NUR 621 Topic 8 DQ 1
answer:
I would go about educating/informing my staff by showing the staffing model to them on the computer. There would be pictures of all the nurses and the staff that is on each nursing unit, along with an explanation of where each nurse is supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing in a given time schedule. I would put it into a power point, also informing them that this staffing model was in accordance with the new hospital standards that were set by our CEO a year ago. After I have shown them, I would review the staffing model with them, making certain that they fully understand it and have a copy to take back to their nurse’s station so they can share it with their staff.
I would want my staff to know they were included in creating the staffing model. I would let them know that the budgeted staffing model was arrived at after looking at census, acuity, patients in isolation/Decontamination, and any other “musts” of the unit. I would explain which resources would be flexible (i.e., when we convert staffing) and what resources would not be flexible (i.e., CNA, RN) so they understood where I was coming from.
Educating employees about budgeted staffing has become an important part of the nursing units budget and is often a very important aspect of ensuring a safe environment for patients to recover in. As the nurse manager, you should contact each individual nurse on your unit and briefly discuss what nursing’s budget forms are and why they are being utilized to determine director of nursing and hospital administration as a whole; these conversations provide educational opportunities for staff regarding the function, value and support of budgeting as well as improving communication between nurse manager and unit nurses.
Educating staff on the new model of nursing will be very important. I also think there need to be incentives for adhering to the model as well as consequences for not following the guidelines.
The most important thing to remember is that nursing care does not work in a linear fashion. It is cyclical. A nurse has time to perform activities such as charting, education and staff meetings during the shifts with low patient load whereas, during the peak hours, a patient-to-staff ratio is more favorable; this is a prime time for the nurse to spend time with and provide direct care to a patient.
question:
You find that your staff is not aware of the budgeted staffing model for their nursing unit. How would you go about educating/informing your staff? What would the most important factors to address?