The N.A.P.

Solutions to Remedy Negative Physical Health Outcomes Among Nurses

1. Increase training on signs of abuse and violence 

Nurses, especially new graduate nurses, are severely undereducated on identifying physical motives of violence against them. In nursing school, a course must be offered which allows nurses to identify different types of physical abuse against them. This solution will not only allow nurses to help themselves, but it will also allow them to stand up for their coworkers and overcome this issue as a collective.

 

   2. Place teams of individuals in management especially equipped to handle such issues. 

Physical violence against someone is a CRIME. Thus, abuse against nurses should be treated as such. A special sector of management should be dedicated to dealing with nurse abuse on a case by case basis. They should also be put in immediate contact with law enforcement to prosecute charges against patients who commit such crimes.

 

   3. Increase security on all hospital floors. 

A security guard or police officer should always be nearby and of easy access to nurses. These guards and officers must be trained to de-escalate situations involving patients. Additionally, if the patient is overwhelming the nurse, the officer must be ready to take over for the nurse immediately. Response time for these officers to respond to a nurse requesting assistance should exceed no more than two minutes. 

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Contributed by Srilakshmi Nair

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Solutions to Remedy Negative Mental Health Outcomes Among Nurses

1. Providing free mental health resources 

Being that data is displaying high rates of mental health illness among nurses due to the immense working conditions, workplaces should provide mental health resources free of charge. Resources like therapy and programs designed to target the struggle that nurses are experiencing should be used. Creating a safe environment for nurses to work on their mental health will not only help them but also overall patient care satisfaction that will later reflect the healthcare institution.

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  2. Creating a safe spaces on unit floors

Nurses are known to have the most contact with patients and their families. When patients are in their most vulnerable state, nurses are the ones to witness it all. Events like death, emotional breakdowns or life threatening diagnosis, are all factors encountered on a daily basis.Therefore, a designated space should be created that is designed to help nurses who are overstimulated to distress momentarily before moving onto the next patient.The area should include tools like stress balls, yoga mats, and room for prayer.

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3. Monthly focus group discussions   

The best way to help nurses receive the best treatment is to hear from other nurses like them  discuss what they need to be successful. Hosting monthly focus group discussions gives them a space to discuss any traumatizing experiences they faced such as witnessing constant death, visually distraught images and aiding with family grief. The second half of this focus group discussions includes what type of support they wished they had in those moments. These discussions should also include healthcare management and psychologists present to help appropriately dissect what nurses are sharing to provide the best solution and to take notes for improvement. 

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Contributed by Nermen Elkallini

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Solutions to Remedy Patient Outcomes 

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The failure to retain nurses within hospitals has directly affected and perpetuated the understaffing issue that persists throughout the healthcare system. The only possible way to improve understaffing is to increase the number of available nurses, however, there are alternative methods to improve nurse retention. The connection between understaffing and turnover among registered nurses with a potential solution is explored in the paper by Wendsche, Hacker, and Wegge (2017). According to the study, there is a strong correlation between understaffing and nurses quitting their jobs, showing that understaffing is associated with increased nurse turnover. The study also discovered that consistent rest breaks can regulate the association between understaffing and nurse turnover, suggesting that consistent rest breaks might lessen the detrimental impacts of understaffing on nurse turnover. The study emphasizes how crucial it is to address understaffing and provide consistent rest periods in order to raise nurse retention rates and, ultimately, patient care quality.

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Sources: Wendsche, J., Hacker, W., & Wegge, J. (2017). Understaffing and registered nurses’ turnover: The moderating role of regular rest breaks. German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 31(3), 238-259. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002216683880

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Contributed by Branden Tejada