PICOT Statement Paper: Quality Patient Care

PICOT STATEMENT PAPER Name Affiliation PICOT Statement Paper PICOT statement: Adequate supply of registered nurses in a healthcare facility correlates to the higher quality of patient care compared to facilities with few nurses. Background The rising cases of chronic diseases among the American population coupled with its rapid rise in the ageing population lead to an increase in demand for nursing care and other medical attention. Quality patient care for both the ageing population and patient diagnosed with chronic ailments requires an adequate supply of the nurses to facilitate the high quality of life that corresponds to the high life expectancy in the United States. Chronic conditions such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, depression disorders, and diabetes among the American adults demands for an increase in nursing staff to educate and provide nursing care to the patients CITATION Bra17 \l 1033 (University, 2017). Increase in the number of patients visiting healthcare facilities due to the Affordable Care Act further stretches the nursing occupation. Despite the growing need for nurses, there exists a crisis in the healthcare industry in the form of a nursing shortage that adversely affects the quality of patient care in the United States and around the world. Population An adequate supply of registered nurses correlates to a higher quality of patient care in healthcare facilities in the United States and around the world CITATION Don08 \l 1033 (Donaldson., 2008). The nursing profession provides occupation for approximately 2.75 million employees in the United States healthcare industry, and with the vacancy rate at a steady 7.2 %, the number is expected to reach 3.2 million by the year 2024 CITATION Don08 \l 1033 (Donaldson., 2008). However, the increasing vacancy rates fail to address the crisis of nursing shortages experienced in healthcare facilities around the country. The demand for patient care is also on the rise due to the increase in the number of patients with chronic ailments and the ageing population which requires more attention due to their vulnerability to the said ailments. The shortage of nurses in healthcare facilities adversely affects the quality of patient care delivered by the nurses. Intervention An adequate supply of nurses in a health care center ensures the effective application of nursing interventions to address the wide range of medical needs. Health care facilities which have a higher number of registered nurses provide better quality care to their patients. Effective applic...