Assessment 4: Analyzing A Current Health Care Problem Or Issue

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Assessment 4: Analyzing A Current Health Care Problem Or Issue

Write a 5-page analysis about staffing shortages on health care (focus on nursing) , including a proposed solution and possible ethical implications.

Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. At a minimum, be sure to address each point. In addition, you are encouraged to review the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.

1. Describe the health care problem or issue you selected for use and provide details about it.

· As you describe the topic you explored in Assessment 2, use the first four steps of the  Socratic Problem-Solving Approach to aid your critical thinking. This approach was introduced in Assessment 2.

· Identify possible causes for the problem or issue.

2. Use scholarly information to describe and explain the health care problem or issue and identify possible causes for it.

· Identify at least three scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles about the topic.

· You may find the  How Do I Find Peer-Reviewed Articles? library guide helpful in locating appropriate references.

· You may use articles you found while working on Assessment 2 or you may search the Capella library for other articles.

· You may find the applicable Undergraduate Library Research Guide helpful in your search.

· Review the  Think Critically About Source Quality to help you complete the following:

· Assess the credibility of the information sources.

· Assess the relevance of the information sources.

3. Analyze the health care problem or issue.

· Describe the setting or context for the problem or issue.

· Describe why the problem or issue is important to you.

· Identify groups of people affected by the problem or issue.

· Provide examples that support your analysis of the problem or issue.

4. Discuss potential solutions for the health care problem or issue.

· Describe what would be required to implement a solution.

· Describe potential consequences of ignoring the problem or issue.

· Provide the pros and cons for one of the solutions you are proposing.

5. Explain the ethical principles (Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy, and Justice) if potential solution was implemented.

· Describe what would be necessary to implement the proposed solution.

· Explain the ethical principles that need to be considered (Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy, and Justice) if the potential solution was implemented.

· Provide examples from the literature to support the points you are making.

Example Assessment: You may use the following to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like:

Your assessment should also meet the following requirements:

· Length: 4–6 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page and reference page.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

· APA tutorial: Use the  APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] for guidance.

· Written communication: Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

· Using outside sources: Integrate information from outside sources into academic writing by appropriately quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, following APA style.

· References: Integrate information from outside sources to include at least three scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles and three in-text citations within the paper.

· APA format: Follow current APA guidelines for in-text citations of outside sources in the body of your paper and also on the reference page.

Organize your paper using the following structure and headings:

· Title page. A separate page.

· Introduction. A brief one-paragraph statement about the purpose of the paper.

· Elements of the problem/issue. Identify the elements of the problem or issue or question.

· Analysis. Analyze, define, and frame the problem or issue.

· Considering options. Consider solutions, responses, or answers.

· Solution. Choose a solution, response, or answer.

· Ethical implications. Ethical implications of implementing the solution.

· Implementation. Implementation of the potential solution.

· Conclusion. One paragraph.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

· Competency 1: Apply information literacy and library research skills to obtain scholarly information in the field of health care.

· Use scholarly information to describe and explain a health care problem or issue and identify possible causes for it.

· Competency 2: Apply scholarly information through critical thinking to solve problems in the field of health care.

· Analyze a health care problem or issue by describing the context, explaining why it is important and identifying populations affected by it.

· Discuss potential solutions for a health care problem or issue and describe what would be required to implement a solution.

· Competency 3: Apply ethical principles and academic standards to the study of health care.

· Explain the ethical principles (Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy, and Justice) if potential solution was implemented

· Competency 4: Write for a specific audience, in appropriate tone and style, in accordance with Capella’s writing standards.

· Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

· Write following APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.

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Addressing the Nursing Staffing Shortage: An Ethical and Practical Imperative in Healthcare

Introduction

The nursing staffing shortage is one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system. This issue not only impacts patient safety and outcomes but also places immense stress on existing nursing staff, leading to burnout and further attrition. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 195,000 new registered nurse (RN) positions will be required each year through 2031 to meet healthcare demands (U.S. BLS, 2022). This paper explores the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to nursing shortages using the Socratic Problem-Solving Approach and highlights the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice in addressing the issue.

