6 Problems Nurses Face Today

Nurses are irreplaceable in healthcare. In fact, the industry cannot run without these professionals. They help patients go through the treatment process with ease. While all professions require dedication and discipline, nursing is more demanding. It has to be a passion for service.

Nursing roles and demanding. Even with the passion and commitment, these people still face significant challenges at workplace like improper nursing scrubs that hinder their performance. In most cases, the issues are out of their control. Here are some of the top issues in the nursing industry

1. Long shifts
It is common for nurses to work for long hours. They are ever at work until we are used to it yet it is a burden to them. Extending shift hours means they are stretching their bodies beyond standard performance. Of course, they risk health complications like back and leg pains among other chronic conditions. Some extreme medical conditions include cardiovascular infections and diabetes.

Besides, long working hours compromises on quality of services. Fatigue and daytime sleepiness impairs judgment and mental function. It is one of the major causes of misdiagnosis, which poses high risk to patients. Long working hours are often due to under staffing or a hospital cutting on costs.

2. Ill-fitting nursing scrubs
One of the main challenges for nurses is low quality nursing scrubs. Although the profession is mainly about skill and service delivery, there is an element of image. It is often demotivating for nurses to work with poor fabric that easily gets damaged over consistent use. Uniform is a requirement when on duty meaning they have to use the same nursing scrubs for several months. Wear and tear demoralizes the professionals. Hospitals should consider hand-crafting scrubs from a single tailor instead of assembly lines for better fitting and quality fabric. Nurses need customized scrubs that fit their body shapes and sizes. Engaging a single tailor can help in making suitable nursing scrubs that fit individual preferences.

3. Hazards at workplace
Nurses are exposed to harmful chemicals throughout the day and night. The environment in wards is toxic. Handling patients with different infections as well as staying for long in contaminated air exposes these professionals to huge health risks. Besides, nurses have to endure heavy weights in lifting patients and other machinery as part of the treatment process. All these lead to back pains and mysterious infections that can cost one a career because of terminal illness hence inability to work.

Slippery floors, needles, and other sharp objects are some of the hazards in hospital setting. Additionally, some patients can be violent or abusive. Nurses have to endure all these to help them to recovery while risking their own safety.

4. Salary
Compensation demotivates most professionals from the nursing industry. Even though they love the job and are committed to delivering services, they cannot cope with costs of living. Nurse salaries should consider location, which influences cost of living. Besides, the working conditions with all nature of risks should be covered in salary. Working long hours and exposing themselves to health risks should attract proper compensation.

Inadequate pay is a common concern across the world in the nursing industry. The few who have an option decide to quit to pursue other career fields while some have to endure the situation.

5. Short staffing
Inadequate members of staff in hospitals force the existing nurses to extend their working hours to cover for the gap. It is the primary reason nurses experience burnout while on duty. Also, short staffing means nurses barely get time for family and social events. Usually, hospital policies are strict, and they can’t risk missing work even when it is an important occasion. Under staffing denies these professionals a significant part of their lives, social aspects. The nature of work is demanding and requires proper time to recover; failure to this leads to frustration.

6. Discrimination
Nurses are forced to work for more hours and sometimes on odd jobs far from their profession.

Nurses are vital in the community. They sacrifice a lot for healthcare of people they do not know. It is important to address their issues at workplace.