NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

Walden University NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue– Step-By-Step Guide

 

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue  assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

 

How to Research and Prepare for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue  

 

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

 

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

 

How to Write the Introduction for  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue   

 

The introduction for the Walden University  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

 

How to Write the Body for  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue   

 

After the introduction, move into the main part of the  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue  assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

 

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

 

How to Write the Conclusion for  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue   

 

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

 

How to Format the References List for  NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue  

 

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

In general, healthcare provision entails identifying public health issues and developing practical intervention strategies. As this occurs, policies are developed to streamline care delivery while healthcare providers continue to learn to improve outcomes. The overall mandate of care providers is to improve patient safety while always striving to optimize quality. However, everything does not go as planned because many healthcare stressors affect care delivery and prevent healthcare providers from meeting the set goals. This paper assesses the impacts of nursing shortage as a relevant healthcare issue at the organizational level and summarizes evidence-based interventions used by other organizations.

Nursing Shortage

In practice, healthcare providers should be kept from becoming exhausted. The care provider to patient ratio should be manageable so that healthcare providers are not physically and mentally exhausted. When the number of patients exceeds the capacity of care providers, a nursing shortage occurs. The issue creates an environment in which caregivers are highly dissatisfied and ready to leave (Chang et al., 2017). As a result, it has resulted in a 25% increase in nurse turnover in the organization, with 10% of care providers leaving the profession entirely. This data indicates a lack of motivation to continue providing healthcare services, regardless of other measures such as rewards used by the organization to inspire employees.
This proportion of turnover is undeniably high, which implies two things. To begin, the organization will continue to expend massive resources to replace the lost workforce. As a result of inefficient resource allocation, some areas are underserved. Second, turnover increases the healthcare burden on the employees who remain in service. Because those left behind are overworked, they are easily frustrated and may quit as well. Eventually, a cycle of underserving and dissatisfied patients develops. Such incidents lower overall care quality and make meeting set goals difficult.

Articles Synopsis

Nursing shortages cause dissatisfaction, which increases turnover. In this case, nurses are overwhelmed, and the reasons to stay in practice dwindle gradually. In response, various organizations employ varying and sometimes interrelated strategies to increase the satisfaction of healthcare workers. The primary purpose of the strategies employed is to motivate healthcare providers and give them more reasons to serve. Indeed, motivation drives them to embrace critical healthcare principles such as empathy and compassion. It is reasonable to conclude that if such methods were used universally, nursing outcomes would improve.
The first article I read looked at the relationship between career development and healthcare outcomes. According to Price and Reichert (2017), providing meaningful training and development opportunities for healthcare workers increases their engagement. The primary reason for investing in development is to reduce the cost of recruiting a new workforce. Interviewing, onboarding, and orientation costs are just a few of the costs that training and development can help you avoid. Furthermore, if given the opportunity to obtain the highest level of education possible, healthcare providers are more satisfied and are more likely to remain with the organization for a long time.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I agree, the nursing shortage is a an extremely important issue that needs resolution. I had not heard of nursing students being given temporary licenses to work prior to reading your post. According to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, an executive order was placed in March of 2020 allowing for out-of-state practitioners, retired healthcare professionals, recent graduates, and graduate pharmacists to practice under temporary licenses (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, n.d.). I suppose, desperate times calls for desperate measures and during the pandemic, this was the case. With so many factors effecting the need of nursing professionals, the problem is sure to persist. Many issues continue to influence the need for healthcare providers such as, cost-containment pressures, hospital consolidation, reduction in inpatient hospitalization, increased acuity of hospital patients, and a shift in outpatient care from hospitals to ambulatory and community-based settings (Peterson, 2001). How do you think we as healthcare providers can contribute to promoting the healthcare profession and helping in times of shortage?

References:

Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. (n.d.). COVID-19 Temporary Healthcare Provider Registry. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from https://www.in.gov/pla/covid-19-temporary-healthcare-provider-registry/

Peterson, C. P. (2001). Nursing Shortage: Not a Simple Problem – No Easy Answers. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 6(1). Retrieved from https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume62001/No1Jan01/ShortageProblemAnswers.html

Sample Answer 2 for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

The other article I read looked at the relationship between healthcare worker engagement and health outcomes. According to Bokhour et al. (2018), healthcare organizations should always align employee and organizational goals. This consideration is based on the premise that healthcare workers are initially motivated to help others, but their attitudes shift depending on how healthcare organizations treat them. Given this, as Bokhour et al. (2018) emphasized, healthcare workers should be prepared for success by providing them with the necessary resources and skill development opportunities. Organizations should always recognize the role of workers and consider their personal goals when developing their goals.

