Impact of Nurses Shortage on Patient Care at Kabwe General Hospital
IMPACT OF NURSES SHORTAGE ON HOSPITAL PATIENT CARE AT KABWE GENERAL HOSPITAL
October 2011
Consultancy Report submitted to Oxford Brookes University for the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Executive Summary
The nurse is one of the most important components of the health care hierarchy in that they see to the moment to moment care needs of patients after the doctor has performed his diagnostic and or services. Their responsibilities broach a wide spectrum of services with one of the most important being administration of acute care. This type of care is one rung below critical care; however it is just as important in the recovery of a patient. The decline in nursing services over the past years coupled with the increase in population and other medical complications in Zambia and globally, has created a crisis in the health services whereby the number of patients per nurse has increased to unmanageable proportions.
The hospital has made progress in delivering health services to the population of central province, despite challenges it is facing in meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs). One of the contributing factors to the challenges is the critical shortage of human resources for health, especially of nurses and midwives, who form close to 75% of skilled health work force. In an effort to contribute towards the attainment of MDGs for the country, the hospital is under significant pressure to reduce the disease burden and improve the health of citizens accessing health services from it.
The provision of health care is seen by most countries as high priority. The degree of accountability for health care services and the concept of care are at the forefront of most political discussion. However, accountability becomes difficult when there is an inadequate supply of health care
October 2011
Consultancy Report submitted to Oxford Brookes University for the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Executive Summary
The nurse is one of the most important components of the health care hierarchy in that they see to the moment to moment care needs of patients after the doctor has performed his diagnostic and or services. Their responsibilities broach a wide spectrum of services with one of the most important being administration of acute care. This type of care is one rung below critical care; however it is just as important in the recovery of a patient. The decline in nursing services over the past years coupled with the increase in population and other medical complications in Zambia and globally, has created a crisis in the health services whereby the number of patients per nurse has increased to unmanageable proportions.
The hospital has made progress in delivering health services to the population of central province, despite challenges it is facing in meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs). One of the contributing factors to the challenges is the critical shortage of human resources for health, especially of nurses and midwives, who form close to 75% of skilled health work force. In an effort to contribute towards the attainment of MDGs for the country, the hospital is under significant pressure to reduce the disease burden and improve the health of citizens accessing health services from it.
The provision of health care is seen by most countries as high priority. The degree of accountability for health care services and the concept of care are at the forefront of most political discussion. However, accountability becomes difficult when there is an inadequate supply of health care
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