Question:

Link the methodology and sample to your main topic, such as the shortage of nurses in Australia.

The format of the review would be introduction and definition, overview, discussion, and conclusion.

Answer to Question: M6016 Nursing Practice

The role of nurses is a fundamental one in the healthcare sector. They are considered to be a vital element in providing healthcare services to the general populace. (Breimaier Halfens & Lohrmann (2015)

It is important to consider nursing staff as vocational entities because of their abilities in meeting the needs of individual patients in a healthcare setting.

However, there are increasing numbers of nurses in need. As the healthcare industry evolves, it is possible to assume that the nursing profession has a significant influence on nurse retention.

Cronin (2014) states that the current healthcare situation requires nurses to be able to adapt to the demands of the sector by undergoing technical and clinical training.

This demand for change could be considered a major reason behind the explicit promotion and growth of shortages within the nursing profession in Australia.

The following report is intended to provide an illustration of a literature search with explicit references to the problem, overview of the literature, as well as a discussion where the issue would then be discussed in context.

Through credible inferences made from the literature, specific opportunities are provided for the formulation of appropriate change management strategies.

Definition of The Issue

According to statistical data, Australia’s 2012 registered nurse population was well over a quarter million. The number of enrolled nurses was close to 60000.

Ellis claims that this fact indicates large-scale investment in Australia’s economic system. Ellis also points out the high costs involved in recruiting and selecting nurses as well the associated education costs (Ellis 2016, 2016).

To ensure that the community receives the best possible healthcare, coordination in organization, planning and deployment of the workforce is essential. It also helps to increase the financial benefits through the proper utilization of research.

Fain however stated that the topic of this literature review report stems from the Health Workforce Australia projections regarding the health workforce scenario in 2025, with reference to the employment rate for Doctors, Nurses and Midwives (Fain 2017).

The document can be variedly considered as a unique representation for the future prospects of the three major healthcare professionals.

The trends indicated that the changing demographics and increasing age of the nurses could have grave consequences for retention rates. This could cause a shortage in nursing personnel.

Further complicating the issue are the workforce planning projections. These projections show an increase in Australia’s need for nurses, exceeding the supply. This could mean a potential loss to almost 85,000 nurses by 2025.

This could be due in part to the possibility of changes in healthcare organizations and nurses. We can reflect on the most recent data to determine workforce planning projections.

These factors can be seen in the lower rates of nursing jobs for those who are in acute care. This is because there is less demand than the projected trends in public service.

One important feature that can be identified as an influential factor in workforce planning projections regarding nursing is the lower exit rate (Holloway & Galvin (2016)).

These changes are not easily observed because of the effects of external factors and economic conditions.

The comprehensive review of research literature could provide an insight into the elements needed for analysis of current circumstances and implications of supply and need, reasons for shortage of nurses, and suitable practice opportunities to address this problem (Houser 2016, 2016).Overview:

It is possible to find research literature about Australia and other countries. This will help you understand the implications of these publications on the basic factors, such as the extent of shortage and the determinants.

This overview could help you get a reliable impression of other options to address the issues identified in the context of this report.

It was found that nursing staff shortages have an impact on the quality and delivery of healthcare services. This is consistent with research findings.

LoBiondo-Wood (et al.) identified the main causes of shortage as multiple entities that were linked to variations in the employment patterns and nursing work environment of women, professional obligations, population demographics, and healthcare system.

First, an increasing demand for nursing services in OECD countries like Australia is due to the aging of the population (LoBiondoWood et.al., 2014).

Higher health needs will be required because of the high rate of population growth and predicted drastic changes in Australia’s age.

This leads to higher work pressure for nurses and registered nurses. It also results in lower retention rates.

Researchers also looked into the various factors that contributed to the lower number of nurses in the sector. These were identified by secondary information research carried out by the authors.

Two main types of factors that are responsible for the severe shortage in nursing staff include organizational and individual factors.

Organizational factors could be responsible for the higher nurse exit rate. These include the work environment, work expectations, organizational culture as well as the commitment of employees.

The key factors in the context for the problem of a shortage in nurses in the existing healthcare environment are the demographic factors as well as burnout and job satisfaction.

Parahoo states that there are two main factors that influence the nursing workforce’s ability to function: the rising demand for nurses, the downsizing of hospitals and technological aids to help with diagnosis and treatment, as well as the dynamic of healthcare service customer expectations.