Elements of the Problem/Issue

The shortage of nurses stems from multiple interrelated factors: an aging workforce, increasing patient demand, limited nursing faculty, and burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this crisis, exposing systemic weaknesses in workforce planning and retention strategies. High patient-to-nurse ratios have been directly linked to increased medical errors, decreased patient satisfaction, and lower job morale among nurses (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2023).

Socratic Steps 1–4 (Problem Identification and Analysis):

  1. What is the problem? Hospitals are facing critical nursing shortages, jeopardizing patient care and staff well-being.
  2. Why is it a problem? The imbalance between nurse supply and patient demand compromises safety and efficiency.
  3. What evidence supports this problem? Research shows that for each additional patient assigned to a nurse, the risk of patient mortality increases by 7% (Aiken et al., 2017).
  4. What are the causes? Causes include retirement of older nurses, lack of educators to train new nurses, and high levels of burnout due to poor staffing models.

Analysis

The setting for this issue is primarily acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and rural health centers where staff shortages are most severe. This problem is important to me as a healthcare provider because it affects the quality of care I can deliver and contributes to moral distress when patients’ needs exceed available resources.

Populations Affected:

  • Patients, who receive rushed or delayed care.
  • Nurses, who suffer from emotional exhaustion.
  • Healthcare organizations, which face increased turnover and financial strain.
    For example, a 2022 study showed that nearly 90% of hospitals experienced increased costs due to temporary staffing needs and turnover (ANA, 2022).

Considering Options

Potential Solutions:

  • Improve work environments (safe ratios, support staff).
  • Offer retention bonuses and wellness programs.
  • Expand nursing school capacity and clinical placements.
  • Adopt international recruitment strategies.

Required Resources for Solutions:

  • Increased state and federal funding for nursing education.
  • Leadership commitment to safer staffing models.
  • Partnerships between academia and healthcare systems.

Consequences of Ignoring the Issue:

  • Increased medical errors.
  • Lower staff morale and higher turnover.
  • Long-term damage to public trust in healthcare institutions.

Solution

A multifaceted solution is needed, but the most immediate and effective strategy is implementing safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Evidence supports that hospitals with lower ratios have better outcomes and reduced turnover (Aiken et al., 2017).

Pros:

  • Improves patient outcomes.
  • Reduces nurse burnout.
  • Enhances job satisfaction and retention.

Cons:

  • May require increased operational costs.
  • Staffing shortages could temporarily worsen during the transition.

Ethical Implications

Implementing safe staffing ratios touches all four core ethical principles in healthcare:

  1. Beneficence – Ensuring optimal care delivery aligns with doing good for patients and staff.
  2. Nonmaleficence – Preventing harm by avoiding overworked, fatigued nurses who may make errors.
  3. Autonomy – Respecting nurses’ professional judgment and work boundaries.
  4. Justice – Fair distribution of labor and equitable access to safe care for all patients.

Evidence supports that ethical work environments lead to fewer ethical conflicts and greater nurse retention (Ulrich et al., 2020).

Implementation

To implement the safe staffing ratio model:

  • States should adopt legislation mandating nurse-patient ratios (e.g., like California’s).
  • Facilities must conduct workforce assessments and hire accordingly.
  • Budget adjustments and federal grants could support hiring initiatives.
  • Ongoing monitoring and feedback loops must be used to assess effectiveness.

Implementation will also require nurse leader advocacy, collaboration with unions, and patient safety organizations to maintain momentum.

Conclusion

Nursing staffing shortages are a threat to both healthcare providers and the communities they serve. Through a structured, evidence-based approach and ethical implementation of safe staffing policies, the problem can be mitigated. The nursing profession must remain engaged in developing and advocating for long-term workforce solutions that are ethically sound and operationally effective.

References

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