what are some of the biggest challenges facing nursing today

What are the biggest challenges facing nursing today?

• Inadequate Staffing. Being short-staffed for brief periods of time is common in most professions, and in many of those situations, it is a minor inconvenience.
• Mandatory Overtime.
• Safety on the Job.
• Workplace Violence.
• Improving Self-Care.

Full Answer

What are the challenges in Nursing Practice?

Nursing has come a very, very long way in the past century. However, some of the challenges highlighted by nurse leaders in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, still face the profession a century later even though their exact nature might be somewhat different. Throughout the history of nursing, most of the challenges can be linked to the gender and class barriers faced by women in society ...

What challenges do nurses face?

• Uncertainty about the type of disaster
• Uncertainty about nurses’ roles
• Uncertainty about access to information
• Emergency nurses’ preparedness
• Workplace preparedness
• Colleagues’ preparedness

What are the core ethical principles of Nursing?

What are the core ethical principles of nursing practice?

• Non-maleficence. Non-maleficence means 'do no harm'. ...
• Beneficence. Beneficence means 'do good', and promotes actions that benefit the patient. ...
• Autonomy. Autonomy states that patients should be able to act independently and should be in control of their fate.
• Justice. ...
• Other ethical principles. ...

What are some nursing practice issues?

What current issues are affecting nursing?

• Challenge #1: Burnout, compassion fatigue, and COVID-19.
• Challenge #2: The nursing shortage.
• Challenge #3: Nursing education transitioning online.
• Challenge #4: Facing systemic racism in healthcare.

1. Staff Shortages

Hospitals are trying to meet their budgets and save costs wherever they can. This can mean fewer members of staff working at busy times. These cuts are putting greater pressure on staff because they have less support while working long hours.

2. Meeting Patient Expectations

Patients have very high expectations but because of budget and staffing cuts, nurses can’t always meet these expectations. This puts immense strain on nurses who usually have lots of patients to look after. Hearing their patients are unhappy with their level of service can affect morale and put nurses under a great amount of negative stress.

3. Long Working Hours

Long hours and overtime aren’t a new issue. Nurses are repeatedly expected to complete 12-hour shifts with additional overtime too. This problem mainly stems from staff cuts but nurses often stay at work when there’s been a serious accident too.

4. Workplace Violence

Violence towards nurses can range from a verbal attack to something a little more serious. WHO found that between 8% and 38% of health workers have suffered some kind of physical violence during their career.

5. Workplace Hazards

You regularly work with needles, sharp tools and heavy equipment. To help avoid accidents, all staff should be trained properly and always follow rules and regulations to ensure they aren't injured, along with their colleagues.

6. Personal Health

Working in healthcare is a stressful occupation and can cause stress-related health problems. It's important for you to relax and take time away from work to help you unwind.

Top 5 Challenges Faced by Nurses Today

You may have guessed that a lack of flexibility, feeling unheard by management, and being overworked and understaffed are common challenges faced by nurses today. However, other challenges also inform the strategies needed to improve support for nurses and raise retention.

Top Advice for Nurses Considering Changing Careers

If you've been considering changing careers, some options allow you to use your nursing education while taking you away from bedside care.

Meet Our Contributors

Adina Maynard is an experienced oncology-certified nurse. She has spent the last 12 years working at some of the most prestigious centers around the country such as the National Institutes of Health, The James Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Center, and City of Hope.

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What are the challenges nurses face?

1. Overworked (and underpaid) Many nurses often feel that their pay/hourly rates are too low considering what is being asked of them.

How does inadequate delivery of care affect nurses?

This not only negatively affects the nurse both in terms of her performance on shift but also her well-being, leading to stress building and a reluctance to return to work.

Why do nurses get burnout?

Nurses often experience burnout and fatigue caused by working long hours and sometimes back to back shifts. This can also result in some cases, in them making medical mistakes whilst on duty. This is one of the nursing challenges we definitely want to avoid as it can lead to being unable to work or even depression.

What is the role of a nurse in healthcare?

Share this article. Nurses play one of the most vital roles in the delivery of care within the healthcare industry . Although it can be an incredibly rewarding career, nursing challenges are common and make it one of the most demanding professions out there. Caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable and offering support are some ...

Why do nurses switch out of full time?

First and foremost, nurses must be taking care of themselves! For some, switching out of a full-time position is a lifestyle switch that helps them to continue to work but on their own terms and at their own pace, thus avoiding burnout.

How should healthcare facilities and care providers support their nurses?

