels vary from work environment to work environment and depend on the type of nursing—from intensive care to long-term care. Discuss the following:
- Describe a situation when you were short-staffed.
- How did you handle the situation?
- What was the outcome?
- Reflecting on the outcome, how would you have handled this situation differently?
Some states mandate staffing levels; others do not. Discuss the following:
- What type of legislation exists in your state regarding nurse-to-patient staffing ratios?
- How does the legislation, or lack thereof, affect patient care?
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
- What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
- What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
- What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
- What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
For assistance with your assignment, please use your textbook and all course resources.
NRSG 412 Unit 2 – Discussion Board Rubric
The Discussion Board Grading Rubric is a scoring tool that represents the performance expectations for the discussion. This Discussion Board Grading Rubric is divided into components that provide a clear description of what should be included within each component for the discussion. It is the road map that can help lead your discussion. Discussion Board Grading Rubric