Strategies for Addressing Organizational Impact

A high turnover rate is detrimental to achieving healthcare goals. Situations that encourage turnover at any level should be avoided at all costs. According to Ayanwale (2019), reward systems can be integrated into healthcare practice to reduce turnover. Healthcare providers, like other employees, should be highly motivated to work by recognizing their efforts in areas where they excel. For example, if they meet their weekly goals, they should be given time off. Opportunities for advancement should be equitable and merit-based. If such practices continue, healthcare workers will be satisfied and committed to their jobs. Although reward systems have a positive impact, they must be carefully maintained because they can be costly.
Another method of preventing turnover is to involve healthcare workers in policymaking. As Safari et al. (2020) suggested, organizations must consider employees’ input when making decisions. The main benefit of recognizing employees’ input is that organizational leaders can see where they may be falling short. Employee feedback enables them to adapt and deliver better results. Eventually, the entire practice makes employees feel valued and wanted. Such a culture reduces turnover because the level of satisfaction is high, but it can be disastrous because healthcare workers may feel entitled to contribute to everything.

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In conclusion, nursing shortage is a real problem in healthcare provision. It hampers the delivery of quality care and risks patients’ safety since patients are underserved. As discussed, the problem can be addressed by addressing issues that cause employee turnover. Such strategies include career development plans for healthcare providers, reward systems, and involving healthcare workers in policymaking.

Assignment: Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

The Quadruple Aim provides broad categories of goals to pursue to maintain and improve healthcare. Within each goal are many issues that, if addressed successfully, may have a positive impact on outcomes. For example, healthcare leaders are being tasked to shift from an emphasis on disease management often provided in an acute care setting to health promotion and disease prevention delivered in primary care settings. Efforts in this area can have significant positive impacts by reducing the need for primary healthcare and by reducing the stress on the healthcare system.
Changes in the industry only serve to stress what has always been true; namely, that the healthcare field has always faced significant challenges, and that goals to improve healthcare will always involve multiple stakeholders. This should not seem surprising given the circumstances. Indeed, when a growing population needs care, there are factors involved such as the demands of providing that care and the rising costs associated with healthcare. Generally, it is not surprising that the field of healthcare is an industry facing multifaceted issues that evolve over time.
In this module’s Discussion, you reviewed some healthcare issues/stressors and selected one for further review. For this Assignment, you will consider in more detail the healthcare issue/stressor you selected. You will also review research that addresses the issue/stressor and write a white paper to your organization’s leadership that addresses the issue/stressor you selected.

To Prepare:

• Review the national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the Resources and reflect on the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for study.
• Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post for the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected.
• Identify and review two additional scholarly resources (not included in the Resources for this module) that focus on change strategies implemented by healthcare organizations to address your selected national healthcare issue/stressor.
The Assignment (3-4 Pages):

Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

Develop a 3- to 4-page paper, written to your organization’s leadership team, addressing your selected national healthcare issue/stressor and how it is impacting your work setting. Be sure to address the following:
• Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization. Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization).
• Provide a brief summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources on the national healthcare issue/stressor. Explain how the healthcare issue/stressor is being addressed in other organizations.
• Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the scholarly resources you selected. Explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples.
Looking Ahead
The paper you develop in Module 1 will be revisited and revised in Module 2. Review the Assignment instructions for Module 2 to prepare for your revised paper.

By Day 7 of Week 2

Submit your paper.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 2 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 2 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
• Due to the nature of this assignment, your instructor may require more than 7 days to provide you with quality feedback.

Sample Answer 3 for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

This paper is determined to analyze Obesity and its impacts as a pertinent national issue in the United States.  It will also explain how the health issue is being addressed in other organizations.  Obesity is a treatable health disease that is a worldwide concern, associated with excess fat in the body. It is genetically and environmentally caused. It is diagnosed by a healthcare provider and is classified as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (Fryar et al, 2018).

Obesity is a serious healthcare problem associated with reduced quality of life and more impoverished mental health conditions. Similarly, it is also associated with an increase in the number of complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, and other types of cancers (Cipriani et al., 2016). Moreover, Obesity is a serious healthcare problem associated with reduced quality of life and more impoverished mental health conditions. Similarly, it is also associated with an increase in the number of deaths in the United States. (Chiao et al., 2015). Obesity is a nutritional disorder that is related to unhealthy eating.

