Module I Challenges in healthcare
After reading the learning materials for this module develop three challenges to healthcare and provide a short discussion of possible nursing leadership interventions. Discuss how the nursing leadership role is instrumental in providing effective healthcare delivery.
Sample Answer
Healthcare Challenges
Medical and technology innovations have produced radical changes in US healthcare delivery. Despite the tremendous improvements, the healthcare system is experiencing new challenges every day. Some of the significant challenges facing healthcare today include shortages of healthcare workers, service quality, and cyber security. The shortage of health workers is attributed to an increase in the aging population, including the so-called Baby Boomer generation, who often require more medical care, the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, and more health workers leaving the profession due to unfavorable working conditions (Samuel & Oliver, 2021).
The issue of inadequate healthcare workers contributes to poor quality of care. Other factors contributing to poor quality of care include lack of health insurance among those who do not qualify for government insurance plans, hiring incompetent health workers, and inadequate national and institutional health policies (Vogenberg, 2019). A myriad of cybersecurity-related issues plagues the healthcare industry. The cyber security attacks have multiple negative impacts on healthcare organizations, including the leaking of crucial patient information resulting in a bad reputation for the organization, leaking of organizational financial data, resulting in theft and losses, and disruption of facility systems, thus risking the lives of patients. With the increasing integration of patient and institutional financial data management technology, cybersecurity attacks have become a significant concern for healthcare institutions.
The nursing leadership role is instrumental in providing adequate healthcare delivery. This is because nurse leaders are the backbone of healthcare delivery. They use their voice and experience to advocate for patients and other nurses. In addition, they influence federal, local, and hospital-wide policies that influence care delivery and ensure the appropriate resources and manpower are in place to achieve optimal care quality. Nurse leaders and administrators can play a crucial role in addressing the current issues facing healthcare delivery. Some of the nurse leader interventions to reduce healthcare workers shortage include advocating and leading changes that improve the welfare of healthcare workers to reduce the rate of resignation. They can also hire adequate staff and conduct fair duty allocation to minimize stress and burnout, which lead to resignation (Kelly, Lefton & Fischer, 2019).
To improve the quality of care, nurse leaders conduct regular assessments of organizational systems to identify areas of improvement, lead quality improvement initiatives, and hire and retain qualified staff to ensure quality care. Nurse leader interventions to reduce the risk of cyber security include keeping the software security systems in an organization updated, raising awareness of cyber security and risks among all workers in a healthcare setting, and influencing the day-to-day behavior and habits of staff members regarding data security through regular communication.
