NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change
Student Name
Capella University
NHS-FPX 6008 Economics and Decision Making in Health Care
Prof. Name
Date
Lobbying for Change
To,
Dr. James,
Health Commissioner,
Albany, NY 12237.
Dr. James,
I am writing to advocate for urgent action regarding the persistent staffing shortages in the Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) Geriatric Unit in New York. This issue critically impacts patient safety and the wellness of healthcare professionals. Overwhelmed nurses face burnout, leading to higher turnover rates, increased medical errors, and reduced patient satisfaction (Bae, 2022). These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations in Harlem, exacerbating health disparities and straining the healthcare system.
The issue of MSH’s Geriatric Unit staffing shortages will yield huge positive outcomes. Increased nurse-to-patient ratios will improve patient safety, decrease medical errors, and improve health outcomes in Harlem’s aging population. Additionally, it will decrease nurse burnout, increase job satisfaction, decrease turnover rates, and result in a stable, experienced workforce. It will decrease costly reliance on temporary staff and readmissions. The shortages will put more and more healthcare workers under stress, increasing turnover and operational costs and suffering patient care. Harlem and vulnerable communities nationwide will wait longer, receive limited quality care, and experience worsening health disparities (Griffiths et al., 2021). MSH may also be subject to legal trouble when it fails to achieve staffing standards, as the institution’s financial stability and reputation can be at risk.
NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change
MSH’s Geriatric Unit, like many other hospitals around the country, faces a critical national healthcare crisis with projected shortages of 275,000 more registered nurses nationwide and 40,000 more in New York by 2030 (Haddad et al., 2023). The shortage increases the probability of medical errors, higher infection rates, and poorer patient outcomes, especially in vulnerable communities such as Harlem (Griffiths et al., 2021). The turnover costs of nurses are $21,515 to $88,000 per nurse, and recruitment and training costs further strain hospital budgets (Bae, 2022).
At institutes, staff shortages result in staff burnout, increased costs with temporary workers, and legal risks of breaking nurse-patient ratios. Harlem has higher readmission rates (75.5%) and premature death rates (21.4%) compared to other parts of the city, a result of poor staffing and health disparities (MSH, 2023). Workforce imbalances affect both access to healthcare and financial sustainability statewide and nationally. Proposed actions include investing in professional development, establishing retention strategies, optimizing resource allocation, and using technologies such as Epic’s EHR system (Judson et al., 2022). These measures enable ethical care, foster diversity, and are aligned with equity in health. The recommended changes uphold ethical principles by promoting patient safety, equity, and nurse well-being, ensuring fair access to quality care for diverse populations.
NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change
Personal and professional experiences with staffing shortages at MSH’s Geriatric Unit have highlighted the critical need for adequate nurse-to-patient ratios. Witnessing burnout and patient safety risks firsthand informed resource planning focused on retention strategies and professional development. These experiences also shaped a proactive risk analysis, prioritizing workforce stability and financial sustainability. Please consider these proposed changes to address the staffing crisis in the Geriatric Unit at MSH, as they are important for ensuring the well-being of both healthcare providers and the vulnerable populations we serve. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Brianna
References
Bae, S.-H. (2024). Nurse staffing, work hours, mandatory overtime, and turnover in acute care hospitals affect nurse job satisfaction, intent to leave, and burnout: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Public Health, 69(1607068). https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607068
Griffiths, P., Saville, C., Ball, J. E., Jones, J., & Monks, T. (2021). Beyond ratios – flexible and resilient nurse staffing options to deliver cost-effective hospital care and address staff shortages: A simulation and economic modelling study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 117(117), 103901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103901
Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2023). Nursing shortage. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/
NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change
Judson, T. J., Pierce, L., Tutman, Mourad, M., Neinstein, A. B., Shuler, G., Gonzales, R., & Odisho, A. Y. (2022). Utilization patterns and efficiency gains from use of a fully EHR-integrated COVID-19 self-triage and self-scheduling tool: A retrospective analysis. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(12), 2066–2074. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocac161
MSH. (2023). Community health needs assessment. The Mount Sinai Hospital. https://www.mountsinai.org/files/MSHealth/Assets/MSH/MSH-&-MSQ-CHNA-2023.pdf