There are different risk factors of Obesity, including overeating, overconsumption of junk foods, reduced physical activities, and genetic inheritance (Werneck et al., 2018). The main problem is the increasing cases of Obesity among the population. Among the most concerning chronic health conditions is Obesity. Irrespective of whether an adult or a child experiences the condition, Obesity has been connected to poor life quality and various numerous killer comorbid conditions such as some types of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes (Chiao et al., 2015). Even though the disease has devastating effects on the population, it remains a complex health concern caused by a combination of individual factors like genetics and behavior and various other causes like physical activity, environment, food, skills, and education. Multiple factors such as exposures, medication use, dietary pattern, and lack of physical activity have also been shown to contribute (Werneck et al., 2018). Even though various interventions have been used to prevent and manage Obesity, the condition seems to be increasing among the population.  (Fryar et al, 2018).

Also Read:

Assignment: Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research NURS 6052

NURS 6052 Change is necessary in the healthcare systems

The Impact of Obesity on the Nursing Professionals.

Nursing professionals face different problems in the healthcare system. These problems may be associated with the work environment as well as the treatment issues. Obesity has both mental and physical health complications for people of all ages. The complications related to Obesity range from medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, some types of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Also, Obesity is associated with reduced self-esteem, social isolation, as well as depression.

The dominance of Obesity was 42.4% in 2017-2018. Moreover, from 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, the bulk of Obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe Obesity risen from 4.7% to 9.2%. Its related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer that are leading causes of preventable, premature death. Similarly, the estimated annual medical cost of Obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical cost for people who have Obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. (NCHS 2017-2018). The working adults of non-Hispanic blacks (49.6%) had the highest age-adjusted higher number of Obesity. Similarly, working-age of Hispanic (44.8%) and non-Hispanic White adults (42.2%) (Fryar et al, 2018).

The age-adjusted dominance of Obesity among U.S. adults was 42.4% in 2017–2018. The prevalence was 40.0% among younger adults aged 20–39, 44.8% among middle-aged adults aged 40–59, and 42.8% among older adults aged 60 and over. There were no significant differences in prevalence by age group (Fryar et al, 2018).Among men, the prevalence of Obesity was 40.3% among those aged 20–39, 46.4% among those aged 40–59, and 42.2% among those aged 60 and over. Among women, the prevalence of Obesity was 39.7% among those aged 20–39, 43.3% among those aged 40–59, and 43.3% among those aged 60 and over. None of the differences by age were significant. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Obesity between men and women overall or by age group (Fryar et al, 2018).

The health problem has had profound financial implications. It has a substantial economic burden on the USA economy and other world’s governments and States. The resulting poorer health outcomes for obese individuals means that such people have to use the health care services more frequently, implying a notable increase in health care costs and burn out of nurses. As of the year 2016, close to two billion adults were overweight. Over six hundred and fifty million were classified as obese globally—implying that close to forty percent of the adult population were overweight, with thirteen percent among them obese. As of 2019, the statistics for children under five were not better as thirty-eight million of this population were classified as obese or overweight.

Strategies Used in the Mitigation of Obesity

The management of Obesity often requires evidence-based practices that aim at increasing safety measures. Currently, there are training processes that aim at reducing the increasing rates of mortalities associated with Obesity. The training processes include management of eating habits, engagement in physical activities, and other healthy behaviors. Educational processes on eating patterns are also undertaken to reduce the cases of Obesity (Cipriani et al., 2016). Besides, the proposed solution to the health problem includes educational programs and behavioral change among the population. Educational and behavioral change interventions are essential in the management of Obesity.

Conclusion

Obesity is a serious healthcare issue associated with reduced quality of life and lower mental health conditions. Moreover, it is related to an increase in the number of complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, and other types of cancers (Cipriani et al., 2016). There are different risk factors of Obesity, including overeating, overconsumption of junk foods, reduced physical activities, and genetic inheritance (Werneck et al., 2018). The main problem is the increasing cases of Obesity among the population. And this has negatively impacted nursing professionals. The proposed solution to the health problem includes educational programs and behavioral change among the population. Educational and behavioral change interventions are essential in the management of Obesity.

