Financial Impact of HAIs on Healthcare Organizations Essay

In a Microsoft Word document of 4-5 pages formatted in APA style, describe a patient care problem with an impact on budget as a financial management issue in your workplace.

• Provide a short analysis of the role of the nurse leader in relationship to this problem as described in the literature.
• Explain the regulatory agencies and policies that are involved in the issue.
• Identify which organizational budgets would be impacted by this issue.
• Explain how the organizational budgets would be impacted.
• Support your responses with a minimum of two peer-reviewed articles that discuss the issue you have identified
  Step 1/7
  Introduction: Patient care problems often impact the budget of healthcare organizations, making financial management a crucial aspect of nursing leadership. This paper describes a patient care problem with a financial impact in my workplace and analyzes the role of the nurse leader in addressing this problem. Additionally, this paper discusses the regulatory agencies and policies involved in the issue, identifies the organizational budgets impacted by the problem, and explains how these budgets are impacted.  Financial Impact of HAIs on Healthcare Organizations Essay
  Step 2/7
  Patient Care Problem: The patient care problem identified in my workplace is hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). HAIs are infections that patients acquire while receiving healthcare services in a hospital setting. HAIs are a significant concern because they can prolong hospital stays, increase healthcare costs, and lead to patient morbidity and mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 31 hospitalized patients will develop an HAI, resulting in an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths annually in the United States.
  Step 3/7
  Role of Nurse Leader: Nurse leaders play a crucial role in addressing the problem of HAIs by implementing evidence-based practices to prevent infections. The nurse leader should create a culture of safety that values infection prevention, provide education and training on infection control practices to staff, and monitor compliance with infection prevention protocols. Additionally, the nurse leader should be knowledgeable about the latest evidence-based guidelines and policies related to infection prevention, advocate for necessary resources, and engage in quality improvement initiatives to reduce HAIs.
  Step 4/7
  Regulatory Agencies and Policies: Several regulatory agencies and policies are involved in the prevention of HAIs. The CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) have developed guidelines for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have implemented the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP), which penalizes hospitals with higher rates of HAIs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also has standards related to infection prevention, such as the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.

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  Step 5/7
  Organizational Budgets Impacted: Several organizational budgets are impacted by the problem of HAIs. These include the budget for infection prevention supplies such as hand hygiene products and personal protective equipment, the budget for staffing necessary to implement infection prevention practices, and the budget for treating patients with HAIs. Additionally, hospitals may experience financial penalties from CMS for higher rates of HAIs.
  Step 6/7
  Impact on Organizational Budgets: The impact on organizational budgets from HAIs can be significant. The cost of treating patients with HAIs can be two to three times higher than the cost of treating patients without infections. The cost of infection prevention supplies and staffing can also be substantial. Additionally, hospitals may experience financial penalties from CMS for higher rates of HAIs, which can further impact the organizational budget.
  Step 7/7
  Peer-Reviewed Articles:

  Two peer-reviewed articles that discuss the issue of HAIs and financial impact include:

  1. Zimlichman, E., Henderson, D., Tamir, O., Franz, C., Song, P., Yamin, C. K., & Bates, D. W. (2013). Health care-associated infections: a meta-analysis of costs and financial impact on the US health care system. JAMA internal medicine, 173(22), 2039-2046.

  This study estimated that the annual cost of HAIs in the US healthcare system was $9.8 billion, with an average cost per infection of $20,549. The study concluded that investments in infection prevention practices could result in significant cost savings.

  2. Yap, J., Bentley, T. A., & Taylor, D. M. (2019).

  The economic impact of healthcare-associated infections: a systematic review. Journal of hospital infection, 103(3), 245-254.

  This study reviewed the economic impact of HAIs in different healthcare settings and concluded that HAIs have a significant economic impact on healthcare systems, including increased hospital length of stay, additional diagnostic and treatment costs, and lost productivity.
  Final answer
  Conclusion: In conclusion, HAIs are a significant patient care problem that impacts the budget of healthcare organizations. Nurse leaders play a crucial role in addressing this problem by implementing evidence-based infection prevention practices, creating a culture of safety, and advocating for necessary resources. Several regulatory agencies and policies are involved in infection prevention, and several organizational budgets, including infection prevention supplies, staffing, and treatment costs, are impacted by HAIs. The financial impact of HAIs on healthcare organizations is substantial, and investments in infection prevention practices could result in significant cost savings.  Financial Impact of HAIs on Healthcare Organizations Essay