nursing shrtage
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A major problem in our society is nursing shortage, but an even bigger problem has now come to our attention; is the nursing shortage affecting the quality of patient care? There are many different opinions about this issue where some may agree and others may disagree. I agree with this statement mostly because of the facts stated in the article written by Brian Hansen.
This particular issue is not exactly as controversial as I would have thought it to be, especially because of all the fact claims made. According to a landmark study conducted by Needleman and Buerhaus, they concluded that surgery patients in hospitals with low nurse-staffing levels were six percent more likely to die from complications than surgical patients at better staffed facilities. This fact can be easily avoided if the nurse to patient ratio was lower and if hospitals were better staffed. According to the joint commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations nursing shortage is a "prescription for danger." This statement was based off of a study done by The Oakbrook Terrace stating that nearly a quarter of the 1,609 cases of accidental injuries or death to hospitals in 1997 were caused by nursing shortage. This is another fact claim made in the article because it lists specific numbers and statistics.
These facts and statistics should easily convince public that nursing shortage is affecting the quality of patient care, but that is not the case; many try to argue this issue and completely disagree...