Parahoo (2014) identifies the supply side variables that can be found in this case as being the ageing of nurses, and the hours worked by the nursing staff.

To empower an organization through structure changes, the social environment created for nurses in a particular healthcare setting should be associated with powerful references to their empowerment.

One of the implications of reforms in organizational structure is that nurses will have greater access to information, support, and resources.

Samuels and colleagues (2015) have also shown a positive association between changes in organizational structure, job satisfaction, and other research.

It can therefore be concluded that the support provided to nurses at an organizational level has a profound impact upon the nursing staff’s retention rate.

Additionally, employees can benefit from a set of beliefs values and behaviour patterns that help them to be more positive.

A nurse’s commitment to an organisation is heavily affected by their perception of its contribution to their personal goals.

It is important for nurses to be able to align their beliefs with those of the organization and the federal and state health authorities. This will result in a greater commitment to the profession (Sandelowski, 2014).

This would allow nurses and other healthcare professionals to make a stronger connection, which could lead to higher quality care.

As another category of influences that affect nurses’ decision to stay or go, the individual factors were also identified.

This includes job satisfaction and demographic factors.

It is the degree of satisfaction employees have with their job.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that lower job satisfaction leads to increased staff turnover among nurses (Staggers & Blaz (2013)).

There are many factors that can lead to lower job satisfaction, including external factors, work pressures, patient loads, or personal reasons.

Recent research has shown that nearly 45% of nurses expressed dissatisfaction with their careers, and that approximately 60% of respondents said they would consider quitting nursing (Tappen 2015.

A literature review that looked at the issue of nursing shortages revealed other remarkable factors. These included the unique behaviour patterns and symptoms experienced by nurses.

This could be due burnout. The behavioural patterns and symptoms of nurses in their profession are characterized by severe references to chronic fatigue, anxiety, mood disturbances, and anxiousness (Thomson Smith & Annesley 2014.

According to Department of Health, there have been several reasons for Australia’s acute nursing shortage.

These aspects are also indicative of factors that may have influenced nurses’ decisions to quit their jobs.

Part time nurses may also have professional implications that can be found in literature reviews. They are often subject to deep implications regarding financial considerations, managing multiple life roles, and the effect of shift work.Discussion:

An indicator of the reasons for the acute shortage in nurses could be the prominence of anxiety, stress, and depression in the Australian nursing workforce.

Research literature suggests a severe fall in nursing workforce. It can be fixed only by coherent reforms in the behavioural patterns, organizational factors, empowerment, and social support.

There are many references to nursing’s dominance of part-time and total withdrawal. This research shows the importance of recognizing the central role that nurses play in the healthcare industry.

The majority of nurses supported the majority issues that increased the quality of care for nurses, whether as individuals or groups.

Nursing has lost its traditional image as a supportive and caring profession. Nurses are now more stressed and careless, which can lead to a decline in quality care.

Noteworthy was the mention of the effects of high stress in nursing to be the first platform for healthcare professionals to decide to leave the profession. Ward et. al., 2013.

The frequent exclusions of nurses from Australia’s healthcare workforce are due to changes in the behavioural patterns of nurses, as well as the factors of excessive workloads and low monetary payments.

Additionally, it has been found that the lack in adaptability of domestic practitioners could be a major factor in limiting the growth and expansion for nursing staff.

One important aspect of the literature review is the one-to-one factor of job satisfaction. This is one reason why the inflow to the nursing profession is so low.

This discussion has led to few options that can be used to address Australia’s shortage of nurses.

The reduction of pressure on nurses by allowing them to set realistic goals and estimate their responsibilities would lead to job satisfaction improvements and reduced fatigue.

Leadership must clearly show the element of strength in providing guidance and support. This can also be ensured by strict selection methods for recruiting managerial personnel to the nursing profession.

The emphasis of employers should be moved away from financial objectives and short-term goals towards the creation of a solid framework based in the values, belief, and mission responsible for the development of the nursing profession (Ward, Ward, et. al., 2013).

In order to create training opportunities and support for new nurses and part-time nurses in nursing, the elderly workforce should be supported at both the organizational and unit levels.Conclusion:

This report examines how research can be applied to solve a nursing issue.

The problem that was identified in this instance is the shortage of nurses in Australia.

The report reviewed every aspect of the research literature that examined factors that influence nurse retention.

After the literature review, the report discusses the issue in relation to the literature. It provides valuable insights into the potential solutions that could be implemented to address the Australian nursing workforce shortage.

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