Assignment 2

Assignment 2

Introduction

The profession of nursing abounds with numerous problems that challenge those employed in this particular field. Workload is one of the leading problems faced by a nurse. Apart from working shifts, which in itself is a challenge for them, nurses are also expected to deliver quality services to several people at one time. For example, they may be asked to look after 17 patients in the morning shift while the job of those nurses working in the night shift becomes even more difficult since they have to attend to as many as 30 patients at a time. Having to cater to so many patients at the same time has a number of negative effects on the nurses. The main aim of this project is to devise effective strategies that would increase the performance of the nurses.

Discussion

It is rather unfortunate that in the profession of nursing, nurses are not only required to work for long hours but also expected to cater to a large number of patients (Lippincott & Wilkins, 2002). For instance, it is common for a single nurse to provide nursing services to more than 17 patients at one time. The duties of nurses working in the night shift are even more demanding as they are expected to cater to as many as 30 patients at a time. Even when reviewing the scenario from the point of view of the patient, it is clear that there are going to be serious consequences of an increased workload on the nurse (Smith & Fitzpatrick, 2006). For example, having to cater to so many patients day after day will also affect the health of the nurse as it will lead to high levels of stress and, possibly, anxiety. It is also expected that increasing the workload will inevitably lead to a ...