  Reference

 Cipriani, G., Lucetti, C., Danti, S., Carlesi, C., & Nuti, A. (2016). Violent and criminal manifestations in dementia patients. Geriatrics & gerontology international, 16(5), 541-549. doi.10.1111/ggi.12608

Chiao, C. Y., Wu, H. S., & Hsiao, C. Y. (2015). Caregiver burden for informal caregivers of patients with dementia: A systematic review. International Nursing Review, 62(3), 340-350.doi.10.1111/inr.12194

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2018). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2015–2016. http://www.publicnow.com/view/57BFCB292A6D12A9A3EE633921C052DED8F0D94B

Werneck, A. O., Oyeyemi, A. L., Gerage, A. M., Cyrino, E. S., Szwarcwald, C. L., Sardinha, L. B., & Silva, D. R. (2018). Does leisure‐time physical activity attenuate or eliminate the positive association between Obesity and high blood pressure? The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 20(5), 959-966. doi.10.1111/jch.13292

Sample Answer 4 for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

Reforms in the healthcare sector, like the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and subsequent changes that have occurred to this law, are meant to increase access to quality and affordable care. However, the cost of healthcare is rising and becoming pertinent healthcare in the United States, not just at the organizational level but also at the government level; both state and federal governments (Montero et al., 2022). This paper discusses the rising cost of healthcare across the U.S. health system despite the passage of ACA 2010 and other policies like the Quadruple Aim. The discussion provides a summary of two articles exploring the issue and how organizations are addressing it. It also offers strategies for addressing the impact on the organization of the issue and the overall effects it has on our healthcare facility.

Description of the National Health Stressor & Impacts on Organization

a). Cost of Healthcare

The cost of healthcare is increasing based on several factors, some within and others outside the control of organizations. The high cost of care is leading to imbalances and financial burdens for millions of Americans, some opting to remain uninsured and only accessing healthcare through emergency departments (EDs). In their article, Montero et al. (2022) discuss challenges that Americans are facing due to healthcare costs. The study shows that close to half of U.S. adults experience difficulties affording their cost of care while a significant share of those above 65 years encounter challenges in paying for various components of care, particularly services not covered by Medicare that include dental care and prescription drug costs. Despite the Affordable Care Act lowering the cost of health insurance, millions of Americans are not enrolling as expected due to the rise in premiums’ prices. These costs are attributed to a rise in demand for care due to an aging population, use of technology and equipment, and inflationary pressure making the equipment and cost of services increase.

b). Impact on Organization

The rising cost of care impacts the organization since it means that it must spend more on buying supplies and equipment to meet the increased demand for care. Again, the organization needs to hire more providers to ensure that all patients seeking care get services. More fundamentally, the organization must ensure that it complies with existing legislations like the EMTALA provisions which mandate it to offer emergency care even for uninsured individuals (Sommers, 2020). According to available data from the administration, the facility catered to 60 individuals who presented in the emergency department with conditions requiring stabilization but did not have medical or health coverage. This implies that the organization may make losses of close to $400,000 since it cannot be reimbursed the amounts from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Summary of Two Articles & Addressing the Issue in Other Organizations

i). Summary of the Articles

The first article by Buntin (2021) explores the confronting challenges to the U.S. Care system during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The article stresses the rising cost of healthcare for millions of Americans and its impact on access to care across different populations, especially racial minorities, and low-income households. The second article by Crowley et al. (2020) focuses on strategies that can help lower the cost of care and improve coverage for millions of Americans. As such, both articles are emphatic that while the ACA 2010 made tremendous steps in increasing coverage for millions of Americans, the rising costs of insurance and service provision are causing more harm than the expected benefits to these populations.

ii). Addressing the Issue in other Organizations

Healthcare organizations across the U.S. are addressing the cost of care through innovative ways that include leveraging technologies and enrolling in value-based care models under the CMS. As asserted by the American Hospitals Association (AHA), the rising cost of care is a critical challenge for many healthcare organizations, and dealing with requires investment in technology to enhance access, even for remote patients with chronic diseases as that lowers transportation expenses. Technologies like mHealth and telehealth as well as telemedicine can allow organizations to improve access to healthcare services.

Summary of Strategies to Address Organizational Impact & Effect on Organization

i). Summary of Strategies

The scholarly sources present various strategies that organizations can use to address the effects of the rising cost of care. Buntin (2021) stresses the need to invest in technologies and innovative care models to help lower the overall costs of care. On its part, the article by Crowley et al. (2020) proposes having a single-payer system and emphasizes the use of value-based care for organizations to reduce the cost of care. These articles propose that using these strategies at the national level can help organizations lower their overall expenses, especially in situations where they cannot be compensated by CMS.

