Quality care for patients despite limitations of resources

As a nurse working in healthcare, it is vital to provide safe, quality care to my patients despite the limitations of resources. To provide this care, policy is developed to regulate care and protect nurses. Such policies may include controlling patient to nurse ratios and policies to protect patients’ confidential information. Policy, however; is influenced by completing resources.

Many competing needs affect the nurse shortage. The primary goal of a healthcare worker is to provide safe quality care to patients. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations also must work to operate at a sustainable cost. The balance of profitability and quality of care can be hard to maintain. Moreover, the healthcare company must balance the quality of the employee’s life (Akinleye et al., 2019).

Due to nurse shortages, healthcare workers must continue to work in high stress environments. These high stress environments are aggravated by high patient loads, complex patients, and high acuity of patients. This is combined with less time to manage tasks and a lack of resources to accomplish day-to-day tasks. The nursing shortage contributes to a healthcare organization having to allocate this high number of critically acute patients to a single nurse in efforts to increase profit. For this reason, policies are needed to ensure safe, quality care while saving money (Akinleye et al., 2019).

Nurse burnout can also contribute to nurse shortages. At my facility, many nurses left bedside after the strenuous COVID-19 season. Studies have shown that workers during the pandemic worked longer hours with more acutely sick patients (Lopez et al., 2021). For this reason, I would conclude that the pandemic was a competing factor in nurse shortages. My healthcare organization tried to develop policies to help nurses achieve adequate work-life balance. For example, the hospital established a policy that provided an opportunity for nurses to get discounted prices at the wellness center.

A factor that may also contribute to the stressor of the nurse shortage is the need for a facility to adopt technology. A healthcare facility might need nurses, however; leadership might choose to direct their financial resources toward maintaining health information technology versus recruitment or hiring needs (Kelly & Porr, 2018).

Several things can be done to address these completing needs. First, policy can be made to enhance educational resources for nurses. For example, if a nurse that typically works on a medical surgical floor is required to work in a critical care unit due to shortage of available critical care workers, this nurse needs to be educated throughout. If these nurses are provided better education safe quality care can be achieved. Moreover, as I mentioned before, the pandemic added another level to patient care. Education of the virus and its effects on the body system would be beneficial. According to a study, nurses do not always feel adequately trained to care for these individuals (Sperling, 2021).

References

Akinleye, D. D., McNutt, L. A., Lazariu, V., & McLaughlin, C. C. (2019). Correlation between hospital finances and quality and safety of patient care. PLOS ONE, 14(8), e0219124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219124

Kelly, P., & Porr, C. (2018). Ethical Nursing Care Versus Cost Containment: Considerations to Enhance RN Practice. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol23no01man06

Lopez, V., Anderson, J., West, S., & Cleary, M. (2021). Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Further Impact Nursing Shortages? Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 43(3), 293–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.1977875

Roth, I., Thompson-Lastad, A., & Thomas, A. U. (2020). The Quadruple Aim as a Framework for Integrative Group Medical Visits. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(4), 261–264. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2019.0425

Sperling, D. (2021). Nurses’ challenges, concerns and unfair requirements during the COVID-19 outbreak. Nursing Ethics, 28(7–8), 1096–1110. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330211005175

Strengths and weaknesses of non-experimental research

Why would a researcher choose to conduct non-experimental research? What are the strengths and weaknesses associated with this type of research?

  Cultural differences that impact management processes

“Cultural differences that impact management processes” is the chosen project title. Management practices in diverse businesses are affected by cultural variations amongst people. Several attempts have been made to address the problem, but further study is needed. Globalization and the rise of multi-national enterprises have resulted in a melting pot of many cultures. All of these are founded on a business’s views, beliefs, conventions, and established ways of doing things. Time management, technology, company culture, religion, and education all have an impact on the management process, as do these factors (Ayub Khan & Smith Law, 2018). Because of this, it is impossible to disregard the influence of cultural diversity on corporate management. The goal of the project’s research is to provide a collection of solutions that may be used to overcome the challenges posed by cultural variations that affect the management process.

