Cost containment has clearly been the major focus. Health care administrators and policy makers have integrated aggressive business practices termed restructuring, redesign, or downsizing into the workplace. What these terms mean to us are loss of job security, jobs, and the devaluation of our role as professional care givers. What it means to our patients are increased risks and decreased quality of care. Whenever an RN position is eliminated or replaced by a lesser skilled individual, patient safety is compromised.
Outcomes become less favorable.
All of you have read newspapers or seen news broadcasts of incidents of patient injury or death. An alarming number of these unfortunate occurrences can be directly related to lowered standards or decreased staffing levels leading to an increase in errors involving patients. This will continue to occur until such time as the public becomes aware of their risks and mandates change. It therefore follows that our charge is not only to educate our patients about their healthcare but also the climate in which their healthcare is being delivered. By taking our leadership role to a higher level.