1. ii) Effects on Organization

The proposed strategies by the articles have a positive effect on our organization as they demonstrate that it will not incur losses emanating from uncompensated yet provided care. Again, implementing value-based care will protect it from these losses and allow it to offer quality care (Sommers, 2020). More fundamentally, the organization will improve its overall position as an excellent care provision center.

Conclusion

The cost of care remains a national stressor despite the existing healthcare reforms aimed at improving quality, accessibility, and lowering costs. The national stressor impacts access to healthcare as millions of Americans cannot afford care. Organizations like our facility can develop innovative approaches to address the stressor and ensure that all patients have access to quality care.

References

American Hospitals Association (AHA) (2022). 2022 Costs of Caring.

https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/2023-04-20-2022-costs-caring

Buntin, M. B. (2021). Confronting challenges in the US Health Care System: Potential

opportunity in a time of crisis. JAMA, 325(14), 1399-1400. DOI:10.1001/jama.2021.1471

Crowley, R., Daniel, H., Cooney, T. G., Engel, L. S., & Health and Public Policy Committee of

the American College of Physicians. (2020). Envisioning a better US health care system for all: coverage and cost of care. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(2_Supplement), S7-S32. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-2415

Montero, A., Kearney, A., Hamel, L. & Brodie, M. (2022). Americans’ Challenges with Health

Care Costs. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/

Sommers, B. D. (2020). Health insurance coverage: What comes after the ACA? An examination

of the major gaps in health insurance coverage and access to care that remain ten years after the Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs, 39(3), 502-50. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01416.

Sample Answer 5 for NURS 6052 Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

The healthcare system experiences various challenges with most of them becoming more evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of people affected with the Covid-19 increased drastically considering the infectivity of the disease. The number of patients admitted to the hospitals increased as some of them required oxygen support. The burden caused by the Covid-19 to the healthcare system was mainly felt by the healthcare providers who are the frontline fighters of the pandemic. On the other hand, while the healthcare providers were entitled to fight the infection and save a life; they would risk their lives especially considering the limitations in the personal protective equipment supply. The infection control protocols refer to the activities aimed at reducing the spread of an infectious disease. The purpose of this paper is to explore the infection prevention and control protocol as a major stressor in the healthcare sector and the associated competing needs and how the healthcare institutions are working to address the issue.

National Healthcare Issue/Stressor and Impact in the Organization

    Infection control and prevention is a significant national stressor experienced in the Covid-19 pandemic. The healthcare institutions were forced to reinforce the infection prevention measures and ensure thorough adherence to the protocol and reduce the spread of the infection. The healthcare providers are at higher risk of contracting the Covid-19 from the patients if they fail to observe the IPC requirement. The issue significantly affected our organization. While the healthcare providers are trained on the IPC protocols when handling the Covid-19 pandemic patients, a good number of them were able to be infected with the virus from the patients.

The infection prevention and control were worsened by the shortage of PPE supplies. The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases requires an urgent response and so the consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) increased greatly. For example, in our case, a total of 85 patients were admitted with the Covid-19 diseases. Furthermore, a totalof9 healthcare providers contracted the infection and this would create a shortage in the number of healthcare providers considering that the affected individuals were to undergo isolation for 14 days. Other than the healthcare providers, 10 patients also contracted the infection from the positive cases.

Summary of Reviews of Healthcare Issue/Stressor Addressed in Other Organizations

The Covid-19pandemic affected all healthcare institutions. The severity of the diseases and the need to apply ICP depended on the number of new cases recorded on daily basis. Improving the ICP protocol would mean that the healthcare providers take a leading role to isolate the infected cases from the non-infected ones. On the other hand, they had to be cautious not to be infected. The hallmark of the stress presented by the protocol was evident in cases where the healthcare providers contracted the infection because the available workforce will reduce. The risk of getting infected by the Covid-19 virus increases proportionately with the number of patients a healthcare provider interacts with. There is the possibility that working for long hours could cause burnout in the healthcare providers and so reduce their compliance level to the ICP. Sun et al. (2021) discuss the strategies used in hospitals in China to address IPC and reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The study reports that the Chinese government reduced crowding in hospitals that reduced the risk of transmission, by establishing internet hospitals (Sun et al., 2021). The use of the internet means that the healthcare providers would still offer the medical services; though, without interacting directly with the patients (Sun et al., 2021).

