What Are The Biggest Challenges Facing Nursing Today – Nursing is an established profession. But like the field, there are challenges. The health care landscape is changing, and nurses must adapt. It’s not always easy, but the rewards always outweigh the sacrifices, and every problem solved makes the industry stronger. As an LPN, you can change the needs of the nursing field.
The nursing industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, but it is also experiencing pain. Success is always a work in progress. But the past few years have revealed flaws in the health care system, bringing this serious challenge in front of nurses:
What Are The Biggest Challenges Facing Nursing Today
Due to advances in medical technology and the rise of chronic diseases, the health care needs of patients are becoming increasingly complex. More than 4 in 10 adults have two or more serious medical conditions. When people are hospitalized, they are sicker than ever and need nursing skills.
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Rapid advances in medical technology mean that nurses must constantly update their knowledge to stay ahead. Even the most tech-savvy people have to learn to operate and become proficient in high-tech equipment, which can be a daunting and time-consuming process.
Nurses today do more than just treat wounds and administer medications. As frontline health care providers, they are called upon to address the myriad of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social issues that compromise patients’ well-being and independence. This is an empowering part of the job, but it also adds strain to an already strained area.
Nurses play an important role in health care, but while their contribution is increasingly recognized at the institutional and community level, their role at the public decision-making level is limited, with predictable results.
Without nursing input, rulemakers lack a full understanding of the issues affecting the field, and policies often fail to meet workforce challenges. As frontline caregivers, nurses have first-hand experience and insight into the challenges and needs of patients, families, and communities. Absence among policy makers means that important perspectives and expertise are not fully represented.
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Scope of Practice – Each state defines the scope of practice of a nurse, outlining the specific duties and responsibilities a nurse may have. Operating outside the scope of practice can have legal consequences, but the line is not always clear.
For example, during the pandemic, nurses have been working hard in gray areas and putting patients at career risk. Now that precedent has loosened restrictions, nursing practice must be more refined and the rules must be clear.
Informed Consent – Nurses have a responsibility to ensure that patients understand their medical conditions, recommended treatments, potential risks, and alternatives. Obtaining consent from the patient before providing treatment is critical in all life-threatening crises.
However, the concept of informed consent has been rigorously tested over the past few years. Nurses need more legal guidance on trial rights, emergency care and compulsory care.
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Medical Malpractice – Nurses may be held legally responsible for medical malpractice or negligence that results in harm to a patient. Failure to meet standard of care, medication errors, improper documentation, or violation of patient privacy can result in legal and career-ending consequences.
As professionals, most nurses would not have it any other way. But there are concerns that the high workload could lead to mistakes being made. No one wants to be asked.
Cultural and Religious Competence – Nurses care for diverse populations with diverse cultural and religious beliefs. Respecting these values is a moral imperative.
However, nurses have been given few tools beyond a cursory exploration of intergenerational and cultural sensitivity issues in schools. A broader decision-making framework is needed in this area.
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Resource Allocation – Resource allocation is rarely a problem until the supply chain is disrupted. Although nurses are trained in triage, few are prepared to make life-or-death decisions about obtaining medical equipment during a pandemic.
Ethical considerations related to the allocation of limited medical resources are expected to continue in the future. Nurses must address these dilemmas when considering their primary role as patient advocates.
Documentation – Accurate and timely documentation is a legal requirement for nurses. Keeping accurate records helps create a timeline of the patient’s condition, communication with the medical team, and the care provided. Inadequate or inaccurate documentation can result in legal disputes and significant financial penalties for nurses and their employers.
However, writing notes takes time. Software makes this easier, but the need to keep extensive records remains a problem for nurses who prefer to provide direct care.
The Real Issues Driving The Nursing Crisis
It’s no secret that America has few nurses. This is a multifactorial problem with various influencing factors, such as:
Aging Population – As people live longer, they require more health care services. The increasing demand is putting pressure on the workforce.
Retiring Workforce – Many nurses are approaching retirement age, with the average age of registered nurses being 52 years, which could lead to a big wave over the next 15 years. As these nurses retire, the number of nurses available dwindles, increasing the shortage and also providing fewer mentors for the next generation of caregivers.
This so-called “brain drain” represents the loss of professional knowledge and expertise, which affects the health and nursing education system.
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Lack of new nurses – The ability of nursing schools to train new nurses is not keeping up with demand. Factors such as faculty shortages, limited clinical placement opportunities, and a lack of funding for nursing education programs result in an inactive number of new nurses entering the workforce to replace those retiring or leaving the profession. Waiting lists for registered nursing programs are a nationwide problem, forcing programs to be so selective that many qualified candidates are left. Fortunately, this is not the case with LPN programs. Another reason to become a nurse practitioner.
Burnout – Employers are responding by offering flexible working hours, more paid time off and support for self-care. The federal and state governments are doing their best to reduce the shortage by addressing the underlying causes. Measurements include:
They also take a hard look at labor distribution. In certain geographic areas, especially rural communities, nursing shortages are more pronounced and attracting and retaining health care professionals can be challenging.
Economic and lifestyle factors are the biggest problem. Fewer nurses are willing to live in places where housing costs are high and facilities, including opportunities for further education, are cheap.
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Technologies like telemedicine have reduced the burden on patients, but not on nurses. The government is working on initiatives such as financial incentives, loan forgiveness programs and housing assistance for those willing to work in disadvantaged communities.
Despite the constant challenges, nursing remains a rewarding field. The list of questions may seem long, but that is only because there is no comparison. The solution to most of these problems is for people who are passionate about health to immerse themselves in the industry and come up with ideas.
If you’re on the fence, consider becoming an LPN. Unlike registered nursing programs, training as a practical nurse is available. There are smaller waiting lists and fewer academic requirements. The course takes less than a year to complete, and upon graduation you will have a stable job and a good foundation for further education. If you love it, make it a permanent job. If you need more, having a professional nursing license can increase your chances of getting into a degree program.
One day, we will all benefit from a vibrant health care system with as many nurses as our communities need to stay healthy. LPNs play a critical role in this mission, and it all starts as graduates.
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Are you looking for practical nursing training courses in Central Florida to help you become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)? Gwinnett College in Orlando offers a practical nursing diploma program that trains LPN students for positions providing basic bedside care to patients. The Diploma in Practical Nursing program provides the instruction and skills training necessary to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam. *
* While Gwinnett College provides test preparation and remedial assistance to students, it cannot guarantee that students will be able to take or pass any licensure exam. College students should remember during their training program that licensure is a prerequisite for working as a nurse and strive to be prepared to meet this important requirement. (BPT) – With more than 4 million people, nurses are the largest group of healthcare professionals in the United States. It is estimated that 1 in 100 people are registered nurses. For the 19th year in a row, Americans ranked caregivers as the most honest and ethical professionals in an annual Gallup poll. According to the American Nurses Association, nurses lead the charge on the most challenging issues facing our health care system, from ending the COVID-19 pandemic to reducing health inequalities, increasing access to care, and developing solutions that improve patient outcomes, etc.
In an era of ongoing public health challenges and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, from the bedside to the boardroom, caregivers are making a huge difference, providing expert clinical care 24/7, improving public health and protecting our well-being. Nurses directly affect community health by providing care and education to reduce the incidence of chronic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes and help patients effectively manage chronic health problems. Nurses provide direct, collaborative clinical services