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Introduction
The nurse-patient ratio in a health institution is the number of nurses to that of patients. Nurses should always be enough to cover the needs of all patients within the institution at a particular time. In case of shortages, there can be serious consequences, ranging from worsening illnesses to serious problems like permanent disabilities.
Professional and Moral Obligation to Participate in Politics and Policy Development
According to Rochefort et al. (2020), this has been a problem in many countries due to an inadequate number of registered nurses. The reason for advocating for nurse-to-patient ratios is to ensure high-quality healthcare services to patients. In cases where nurses are few, one nurse may care for more than one patient at a time, reducing the quality of service offered. Also, mistakes are more likely to occur because of the divided attention. Rochefort et al. (2020) found that understaffing of nurses led to increased mortality. It is, therefore, a serious issue that needs advocating to maintain the quality of healthcare and avoid associated complications.
Nursing is the leading medical profession in numbers, with nurses spending most of their time with patients. A large number of nurses gives them the potential to influence politics and policy on a global scale. They have a professional and moral obligation to get involved in all forms of legislation that impact their patients. They simply advocate for their patients when involved in politics that affect healthcare delivery (Rafferty, 2018). One of the core responsibilities of a nurse is to ensure that patients receive high-quality care and recover within the shortest time possible. Inadequate or lack of appropriate policy will impact nurses ability to achieve this role and optimal patient outcomes. This is where nurses take the responsibility to practice their obligation in policy making. They send representatives to boardrooms and government, where decisions are made so that their views are included. For instance, they can influence adding more nurses in understaffed departments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses need to participate in politics and policy-making to solve issues arising in their practice and ensure their patients receive high-quality healthcare services.
References
Rafferty, A. M. (2018). Nurses as change agents for a better future in health care: The politics of drift and dilution. Health Economics, Policy, and Law, 13(3-4), 475-491. Web.
Rochefort, C. M., Beauchamp, M. E., Audet, L. A., Abrahamowicz, M., & Bourgault, P. (2020). Associations of 4 nurse staffing practices with hospital mortality. Medical Care, 58(10), 912. Web.
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