Patient ratio to nurse affects patients ans nurses in canadian health care - Essay Example

Effects of Patient-Nurse Ratio to the Nurses, Patients, and Canadian Health Care Introduction Canada’s health care system has undergone enormous change (Forest, 2004, p. 150). One of these changes involves the Health Human Resource Planning (HHRP) and has posed challenges related to patient-nurse ratio. The HHRP drastically affect the role of the health care providers such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, caregivers, and even patients. That is why the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada proposed that health care must be matched as closely as possible to the health needs of the population (Forest, 2004, p. 151). I had been on practicum in a care home and I noticed how nurses are responsible for 25 patients and 8 patients for each care aid.

Based on observation, that nurse and care aid ratio to patients had a huge impact on patient care. Because of that number, a lot of things were missed, poorly done, rushed, and worst commission of negligence. Nurse-patient ratio is not fair especially in care homes and in hospitals. During my practicum as an LPN, I had observed that the quality of care an LPN could give was compromised due to extra load. The LPN cannot bring out the best care for patient and the nurses became task oriented. Both the nurses and LPN cannot spare an enormous amount of time to build a good relationship with the patients.

In addition, care aids are given some responsibilities that should be done by a nurse. For example, range of motion (ROM) exercises was performed by LPN although these persons might not know the importance of ROM exercises. As I was talking and taking care of these patients, I noticed presence of contractures because their exercises are not being carried out even though it is written in the chart. Also, topical medications application was assigned to the care aid but it is not applied everyday committing this mistake repeatedly.

The unfair patient-nurse ratio diminished the time nurses spend with patient. If a nurse had a little bit extra time to spend with patient, it might relieve patient’s anxiety and will ask questions about their health. But instead, patients are given sedatives and nurses no longer sit with the client to alleviate anxiety. More and more drugs are given and it just adds to the drug toxicity in the body. Most of the patients admitted to the hospital are seriously ill. They went to the hospital for cure and not to have additional serious complications on top of it.

Studies found out that lower nurse-patient staffing was linked to the occurrences of increased urinary tract infections, pneumonia, thrombosis, pulmonary lung congestion, and other lung-related problems following major surgery. This nurse-patient ratio caused nurses’ burnout as they have to give medications to 25 patients including the tube patient’s medication, IV medication, and insulin injection which were time consuming. Nurses look like robot in giving care and don’t have enough patient time.

In some instances, old patients take medication slowly consuming a bulk of time nurses could provide to other patients. In hospitals, nurses are given extra load of acute patients. Later on, this compromised care and adds extra stress on the part of the nurse. In general, the lower nurse