Psychiatric Nurses Association
Psychiatric Nurses Association
An external method would be contacting a professional nursing organization, such as the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). Contacting the APNA via the internet would provide me with feedback on the next steps I need to take. Becoming a member of APNA or joining a committee, would allow me to take action addressing the importance of using acuity based tools in measuring safe staffing levels to improve patient outcomes and improve quality care. There is a lack of studies or research regarding staffing inpatient geriatric psychiatric units. The APNA (2015), encourages nurse researchers to study both populations, in order to establish specific nurse-to-patient ratios for inpatient psychiatric units and to foster the development of innovative, effective, recovery-oriented and safe-staffing models. Thus, it would be beneficial to address these populations, providing evidence that implementation of acuity based tools for safe staffing levels has improved patient outcomes.
Strategies for communication would be different for internal methods versus external methods. Internal methods require a more personal approach, addressing the problem, reviewing evidence for solutions to the problem with the NM, outlining the project, asking for feedback, projected costs involved to implement EBP, time constraints, and required nursing education on implementing acuity based tools for the unit. Promoting nursing feedback and shared governance in the decision making process and areas that need to be addressed in regards to safe staffing and equitable nurse workloads. External methods require a less formal approach, writing to APNA, would require addressing the problem, providing a solution with evidence based research, evaluating nursing practice, quality of care, improving nurse’s mental health, minimizing nurse burnout, reducing health care cost, and improving patient outcomes.
