NURS FPX 8045 Assessment 4 Interpretation and Synthesis of Scholarly Sources

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 8045 Doctoral Writing and Professional Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Interprofessional Communication and Practice Gap

Nursing shortage is a paramount issue in a medical care setting, impacting patient safety. Recognizing and addressing practice gaps is critical to efficient healthcare delivery to ensure quality care and patient safety. Lima Memorial Hospital (LMH) is also dealing with practice gaps related to nurses’ shortages. The scarcity causes staff burnout and poor care. Nurse shortages cost hospitals $24 billion in 2021 and increased to $86 billion in 2022 (Beauvais et al., 2023). The assessment is based on an analysis of the practice gap, employing empirical evidence and stakeholder participation to address the nurse understaffing at LMH.

Identification of Practice Gap

Nursing shortage at LMH causes a substantial practice gap in healthcare. A staff survey performed at LMH revealed high nurse burnout, with a 65% increased workload because of staffing shortages. The United States of America (USA) is facing a severe nurse shortage, with 3 million nurses required to fill the nursing deficit. The data indicates flaws in resource utilization, poor planning, ineffective retention methods, and poor nurse proficiency due to a lack of training, impacting patient outcomes, nurse satisfaction, and hospital adherence to medical excellence standards (Tamata & Mohammadnezhad, 2023). High workloads and insufficient support force nurses to abandon their jobs. 31.5% of nurses in the USA in 2018 left their jobs due to burnout (Shah et al., 2021). Understaffing has severe implications, like poor care services and patient safety.

Addressing the issue of understaffing requires a comprehensive approach that includes establishing appropriate hiring and retention policies, intriguing compensation packages, a respectful workplace, and providing professional growth training. Addressing this practice gap through a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project enables significant enhancements in patient care, boosts health outcomes, and reinforces the organization’s dedication to providing quality care. Comprehensive approaches are crucial to determine the aspects of the practice gap that are within the scope of a DNP project.

The nursing shortage has a direct impact on medical care quality and outcomes (Pressley & Garside, 2023). Addressing this issue is consistent with the DNP’s scope to improve the delivery of care and patient outcomes. DNP projects prioritize evidence-based practice, exploring approaches for resolving the nursing shortage, such as boosting recruiting and retention. Overcoming practice gaps improves patient care and nurse satisfaction, which are crucial aspects of DNP projects. The scope alignment aids in delivering evident improvements in patient safety at LMH.

Evidence of Problem at Project Site

An in-depth examination of internal data at LMH reveals a significant shortfall among nurses. Internal records show that 12% of its nursing posts are unfilled, with 500 approved registered nurse roles and 75 remaining vacant. This empirical data exhibits a significant gap in practice, presenting serious issues about patients receiving quality care, patient dissatisfaction, and medical outcomes (Tamata & Mohammadnezhad, 2023). The Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment reported that, in the USA, 193,100 vacancies for nurses will arise annually through 2032 (AACN, 2024). The US Chamber of Commerce data exhibited that the number of certified nurses declined by 100,000 between 2020 and 2021 in US hospitals, resulting in significant challenges such as nurse dissatisfaction and burnout, reduced patient safety, and a rise in death rates (Lucy, 2024).

The analysis of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2022 showed that a nurse shortage of 78,610 can occur in 2025 (HRSA, 2022). Ohio Nursing Association (ONA) reveals that about 83.21% of nurses experienced high turnover, resulting in poor staffing and patient care (ONA, n.d.). Internal audits of outcome measures, like adverse events and prolonged hospitalization, underscore the implications of the practice gap in the provision of care (Nantsupawat et al., 2021). Authentic data provides strong evidence of the practice gap and emphasizes the significance of targeted quality improvement measures. 

Formulating PICOT Question

Developing a PICOT question is crucial in resolving the nurse shortage practice gap observed at LMH. The PICOT approach offers targeted research (Mitchell et al., 2020). The PICOT question is: In licensed nurses at LMH (P), does improved retention and recruitment policy (I) compared to current strategies without adequate policy (C) enhance nurses’ satisfaction and retention (O) over 12 weeks (T)?

