Reference no: EM133249739

Modern healthcare has become more complex as organizations have to balance meeting the demands of federal agencies, such as The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Joint Commission while maintaining profitability. Regulation and policies can help strengthen healthcare organizations by allowing them to implement effective and efficient strategies to deliver high-quality care (Simon, 2018). Having the necessary resources and appropriate workforce is also important to ensure the organization's success at meeting health standards. Balancing organizational goals/ profitability and industry standards to support high performing workforce, quality care, and patients should remain the foundation for the organization's policy (Simon, 2018).

One of the most important factors that healthcare organizations need to consider when it comes to their operations is the implementation of policies that support a nurse-to-patient ratio. According to studies, this type of policy can help improve the quality of care and reduce organizational costs (McHugh et al., 2021). The national healthcare issue surrounding nursing shortages can further complicate organizations' enthusiasm to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. However, as incidences of burnout, high workload, poor workplace conditions, and inadequate staffing models and flexibility contribute to nursing shortages, it is important for organizations to support policies and working conditions to retain highly trained nurses (Bourgault, 2022).

Establishing a minimum staffing level for nurses in a hospital could improve the quality of care for patients with sepsis. It is not surprising that nurse staffing levels are associated with the outcomes of septic patients. The interventions that are part of the sepsis bundle, such as monitoring and treating a septic patient, heavily depend on the availability of nurses with the necessary skills and resources to perform their duties. Besides providing effective and timely clinical care, nurses also need the time and resources to collect blood samples and administer vasopressor and antibiotic medications (Lasater et al., 2021). Nurses' role in treating and managing sepsis is central to the care of older adults and their clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the effects of nurse staffing on patient outcomes are more pronounced than those of hospital adherence to the sepsis standard of care (Lasater et al., 2021). The structure of a healthcare organization must be designed to support its vision and mission, as well as its workforce, quality care efforts, and improved patient outcomes.