Nurse staffing ratios
Running head: NURSE STAFFING RATIOS

Nurse Staffing Ratios
Maureen K. Halstead
Grand Canyon University: Theories and Concepts in Leadership and Management/451V
September 15, 2012

Nurse Staffing Ratios Over the past number of years there has been a nursing shortage which has led to the need of more registered nurses in the hospital setting. This is due to the uprising acuity of patient care and a decrease in there overall hospital stay. In order for the patients to get safe and quality care, the staffing, education and experience of the nursing staff needs to be made a priority. Not only has the safety and quality of patient care suffered, the working conditions in hospitals
Having this open communication with the nurses and staff can benefit not only the patients, but also the staff. In order for the manager to be effective, they must be consistent. The manager can make a nurses life easier by advocating for them and assisting them with there job responsibilities and concerns (GCU, 2011).
Leaders
Leaders are those individuals that help to encourage and promote the growth of a hospital or organization. A leader is one that encourages those around them to move forward, and promote optimal care. Leadership is something that takes work and requires one to know there leadership skills and potential. Knowing yourself, effectively communicating your vision, and building trust with others are all parts of being a great leader. This is true with nurse staffing ratios, building trust with the other staff can help in them opening up and communicating how they are feeling about there job mentally, emotionally and physically. As the leader, you want to first establish a vision, and see where the patient, staff, and organization would benefit. When discussing the nurse staffing ratio, you could discuss strategies or other resources that would take some of the responsibilities off the nurses’ workload. It is important to listen and encourage the staff to communicate with one another regarding there concerns and patient workload. This will help the leader have the support when she discusses it with