HEALTH CARE 1
HEALTH CARE 2
Respond to EACH DISCUSSION POST BELOW. Explain how their chosen national healthcare issue/stressor may also impact your work setting and what (if anything) is being done to address the national healthcare issue/stressor.
DISCUSSION 1
The healthcare issue that I would like to address is the shortage of mental health facilities. Mental health issues have been on the rise for a while now especially with the emergence of COVID-19. One thing that is shocking to realize is that the United States ranks almost dead last in psych beds per 100,000 people (in developed countries). (Administrator, 2018). The effects of these shortages span across all aspects of society. The mental health problem we have in the United States is a problem for everyone involved. A few examples of the issues that arise from shortages of psychiatric beds and hospitals are increased homelessness, increased illegal drug usage and a huge stress on psych hospitals because of too high of a demand with the patient population (Shortage of psychiatric hospital beds for mentally Ill, 2019). This issue is not going to go away anytime soon. I work in a mental health hospital and the influx of new patients and the lack of facilities to take care of these patients is becoming an issue that must be resolved soon. In the United States alone about 1 in 5 people suffer from some sort of mental illness (Weiner, 2018). That means there are about 66,000,000 people who are battling a mental illness and there are simply not enough resources for them to get the help they need.
References
Administrator. (2018). Psychiatric bed shortages. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/key-issues/bed-shortages
Shortage of psychiatric hospital beds for mentally Ill (Summary TAC Report). (2019, January 23). Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/imd/shortage-hospital-beds.html
Weiner, S. (2018, February 12). Addressing the escalating psychiatrist shortage. https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/addressing-escalating-psychiatrist-shortage.
DISCUSSION 2
The national healthcare issue selected is the current Coronavirus pandemic. In the year 2020, the world health organization declared the Corona virus, known as the covid-19 a global health emergency. Currently, there have been millions of cases with 513,122 deaths (CDC, 2020). Since the beginning of the pandemic, my current hospital organization have been doing their best to make sure both the patients and staff are safe. They went to the extent of formulating a plan which included creation of private rooms by decreasing census on the unit, stopping visitation rights unless patient was dying or young, and even created COVID testing rooms on floors such as a psychiatry to test patients suspected of having COVID instead of waiting on medical floors which sometimes took hours. Besides having COVID safety officers, they trained additional nurses to transport and care for patients if necessary.
Although all of these were great initiatives, the company changed their benefits plan such as increasing the cost of health insurance, decreasing overtime pay, not matching 401K, and refused to give a raise until the pandemic was over. “Employee benefits-including health care, paid leave and retirement benefits-are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent International Foundation report” (Held, 2021). This action led to many staff leaving the job which led to shortage and burnout of nursing staff. Avoidance behavior have become popular among healthcare workers as well which is when staff call out work multiple times or minimize direct contact time with patients due to fear of being infected (Lange, 2021). As of now, the organization have agreed to increase pay by 2%, match 401K within the upcoming month only if hired in 2020 and have even offered COVID PTO so staff can feel comfortable calling off if sick and not feel scared to lose their job. Although, positive changes have already taken place more work is needed. A way of ensuring staff is pleased is by paying attention to the Gallup survey which is completed every two years. Jacobs et al (2018) found that the use of the Gallup survey was helpful in making improvements for employees.
References
Centers for disease control and prevention. (2020). COVID Data Tracker. Retrieved on March 1, 2021 from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#global-trends
Held, J. M.(2021). Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on employee benefits. Benefits Quarterly, 37(1), 57. Retrieved on March 1, 2021 from https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fmeasuring-impact-covid-19-on-employee-benefits%2Fdocview%2F2489775884%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14872
Jacobs, B. , McGovern, J. , Heinmiller, J. & Drenkard, K. (2018). Engaging Employees in Well-Being. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 42(3), 231–245. doi: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000303.
Lange, K. W. (2021). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and global mental health. Global Health Journal. Retrieved on March 1, 2021 from https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.glohj.2021.02.004
Bottom of Form
.
HEALTH CARE
1
Respon
d
to
E
A
C
H
D
I
S
C
U
S
S
I
O
N
P
O
S
T
B
E
L
O
W
.
Explain how their chosen national healthcare
issue/stressor may also impact your work setting and what (if anything) is being done to address
the national healthcare issue/stressor
.
D
I
S
C
U
S
S
I
O
N
1
The
healthcare
issue
that
I
would
like
to
address
is
the
shortage
of
mental
health
facilities.
Mental
health
issues
have
been
on
the
r
ise
for
a
while
now
especially
with
the
emergence
of
COVID
–
19.
One
thing
that
is
shocking
to
realize
is
that
the
United
States
ranks
almost
dead
last
in
psych
beds
per
100,000
people
(in
developed
countries).
(Administrator,
2018).
The
effects
of
these
s
hortages
span
across
all
aspects
of
society.
The
mental
health
problem
we
have
in
the
United
States
is
a
problem
for
everyone
involved.
A
few
examples
of
the
issues
that
arise
from
shortages
of
psychiatric
beds
and
hospitals
are
increased
homelessness,
i
ncreased
illegal
drug
usage
and
a
huge
stress
on
psych
hospitals
because
of
too
high
of
a
demand
with
the
patient
population
(
Shortage
of
psychiatric
hospital
beds
for
mentally
Ill,
2019).
This
issue
is
not
going
to
go
away
anytime
soon.
I
work
in
a
ment
al
health
hospital
and
the
influx
of
new
patients
and
the
lack
of
facilities
to
take
care
of
these
patients
is
becoming
an
issue
that
must
be
resolved
soon.
In
the
United
States
alone
about
1
in
5
people
suffer
from
some
sort
of
mental
illness
(Weiner,
20
18).
That
means
there
are
about
66,000,000
people
who
are
battling
a
mental
illness
and
there
are
simply
not
enough
resources
for
them
to
get
the
help
they
need.
Reference
s
Administrator.
(2018).
Psychiatric
bed
shortages.
Retrieved
March
03,
20
21,
from
https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/key
–
issues/bed
–
shortages
Shortage
of
psychiatric
hospital
beds
for
mentally
Ill
(Summary
TAC
Report).
(2019,
January
23).
Retrieved
March
03,
2021,
from
https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/imd/shortage
–
hospital
–
beds.htm
l
Weiner,
S.
(2018,
February
12).
Addressing
the
escalating
psychiatrist
shortage.
https://www.aamc.org/news
–
insights/addressing
–
escalating
–
psychiatrist
–
shortage
.
