WEEK 4 DISCUSSION Safe and quality patient care

Sample Answer

According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), a healthy work environment is characterized by six standards, such as skilled communication, effective decision making, true collaboration, meaningful recognition, appropriate staffing, and authentic leadership (Halm, 2019).

Nurse leaders play a significant role in ensuring that all the six standards are met to promote quality outcomes for both the nursing staff and patients. Several strategies are thus adopted by nurse leaders to promote and sustain a positive work environment. Such strategies include promoting a safe place for staff members to voice their concerns and ideas; making sure that values and expectations are clear; keeping the environments simple; keeping the work area uncluttered and orderly; and recognizing volunteerism.

Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to several issues which compromise the work environment of healthcare personnel, if not well mitigated (Raso, Fitzpatrick, & Masick, 2020). For example, with appropriate planning, hospitals have been able to acquire adequate resources, such as appropriate staffing and the availability of enough PPEs for staff members, to promote a safe and healthy working environment.

However, nurses working in remote settings have raised concerns regarding inadequate staffing, and mandatory overtime, which creates an unhealthy work environment, leading to increased nurse pressure, injury rates, fatigue, and compromised provision of safe care.

The American Nurses Association has outlined seven bills of rights for RNs to promote the art of negotiation in enhancing a safe and healthy work environment (Scruth, Garcia, & Buchner, 2018). Nurses are thus required to freely and acquiescently advocate for themselves and their patients, through communication and collaboration, to promote a healthy work environment. This helps them avoid the feeling of victimization, devalued, and unmotivated, hence promoting service provision.

References

• Halm, M. (2019). The influence of appropriate staffing and healthy work environments on patient and nurse outcomes. American Journal of Critical Care, 28(2), 152-156. https //doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2019938
  
• Raso, R., Fitzpatrick, J. J., & Masick, K. (2020). Clinical nurses’ perceptions of authentic nurse leadership and healthy work environment. JONA The Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(9), 489-494. DOI 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000921
  
• Scruth, E. A., Garcia, S., & Buchner, L. (2018). Work-life quality, healthy work environments, and nurse retention. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 32(3), 111-113. DOI 10.1097/NUR.0000000000000376