Nurse leaders are faced with ethical dilemmas

Sample Solution

     

Nurse leaders are often faced with ethical dilemmas, such as those associated with choices between competing needs and limited resources. For example, the use of 12-hour shifts has been a strategy to retain nurses. However, evidence suggests that as nurses work more hours in a shift, they commit more errors. This can put patients at risk.

Effective leaders find a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of ensuring quality, effective, and safe patient care by:

• Communicating with all stakeholders: Nurse leaders need to communicate with nurses, patients, families, and administrators about the risks and benefits of 12-hour shifts. They need to explain that 12-hour shifts can lead to fatigue and errors, but they also need to explain that they are a way to retain nurses.

Full Answer Section

     

• Finding creative solutions: Nurse leaders need to find creative solutions to the problem of fatigue. This could include staggering shifts, providing breaks during shifts, or offering flexible scheduling.
• Making sure nurses are supported: Nurse leaders need to make sure that nurses have the support they need to stay safe and healthy. This could include providing access to mental health resources, offering training on fatigue management, and creating a culture of safety.

Competing needs can also impact the development of policies to address national healthcare issues. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to expand access to healthcare, but it also led to higher costs for some people. This created a competing need between ensuring access to care and controlling costs. Policymakers need to weigh the competing needs of different stakeholders when developing policies to address national healthcare issues. They need to consider the needs of patients, providers, payers, and the government. They also need to consider the economic and social impact of their policies. It is important to remember that there is no easy answer to the ethical dilemmas that nurse leaders face. They need to carefully consider all of the factors involved and make the best decision they can. Here are some other national healthcare issues that involve competing needs:

• The opioid epidemic: The opioid epidemic is a complex issue with no easy solution. There is a competing need between addressing the addiction crisis and preventing people from becoming addicted in the first place.
• Mental health care: Mental health care is often underfunded and inaccessible. There is a competing need between providing quality mental health care and controlling costs.
• Medicare and Medicaid: Medicare and Medicaid are government programs that provide healthcare to millions of Americans. There is a competing need between ensuring that these programs are sustainable and providing quality care to their beneficiaries.

These are just a few examples of the many national healthcare issues that involve competing needs. Policymakers and healthcare leaders need to carefully consider all of the factors involved when developing solutions to these problems.