• Population (P): Licensed nurses at LMH
• Intervention (I): Improved retention and recruitment policy, including attractive salary, professional training and a respectful setting
• Comparison (C): Current strategies without adequate policy
• Outcomes (O): Enhanced nurses’ satisfaction and retention
• Time (T): Over 12 weeks

Facilitating Discussions with Stakeholders

Engagement with key stakeholders, such as physicians, nurses, nurse managers, hospital administrators, and leadership, is critical to understanding opinions and gathering significant input on the nursing shortage practice gap at LMH. A critical step was to conduct group meetings with stakeholders through both formal and informal sessions. Interaction offered a forum for the interprofessional team to exchange opinions on how to address the nurses’ issues and policy and funding consequences affecting the practice gap. Techniques like brainstorming and scenario analysis were used to facilitate discussion. Face-to-face meetings offered successful communication among stakeholders, encouraging open talk and building a feeling of shared responsibility to fill the practice gap.

The interactive discussions facilitated ideas sharing and targeted interventions (Paguio et al., 2020). Collaboration with hospital administration and quality enhancement groups resulted in an in-depth knowledge of organizational priorities and constraints, aiding in the development of tailored interventions. Supportive environments and open communication channels helped to develop trust among nurses, boosting job satisfaction (Jankelová & Joniaková, 2021). Digital communication modes like email, online forums, and digital feedback tools proved effective in improving stakeholder participation (Antonio et al., 2020). The significance of openness in communication was prioritized to convey information and inspire team collaboration.

Conclusion

The recognition of a practice gap and a nursing shortage at LMH demands a team effort toward revolutionary change. Hospital leadership can establish targeted efforts aimed at closing the gap and raising care quality by utilizing evidence, engaging stakeholders, and adhering to evidence-based practice. Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication offer the common goal of a health system by improving nurses’ satisfaction and care quality.

References

AACN. (2024). Nursing shortage fact sheet. Aacnnursing.org. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage

Antonio, M. G., Davis, S., Smith, M., Burgener, P., Price, M., Lavallee, D. C., & Lau, F. (2022). Advancing digital patient-centered measurement methods for team-based care. Digital Health, 25(8). https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221145420

Beauvais, B., Kruse, S. C., Ramamonjiarivelo, Z., Pradhan, R., Sen, K., & Fulton, L. (2023). An exploratory analysis of the association between hospital labor costs and the quality of care. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 16, 1075–1091. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s410296

HRSA. (2022). Nurse workforce projections, 2020-2035. Hrsa.gov. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/Nursing-Workforce-Projections-Factsheet.pdf

Jankelová, N., & Joniaková, Z. (2021). Communication skills and transformational leadership style of first-line nurse managers in relation to job satisfaction of nurses and moderators of this relationship. Healthcare, 9(3), 346–346. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346

Lucy, I. (2024). Data deep dive: A national nursing crisis. Uschamber.com. https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/nursing-workforce-data-center-a-national-nursing-crisis

Mitchell, R. D., O’Reilly, G. M., Phillips, G. A., Sale, T., & Roy, N. (2020). Developing a research question: A research primer for low-and middle-income countries. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 10, S109-S114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2020.05.004

NURS FPX 8045 Assessment 4 Interpretation and Synthesis of Scholarly Sources

Nantsupawat, A., Poghosyan, L., Wichaikhum, A. O., Kunaviktikul, W., Fang, Y., Kueakomoldej, S., Thienthong, H., & Turale, S. (2021). Nurse staffing, missed care, quality of care and adverse events: A cross‐sectional study. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(2), 447–454. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13501

ONA. (n.d.). Official report: The state of nursing in Ohio. Ohnurses.org. https://ohnurses.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ONA-White-Paper_092523.pdf

Paguio, J. T., & Yu, D. S. F. (2020). A mixed methods study to evaluate the effects of a teamwork enhancement and quality improvement initiative on nurses’ work environment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(2), 664-675. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14270

Pressley, C., & Garside, J. (2023). Safeguarding the retention of nurses: A systematic review on determinants of nurse’s intentions to stay. Nursing Open, 10(5), 2842–2858. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1588

NURS FPX 8045 Assessment 4 Interpretation and Synthesis of Scholarly Sources

Shah, M. K., Gandrakota, N., Cimiotti, J. P., Ghose, N., Moore, M., & Ali, M. K. (2021). Prevalence of and factors associated with nurse burnout in the US. Journal of American Medical Association Network Open, 4(2), e2036469–e2036469. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36469

Tamata, A. T., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2023). A systematic review study on the factors affecting shortage of nursing workforce in the hospitals. Nursing Open, 10(3), 1247-1257. https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fnop2.1434

 

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