Scenario You are making a staffing assignment knowing that you are short-staffed. You have five registered nurses (RNs), two licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and two nursing assistants. Those nine employees need to provide a 12-hour shift of services to 30 clients with a high acuity required to a ratio of nurse to client at 1:3.Client acuity level

Directing the Staff to their Assigned Roles

As managers, nurses will handle staff shortages frequently. They must utilize the staff to ensure their patients receive the essential healthcare services they may require. Nurse managers must direct their staff members to their respective units. Due to issues with staff shortages, a new staffing assignment has been made depending on patient’s needs in our unit. These assignments have been completed based on the competence and scope of practice of the available staff members. This was done to ensure that all our clients receive the best quality nursing care services. RNs and LPNs should be in the same shift to ensure that RNs provide effective supervision for CNAs and LPNs. The patient-nurse ratio should also be 3:1 to minimize exhaustion and to ensure the patients receive the best care.

Nurse managers must consider the skills of the staff when assigning them to different patients. RNs, LPs, and CNAs all have different scopes of practice. They must thus be assigned to patients who match their scope of practice and skill set. Registered nurses can check patients’ vital signs, administer drugs, coordinate care, and provide counseling to the patient (American Nurses Association, 2021). LPNs can check patients’ vital signs, change bandages and dress wounds, ensure patients are comfortable, and administer drugs in some healthcare organizations (American Nurses Association, n.d.). On the other hand, CNAs can move patients, bathe patients, feed patients, groom patients, document information, transport patients, stock supplies, and answer patient calls (Nurse.org, n.d.). The roles were distributed based on the skill sets.

There are six patients in acuity one. They will be managed by CNAs. The patient in acuity either requires assistance with daily living activities or discharge instructions. These duties are within the scope of practice of CNAs. The patients in acuity level 2 require medication administration, wound care, and monitoring. They can be managed by LPNs. The patient in acuity 3 and 4 have complex medical needs. They will be managed by registered nurses who have the skills to manage patients with respiratory and cardiac conditions. The RN can also be able to coordinate care and ensure the patients receive quality care.

Communication with Staff

Effective communication in the healthcare delivery industry ensures that high-quality patient care services are delivered to patients (HIPAA Journal, 2020). In addition to this, it will meet employer expectations. Before beginning the shift, the nurse manager should communicate the new assignments with clarity and openness. This will ensure that the staff members will understand their new assignments and what is expected of them. The nurse manager must also foster dialogue and answer any questions that the staff members may have. The nurse manager must emphasize the benefit of attending to patient needs to improve patient outcomes. The nurse manager must promote honest communication among the staff members. The LPN and CNAs will be assigned to RNs who can inquire from in case of any issue.

Another meeting will also be held at the end of every shift. In this meeting, the staff members will communicate any challenges they experienced during the previous shift to the nurse manager. This feedback will enable the nurse manager and the staff members to develop solutions and new strategies that will help them overcome any challenges they experienced during the previous shift. They will also communicate to the nurse manager on patient progress and any supplies that may be required.

Client Equity

Equity ensures that all individuals have equal opportunities of receiving healthcare services. I will implement strategies that ensure my staff is competent to promote equitable healthcare services. The staff members will be advised to handle patients based on their acuity and needs. Patients with more complex and critical healthcare needs will be prioritized before stable patients. The staff members will also be assigned to patients based on their skills. Registered nurses will be assigned to patients with more complex healthcare needs, such as respiratory and cardiology issues, while LPN and CNAs will be assigned to stable patients. This will ensure that the patients receive the healthcare services they need.

In addition to this, I will train my staff on cultural competency. Cultural competency will ensure that my staff considers the patients’ values, needs, and cultural inclinations when providing service (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). Cultural competence will eliminate bias among my staff members. They will deliver healthcare services without considering gender, race, and political inclination. In addition to this, the RNs will supervise the LPNs and CNAs to ensure that th