Prof. Name

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Interprofessional Communication and Practice Gap

Nursing shortage is a paramount issue in a medical care setting, impacting patient safety. Recognizing and addressing practice gaps is critical to efficient healthcare delivery to ensure quality care and patient safety. Lima Memorial Hospital (LMH) is also dealing with practice gaps related to nurses’ shortages. The scarcity causes staff burnout and poor care. Nurse shortages cost hospitals $24 billion in 2021 and increased to $86 billion in 2022 (Beauvais et al., 2023). The assessment is based on an analysis of the practice gap, employing empirical evidence and stakeholder participation to address the nurse understaffing at LMH.

Identification of Practice Gap

Nursing shortage at LMH causes a substantial practice gap in healthcare. A staff survey performed at LMH revealed high nurse burnout, with a 65% increased workload because of staffing shortages. The United States of America (USA) is facing a severe nurse shortage, with 3 million nurses required to fill the nursing deficit. The data indicates flaws in resource utilization, poor planning, ineffective retention methods, and poor nurse proficiency due to a lack of training, impacting patient outcomes, nurse satisfaction, and hospital adherence to medical excellence standards (Tamata & Mohammadnezhad, 2023). High workloads and insufficient support force nurses to abandon their jobs. 31.5% of nurses in the USA in 2018 left their jobs due to burnout (Shah et al., 2021). Understaffing has severe implications, like poor care services and patient safety.

Addressing the issue of understaffing requires a comprehensive approach that includes establishing appropriate hiring and retention policies, intriguing compensation packages, a respectful workplace, and providing professional growth training. Addressing this practice gap through a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project enables significant enhancements in patient care, boosts health outcomes, and reinforces the organization’s dedication to providing quality care. Comprehensive approaches are crucial to determine the aspects of the practice gap that are within the scope of a DNP project.

The nursing shortage has a direct impact on medical care quality and outcomes (Pressley & Garside, 2023). Addressing this issue is consistent with the DNP’s scope to improve the delivery of care and patient outcomes. DNP projects prioritize evidence-based practice, exploring approaches for resolving the nursing shortage, such as boosting recruiting and retention. Overcoming practice gaps improves patient care and nurse satisfaction, which are crucial aspects of DNP projects. The scope alignment aids in delivering evident improvements in patient safety at LMH.

Evidence of Problem at Project Site

An in-depth examination of internal data at LMH reveals a significant shortfall among nurses. Internal records show that 12% of its nursing posts are unfilled, with 500 approved registered nurse roles and 75 remaining vacant. This empirical data exhibits a significant gap in practice, presenting serious issues about patients receiving quality care, patient dissatisfaction, and medical outcomes (Tamata & Mohammadnezhad, 2023). The Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment reported that, in the USA, 193,100 vacancies for nurses will arise annually through 2032 (AACN, 2024). The US Chamber of Commerce data exhibited that the number of certified nurses declined by 100,000 between 2020 and 2021 in US hospitals, resulting in significant challenges such as nurse dissatisfaction and burnout, reduced patient safety, and a rise in death rates (Lucy, 2024).

The analysis of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2022 showed that a nurse shortage of 78,610 can occur in 2025 (HRSA, 2022). Ohio Nursing Association (ONA) reveals that about 83.21% of nurses experienced high turnover, resulting in poor staffing and patient care (ONA, n.d.). Internal audits of outcome measures, like adverse events and prolonged hospitalization, underscore the implications of the practice gap in the provision of care (Nantsupawat et al., 2021). Authentic data provides strong evidence of the practice gap and emphasizes the significance of targeted quality improvement measures. 

Formulating PICOT Question

Developing a PICOT question is crucial in resolving the nurse shortage practice gap observed at LMH. The PICOT approach offers targeted research (Mitchell et al., 2020). The PICOT question is: In licensed nurses at LMH (P), does improved retention and recruitment policy (I) compared to current strategies without adequate policy (C) enhance nurses’ sati