Anticipated barriers

In cross-cultural teams, communication is one of the most anticipated obstacles to overcome. Because they originate from different cultural backgrounds, individuals of the team are likely to have a variety of communication methods. Disagreements among group members regarding overdue dates for tasks and projects are expected to arise due to the participants’ diverse communication styles, leading to misconceptions and miscommunications (Oden, 2021). Depending on which members of the group you’re addressing, your words and actions impact.

Another problem with cross-cultural teams is that working styles and expectations are quite different from one culture to the next. Cultures vary in their attitudes, values, and methods for forming bonds with one another. There is a high probability that the working methods and ethics of ethnic team members will vary as well. It may be normal in certain cultures to urge people to work longer than eight hours a day, but it may be seen as exploitative and unacceptable in other cultures.

Group vs. individual culture clashes in multi-cultural teams as well. They all have their own distinct working style, which is influenced by their cultural background. Individuality is prized in certain workplaces, and the freedom to express one’s thoughts and ideas is encouraged. It’s very uncommon for cultures to be more paternalistic in nature, with leaders choosing how things should be done and people following their orders. Individualistic cultures emphasize the importance of a person’s individuality above the interests of the collective. The emphasis on self-reliance in these cultures may have a detrimental influence on an organization’s management process. As a result, collectivism enhances organizational productivity by focusing on the process rather than the end result; furthermore, individualist societies place a premium on immediate gratification and outcomes over the long term. Because of this independence, private offices and intense rivalry have arisen inside these organizations (Hofstede, 2020). Competition and productivity are used to gauge company success, which is affected by a culture of individualism. Having an open office layout that encourages workers to form social bonds is a key component of a collaborative culture. Interdependence is essential for improving management processes inside a company and is beneficial in this regard. In contrast to explicit communication in the individualist culture, the communal culture uses indirect communication.

In multi-cultural teams, intolerance and a lack of education about diversity is another major problem. It is imperative that we confront the issues of intolerance and ignorance around cultural diversity. Keeping in mind the importance of respecting diversity in the management process is essential. Different nationalities, languages, religions, and skin tones may all be represented on your team. You should be prepared for this. Avoid joking or attempting to strike up a discussion based on your differences. In addition, the way individuals do their duties and conduct themselves in various situations will be different.

Possible strategies to overcome barriers

Cultural intelligence, cross-cultural management, and accepting cultural diversity are all possible strategies for addressing the consequences of cultural variations in management processes. The ability to demonstrate a certain set of culturally-associated abilities, behaviors, and attributes is a key component of cultural intelligence (Oden, 2021). These include cultural intelligence in spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and linguistics. Cross-cultural management promotes the expansion of management collaboration in many nations where they operate. Managers may use cross-cultural management to understand their workers’ behaviour better and showcase some of the approaches by which firms can connect with their client demographics and their own staff. In the workplace, a favorable attitude toward handling cultural differences among employees is provided through embracing diversity.

Conclusion

In both good and bad ways, cultural differences may impact the management of a business. Understanding and implementing suitable ways to handle cultural differences in a business is the greatest way to ensure that it is beneficial to management operations (Kawar & Sumaya, 2019). Managers employ cultural intelligence and cross-cultural management in order to improve the success of their company. Through effective management, multi-national firms are responsible for ensuring that the work environment encourages the achievement of organizational goals. You can reap the benefits of cultural variety, but only if you create an environment where everyone can thrive and thrives.

References

Ayub Khan, M., & Smith Law, L. (2018). The Role of National Cultures in Shaping the Corporate Management Cultures: A Three-Country Theoretical Analysis. Organizational Culture. Intechopen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78051

Hofstede, G. (2020). National Cultures, Organizational Cultures, and the Role of Management. OpenMind. https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/national-cultures-organizational-cultures-and-the-role-of-management/

Kawar, T. I., & Sumaya, P. (2019). Cross-cultural Differences in Management. Undefined. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Cross-cultural-Differences-in-Management-Kawar-Sumaya/b5e0199f058aa7ab7a73876b6158df93fbceba07

Oden, C. (2021, November 12). Impact of Cultural Differences in Management. Project Topics. https://www.projecttopics.org/impact-of-cultural-differences-in-management.html

The patient is presenting with a persistent cough and is expectorating green sputum leading to the diagnosis of acute bronchitis. McCance & Huether (2019) define acute bronchitis as an inflammation or infection of the bronchi or airway caused by a virus. The patient is coughing as a result of a protective reflex from the vagus nerve. Coughing allows the individual to expectorate her secretions from the lower airways (McCance & Huether, 2019).