Healthcare facilities and care providers should be implementing systems and practices to support their nurses - so let them know. Employers should be supporting their nurses by creating a positive working environment. They should reward you for the work you are doing. Healthy workplace = healthy you.

What is the fundamental tenant of nursing?

Caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable and offering support are some of the fundamental tenants of nursing. But we recognise that nurses also need support to be able to continue doing what they do.

There Is a Shortage of Nurses

One of the biggest challenges facing nurses today at that there is currently a shortage of nurses. Right now, that is a good thing for nurses, because it means it is relatively easy to get a job. Furthermore, if you get a job you like, you may be able to ask for better benefits because there is such a big shortage.

Nursing Is Becoming More Specialized

Another significant change in the field of nursing is that nursing is becoming more specialized. In the past, it might have been possible for nurses to cross over specialties if there was a shortage. Or, nurses may be able to shift into a different special to you if they were interested in learning something else.

Think About These Challenges in Nursing School

Ultimately, these are just a few of the many challenges that you could end up facing during the course of your nursing career. As you are picking a nursing school, you have to keep these challenges in mind. You may want to address them with some of your teachers.

What are the inadequate conditions of service for nurses?

Recruitment and retention in the nursing profession have always been linked to nurses’ working conditions – long hours, heavy workloads, low salaries compared to other professions and a lack of recognition of their essential contribution.

How long has nursing been around?

Nursing has come a very, very long way in the past century. However, some of the challenges highlighted by nurse leaders in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, still face the profession a century later even though their exact nature might be somewhat different. Throughout the history of nursing, most of the challenges can be linked to ...

Why is it important to register nurses?

The purpose of registration has always been to protect the public from those who were untrained or had minimal training, as well as to provide nurses who had proper formal training with a form of recognition.

What was Florence Nightingale's training?

The time was ripe when Florence Nightingale introduced formal training of nurses, and since then, it appears that the demand for qualified nurses increased exponentially. Hospital training schools for nurses mushroomed and students were used as the main workforce.

Why do nurses have to work overtime?

While fair hours of work have been standardized to a large extent, nurses are increasingly called on to work mandatory overtime due to staff shortages and economic restraints. Nurses across the world are also still struggling for salaries which match their qualifications, skills, and contributions to health services.

When did Lavinia Dock write about nursing?

As far back as 1922 , in her book A Short history of nursing from the earliest times to the present day Lavinia Dock wrote: “The hours of work both in nursing schools and in private nursing are often too long, and many nurses have not yet as full opportunities as they should have for wholesome recreation and self-improvement.” She went on to say: “Graduate nurses in all branches of nursing need to have fair remuneration for their services in order that they may maintain their health and efficiency and provide for the future.”

When did nurses need higher education?

The need for higher education for nurses was raised as early as 1893 at the global meeting of nurses at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 . The nurse leaders argued for educated nurses rather than the apprentice-type training in hospitals.

What are the challenges of nursing home?

The healthcare industry is a constantly changing marketplace, with new trends and technologies influencing the ways in which care is delivered to patients. The nursing home sector is not immune to changes, and in the coming years will face new challenges. These challenges include: 1 Staffing levels – Many facilities have difficulties in recruiting and retaining competent nursing staff, sometimes leading to increased numbers of patient hospitalizations. 2 Financial penalties – Rising hospital readmission rates are a source of significant penalties for nursing homes, which are tasked with reducing this rate. 3 Growth of other healthcare sectors – In particular, that of home healthcare, which is reducing private-pay patient numbers for many facilities. 4 Monetary challenges – Medicaid reimbursements have declined, and many facilities operate on thin financial margins. 5 Increasing care needs of patients – More patients are requiring more intensive care for acute and chronic health conditions, driving staffing workloads and costs upward.

What are the best practices for nursing homes?

These practices include initiatives for recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff members and also include adherence to regulatory standards.

Why is it important to review nursing home standards?

Regular review of standards and practices is critical in preserving the quality of nursing homes, and facility administrators must implement rigorous training and retraining programs for all stakeholders to help prevent regulatory penalties.

Is the nursing home industry changing?

The nursing home sector is not immune to changes, and in the coming years will face new challenges. These challenges include:

Can family members file a negligence claim against a facility?

Family members may have grounds to file a negligence claim against the facility and its staff. While most skilled care facilities continue to deliver compassionate, accurate, and timely care to their patients, negligence and neglect claims represent millions of dollars in annual losses.

Do nursing homes have to adhere to federal guidelines?

On the regulatory front, nursing homes are well advised to adhere to all federal and state guidelines. Failure to do so can result in steep financial penalties as well as the potential for legal claims against the facility and its staff.