concept map 2

Nurses are crucial in healthcare but there is a shortage due to aging population and burnout. This is seen in the ICU where patient-nurse ratios are increasing, risking patient and nurse safety. The self-care deficit theory explains why nurses can't provide care when they have their own deficits. Inadequate staffing leads to burnout and negative effects on patient health. Nurses often neglect their own needs to prioritize patient care. Workplace violence adds to the stress. Nursing shortage is a major problem in the ICU. Nurses play a critical part in our healthcare system, making up the largest portion of the healthcare profession. Due to our aging population, nurse burnout, amongst other issues, there has been an increase in nursing shortage. This problem is visibly seen in our ICU, where patients' ratio of two to one is drastically increasing, not only putting patients at risk, but our nurses as well. The self-care deficit theory of nursing was developed by Sorothea E. Oren. It is a general theory composed of four related theories. Our focus will be on the self-care deficit theory. This theory describes and explains why people can't be helped through nursing, Aligarh 2022, page 203. Nursing is a profession that prioritizes the well-being and health of patients above all else. But what happens when the nurses face self-care deficits? We will focus on the components of person, nursing, health, and environment of this theory. Beginning with person, focusing on the individual, in this case, the nurse, self-care deficit expresses the relationship between the action capability of individuals and the demand for care, Aligarh 2022, page 205. Due to the inadequate staffing, the likelihood of nurse burnout is often expressed by anxiety, depression, and compassion fatigue. Followed by the nursing component, focusing on the characteristics, actions, and attributes by the nurse. The theory of self-care deficits describes the limitations involving and meeting requirements for ongoing care and the effects they have on the health and well-being of the person or dependent, Aligarh 2022, page 205. Nursing shortages lead to errors, higher morbidity, and mortality rates. Nursing shortage, stat pearls, NCBI bookshelf. Next, we have the health component. Not placing clients as a center point, but the nurses providing care. The universal self-care requisites include maintenance of a balance between activity and rest, sufficient water and food intake, to name a few. When multiple patients' needs are being met, the nurse usually will skip a meal, a personal break, or decrease their intake in water to provide patient care. Finally, the environment. Human beings require continuous, deliberate inputs to themselves and the environment to remain alive and function in accordance with natural human endowments. Workplace violence in a healthcare setting can include both emotional and physical abuse, adding to an environment that is already stressful for many nurses. Although all the components can be interrelated, we conclude that nursing shortage is a major healthcare problem in the ICU.