Similarly, Wee et al. (2020) report that implementation of the respiratory surveillance ward was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore to fight the spread. The organization in Singapore implemented the RSW within six weeks and this reduced the cases of patient-healthcare provider transmissions. All the patients admitted with respiratory diseases were monitored accordingly and proper protocols were engaged to prevent their risk of acquiring Covid-19 among other diseases in the hospital. The use of personal protective equipment as an infection prevention and control requirement helped in curbing the spread of the disease among the healthcare providers and the patients. Covid-19 is a respiratory disease; therefore, surveillance on all the cases of respiratory illnesses ensures that all cases of Covid-19 disease are identified and the patients isolated in time. The infectivity of the disease depends on the viral load in the patient and the exposure time.

Strategies Used to Address the Organizational Impact of National Issues/Stressors

The findings from the literature review indicate that the RSW is an effective method of reducing the cases of Covid-19 infections in hospitals. Early identification of the positive cases and isolating them will reduce the likelihood of the healthcare providers or patients getting infected. The healthcare institutions must be proactive in identifying the positive cases and minimizing their exposure time with the other non-Covid-19 patients. Observing the ICP protocols also helps in reducing the infection. The healthcare providers should always put on the required PPE to reduce their chances of getting infected with the Covid-19. The strategy impacts the organization positively considering that there will be minimal cases of the healthcare providers getting infected and isolated for 14 days. However, the strategy may adversely affect the organization financially since it is resource-intensive due to testing and bed capacity needed to isolate patients with respiratory symptoms.

Description of Competing Needs Impacting a Healthcare Issue/Stressor

The Rising Cost as Inadequate Supply as Competing Needs

The need to observe the infection prevention measures is essential to reduce the number of healthcare providers infected with Covid-19 disease. However, the surge in the Covid-19 cases resulted in the scarcity of the PPEs and this means that hospitals could not acquire enough for the healthcare providers. Besides, the cost of acquiring a single full PPE was high. Observing the ICP would result in an increased cost for the hospital. Besides, the limited PPEs available make it challenging to fully adopt the ICP and this could risk the lives of the healthcare providers who interact directly with the Covid-19 patients.

Description of a Relevant Policy or Practice, Policy’s Strengths and Challenges, and Ethical Consideration on a Healthcare Issue/Stressor

RSW Strategy

Adopting the RSW strategy is important because it ensures that the Covid-19 cases are identified and isolated in time; therefore, it reduces the risk of infection transmission in the hospital. On the other hand, it may not be possible to identify all cases of Covid-19 on admission and so some decisions made will be based on speculations.  Furthermore, there are ethical implications linked with the policy. It may appear discriminative to isolate all the patients with respiratory illnesses and so some with minor influenza virus infections among other upper respiratory diseases may fear seeking medical help from the hospital.

Recommended Policies to Address Competing Needs and Shortcomings of Existing Policies Administration of Healthcare through Internet

The issue can be addressed through the implementation of the interaction between the patients and healthcare providers over the internet. The strategy will be most effective because it minimizes the contact between the patient and the healthcare providers (Borycki & Kushniruk, 2017). Though, there is an increased risk of patients infecting their family members if they fail to observe the infection prevention and control measures at home. However, the approach is cost-effective and does not require additional healthcare providers since the patients will take a proactive role in promoting their wellbeing (Orton et al., 2018). Furthermore, due to the non-exposure, the demand for personal protective equipment will reduce and the healthcare providers will be able to practice freely without the fear of getting the deadly disease.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic presented a significant challenge to the healthcare system and made it difficult for healthcare providers to observe the infection control and prevention measures. Working for long hours could expose them to burnout and increase their exposure to the virus. However, adopting the care delivery through the internet approach offers a cost-effective and safe solution to the health stressor.

References

Borycki, E., & Kushniruk, A. (2017). Patient safety and health information technology. E-Health Two-Sided Markets, 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-805250-1.00004-6

Orton, M., Agarwal, S., Muhoza, P., Vasudevan, L., & Vu, A. (2018). Strengthening delivery of health services using digital devices. Global Health: Science and Practice, 6(Supplement 1), S61-S71. https://doi.org/10.9745/ghsp-d-18-00229

Sun, S., Xie, Z., Yu, K., Jiang, B., Zheng, S., & Pan, X. (2021). COVID-19 and healthcare system in China: challenges and progression for a sustainable future. Globalization and Health, 17(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00665-9

Wee, L. E., Hsieh, J. Y. C., Phua, G. C., Tan, Y., Conceicao, E. P., Wijaya, L., … & Tan, B. H. (2020). Respiratory surveillance wards as a strategy to reduce nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 through early detection: The experience of a tertiary-care hospital in Singapore. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 41(7), 820-825. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2020.207