The feeling of gagging and dry heaves is caused by the patient’s deep cough with the goal of expectorating the tenacious, thick sputum. Viral infections, allergens, or pollutants might trigger an inflammatory response in the bronchi resulting in acute bronchitis. When the bronchial wall is inflamed, mucosal thickening and epithelial-cell desquamation occur (Smith et al., 2020). The inflammation and infection on the bronchi create secretions causing irritation leading to a strong cough.

     According to this case, Lou most likely developed acute bronchitis as a result of a viral infection as she does not have a medical history or history of smoking. Common clinical manifestations of acute bronchitis include coughing, expectoration, chest pain, shortness of breath, and wheezing from baseline versus after 7 days of treatment (Nowicky & Murray, 2020). Pulmonary environmental toxins or allergens might play role in Lou’s condition, such as nitrous oxides, methane, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and air pollution. Two patient factors that heavily influence the diagnosis of acute bronchitis are age and behavior. Patients over the age of 65 and children younger than two years are at risk of acquiring infections (Nowicky & Murray, 2020). Common pathogens include influenza virus A and B, parainfluenza, and rhinovirus. Implementing infection precautions and getting routine vaccinations are preventable measures vulnerable populations can engage in.  Furthermore, behaviors like smoking can develop into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Individuals with COPD are more likely to develop chronic bronchitis (Nowicky & Murray, 2020). All in all, Lou’s acute bronchitis can be managed with antibiotics and cough expectorants.

Acute bronchitis

In the given scenario with Lou who is 35 and otherwise healthy, non-smoker with acute onset of tracheitis and a productive cough producing green sputum, it appears that it is acute bronchitis (Lefebvre, 2020). Acute bronchitis is a self-limiting respiratory infection that causes inflammation of the large airways distinguished by a cough (Lefebvre, 2020). The epithelial lining of the bronchi become thickened and inflamed (Lefebvre, 2020). As a result, it causes an interruption in airflow and bronchial hypersensitivity which leads to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath (Lefebvre, 2020). Sputum may or may not be present although it may appear as yellow or green from cellular debris (Lefebvre, 2020).

Clinical manifestations

The presentation of acute bronchitis typically exhibits generalized fatigue, fever, mild shortness of breath, and either a productive or nonproductive cough which can last from five days and lasting up to three to four weeks (Lefebvre, 2020; McCance & Huether, 2019). Further, a cough can be exacerbated by cold, dry or dusty air (Lefebvre, 2020; McCance & Huether, 2019). Despite the presentation of yellow or green sputum, it may not indicate bacterial infection as it may be present with viral bronchitis (Lefebvre, 2020; McCance & Huether, 2019).

Causes/risk factors

In a majority of cases, acute bronchitis is caused by respiratory viruses such as influenza A and B, parainfleunza, respiratory syncytial, corona, adeno and rhino (Lefebvre, 2020; McCance & Huether, 2019). In 6-15% of cases, bacteria are detected with haemophilus influenza and streptoccus pneumonia being the most prevalent (Lefebvre, 2020). In addition to these bacteria, less common or atypical bacteria include mycoplasma pneumoniae, bordetella pertussis and chlamydia pneumoniae have also been identified as causative agents (Lefebvre 2020).  Common risk factors may include smoking, asthma, allergies, older adults, childhood respiratory diseases and environmental exposures to pollutants (Lefebvre, 2020.

Factors influencing bronchitis

In consideration of the patient’s age and she does not have any chronic respiratory issues such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema which would put her at greater risk of pneumonia, her acute bronchitis should be resolve on its own (Grigoryan et al., 2017). Research has shown that up to 70% of acute bronchitis cases result in treatment with antibiotics (Grigoryan et al., 2017). In the 18–39-year-old age group, antibiotics were prescribed the most frequently in this population (Grigoryan et al., 2017). Antibiotics for otherwise healthy adults do provide any major benefit and may experience adverse effects of antibiotic treatment (Grigoryan et al., 2017; Lefebvre, 2020.