What are some examples of how cost-cutting can impact on the delivery of 'hands-on' nursing care?

Answer 1

unavailabilty of specialty beds.....
... because they cost so much, and most insurance won't pay for them unless a patient has a decubitus or is at high risk for bed sores.
...I think they should be used on all patients as a preventative measure..

Answer 2

Directly, cost cutting can effect the actual amount of time that nurses can spend per patient . For example, if there are 20 patients on a unit that was previously staffed with 5 nurses, each patient could receive 15 minutes per hour of attention. If that same unit was reduced to 4 nurses per shift, each patient only receives 12 minutes of attention. Taken further, with 3 nurses, each patient receives a little more then 9 minutes.

In theory, 15 minutes would be nice. Keep in mind, that's 15 minutes per hour to see the patient, assess his condition, chart your findings, place calls to physicians, receive orders, pass medications, reassess for any changes, and perform any other random tasks needed like hygiene, ambulation, etc. With that in mind, 15 minutes per hour doesn't seem like all that much.

However the unit that I work on only staffs 3 nurses per 20 patients. Now that 9 minutes seems insane doesn't it? And 3 per 20 isn't bad for this area, I've seen worse.

So, that's an example of how cutting payroll costs effect time spent with patients, now let's look at how that decrease in time effects the patient's overall health!

http://www.bidshift.com/pdf/jama_nurse_staffing.pdf

As documented, the fewer patients per nurse, the better.

Hope this helps, I could rant forever, but I'm on the clock! :)

Answer 3

With all the cutbacks that have been made, there is not enough nursing staff to care for the patients the way they should be cared for. I have seen my own loved ones, lie in dirty and smelly beds, because the staff had more important things to do at that time, and didn't have the time to take my loved ones to the bathroom. You have to spend many hours at the hospital, in order to help look after your own family member. The shortage of staff, and all the other cut backs, need to be reviewed, and they need to be reviewed soon.

Answer 4

VERY-VERY-DEADLY!!