Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting nurse burnout

references:

Jun, J., Ojemeni, M. M., Kalamani, R., Tong, J., & Crecelius, M. L. (2021). Relationship   between nurse burnout, patient and organizational outcomes: Systematic review.             International Journal of Nursing Studies, 119, 103933

Schlak, A. E., Aiken, L. H., Chittams, J., Poghosyan, L., & McHugh, M. D. (2021). Leveraging       the work environment to minimize the negative impact of nurse burnout on patient  outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2),             610. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020610

Shah, M., Gandrakota, N., Cimiotti, J. P., Ghose, N., Moore, M., & Ali, M. K. (2021). Prevalence            of and factors associated with nurse burnout in the US. JAMA Network Open, 4(2),            e2036469. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36469

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements

Links to an external site.. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only

Note: Review all, with special attention to “Provision 6” (pp. 23-26).

Kelly, P., & Porr, C. (2018). Ethical nursing care versus cost containment: Considerations to enhance RN practice

Links to an external site.. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 6. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man06. Retrieved from

http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No1-Jan-2018/Ethical-Nursing-Cost-Containment.html

Milliken, A. (2018). Ethical awareness: What it is and why it matters

Links to an external site.. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 1. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man01. Retrieved from

http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No1-Jan-2018/Ethical-Awareness.html

ANSWER

Competing Needs Impacting Nurse Burnout

Nurse burnout is a significant concern in healthcare, and it often results from competing needs and demands within the nursing profession. Two primary competing needs contributing to nurse burnout are the need for quality patient care and the need for self-care.

Need for Quality Patient Care
Nurses are driven by their ethical commitment to provide high-quality patient care, as outlined in the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses. This commitment compels nurses to go above and beyond to meet the physical and emotional needs of their patients. They often face challenges related to staffing shortages, heavy patient loads, and demanding work environments. These constraints make it challenging to deliver the level of care they desire, leading to increased stress and burnout (ANA, 2015; Kelly & Porr, 2018).

Need for Self-Care:
On the other hand, nurses also have a fundamental need for self-care to maintain their physical and emotional well-being. However, healthcare systems frequently emphasize cost containment and productivity over nurse well-being. This pressure can manifest as nurses feeling compelled to work long hours, skip breaks, or take on additional shifts to meet staffing demands. Consequently, nurses may neglect their own self-care, leading to exhaustion and contributing to burnout (Kelly & Porr, 2018; Milliken, 2018).

These competing needs create a challenging dilemma for nurses. They must balance their commitment to quality patient care with the imperative of self-care to prevent burnout. Nurse burnout, as evidenced by extensive research (Jun et al., 2021; Shah et al., 2021), can have detrimental consequences for both patient outcomes and the healthcare organization. It is essential to address this issue by fostering work environments that support nurses in meeting both their ethical duty to patients and their need for self-care (Schlak et al., 2021).

In conclusion, nurse burnout is influenced by competing needs – the commitment to delivering high-quality patient care and the necessity for self-care. Finding a balance between these needs is crucial to prevent burnout and ensure that nurses can provide the best possible care to their patients while safeguarding their own well-being.