Picot Statement Paper Health, Medicine, Nursing Research Paper (Research Paper Sample)

Picot Statement
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The shortage of nurses affects the functioning of a clinic and the distribution of care especially on patients that require long term acute care such as those with chronic illness (Bobbi & Edward, 2002). Nurse turnover and burnout are experienced after nurses complete their studies and realize that the profession is not what they signed for hence end up quitting. The aging population in America is a contributing factor as to why the shortage of nurses is being experienced. This is evidenced by the fact that most people are over the age of 65 years which complicates the age of nurses which has risen to over one million approximated number of nurses with over 50 years of age. A violent healthcare system creates emotional stress for nurses because of emotional and physical abuse from patients or their seniors (Flinkman , Leino-Kilpi & Salanterä, 2010). Dissatisfaction at work due to salary or long hours of work makes most nurses leave the nursing profession and high school students refrain from taking the course in college.
Patient care is negatively affected by the absence of nurses in the hospital. It leads to the closure of important health facilities reducing the quality of services rendered to patients. Mortality rates rise when there is a shortage of nurses especially on patients who require special attention. Errors in the medical examination are very high because the remaining staff is working under pressure to ensure the service is delivered to the patients (Bobbi K.& Edward, 2002). Understaffing of nurses can lead to trauma on the remaining staff due to pressure and a lot of work. This also leads to the overstaying of patients in the hospital thus reduction in overcrowding in the hospital. Failures to rescue rates are also high in clinics that experience understaffing of patients.