Application of theory in Nurcing

It is on these theories that nursing issues that face the nursing practice and profession can be resolved. This assignment aims to develop a discussion which identifies a nursing theory which can be applied in resolving a nursing issue of concern in practice. The assignment will explore how the theory of self-care deficit can be applied on providing the guidance for improving safe nurse staffing. The self-care theory of nursing was described by Dorothea Orem as a theory which nursing care is offered to patients depending on their needs of care (Khrais, 2016). According to the theory, human beings have to constantly communicate between self and the environment to stay alive and functional. Nurse staffing has been identified as an essential contribution to the quality of care and one that influences the patient's outcomes of care as well as patient’s experience of care.

Evidence-based practice has shown that nurse-patient staffing ratios are a key contributor to patient safety and quality of patient care (Shang, Stone & Larson, 2015). Safe nursing staffing incorporates not only the number of nurses allocated per patient but also the nurse staffing mix per the nurse's qualifications, experiences and specializations. Why care about safe nursing staffing Nurse staffing is an essential indicator of patient care quality outcome. Nurse staffing has been associated as having contributions to the patient outcomes, influencing the care provided to patients and its coordination. The Institute of Medicine report on nursing care staffing identified that there is a likelihood of a further increase in the demand for nursing care workers in the USA. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are a projected 1.

4 million job vacancies for nurses that will be created, this is chiefly due to the increasing chronic illnesses, elderly populations, and the aging nurse workforce (Kurnat-Thoma, Ganger, Peterson & Channell, 2017). The nursing shortage is estimated to double by the year 2025 as despite nursing being among the fastest growing career in the USA, the needs outnumbers the supply for the nursing staff. Stakeholders in nurse-staff shortage. These are wholly dependent on the nurse to meet their daily needs. Partially compensatory are patients who are partly able to care for some of their needs by their own but need assistance in meeting other needs. Supportive is the nursing care for patients who are able to meet their needs but need support to strengthen such as education and sensitization among others.

The self-care theory can be utilized in managing the challenge of safety in nursing staffing. The theory subdivides patients depending on their needs and abilities to meet these needs on their own. The streamlining will remove staffing redundancies where allocations of nurses were not commensurate with patient needs and numbers. The strategy will also reduce task shifting among the nursing staff hence affording the nursing staff more time to interact with the patients in identifying their health needs and providing the support they need for the care of the patients. Implementing the strategy requires the involvement of all the stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system. The initial step in implementing the strategy will be to choose a department at a hospital which can be utilized to create a model facility for the implementation of the strategy.

Once the department implements the strategy with results, the strategy can then be cascaded to other departments. The reason for such a study is that quality patient care is linked to the staffing levels of nurses in patient care. An improvement in safe nursing staffing leading to increased quality of care and patient satisfaction can hence be a motivating factor for increased financial viability in hospital care (Everhart, Neff, Al-Amin, Nogle & Weech-Maldonado, 2013). The study would also look to compare such an impact between hospitals in competitive and less competitive markets. Conclusion Patient safety and positive patient outcomes of care are healthcare derivatives that measure the quality of care provided to patients. Nursing is an important source of data and information that contributes to meeting the quality care perspectives in health.