Wk 4, HCS 577: DR 1

APA format

175 – 265 words

Cite at least one (1) peer-reviewed reference

Respond to the following:

Dr. Debbie Laughon

Budgets can be challenging and there are many options to consider. Unfortunately, nursing / labor are the major cost for organizations. I find that the impact of technology is a significant factor. The industry reports that the various types of technology should have made the nurse more efficient. In my experience, the number of “clicks” to document and the number of times that the wi-fi disconnects are overlooked. It is also hard to capture the acuity of the patients and just what work requires a nurse. Most labor is built around a workload standard, which is a formula of how many hours of care, or surgical minutes, or number of cases managed/ per hour of nursing care. There are new systems that calculate the workload by DRG and extracting information from the EHR and can calculate how many hours of care are required. Apparently, another gap is that lack of complete documentation. Remember if it isn’t documented it doesn’t count. We will soon be using a system like this to drive staffing. We have some concerns, so time will tell. Your point about retention is also important. The evidence does support that it can be effective, but it can’t keep up with the number needed (demand). Variables such as aging of our workforce, and career changes overcome what can be saved. As you think about your project; if you focus on labor, be careful. It is easy to think more people is the answer. It is hard to find data to support the numbers of staff. What types of labor concerns do you hear in your organization? Do you think folks are working too hard? How does technology impact the work?

9/29/22, 7:23 PM