Increasing Nurse Satisfaction and Patient Care Outcomes Discussion

I’m working on a nursing discussion question and need the explanation and answer to help me learn.

INITIAL POST

Explain how floating, mandatory overtime, and/or the use of a supplemental agency staff could be utilized to increase nurse satisfaction and patient care outcomes in this scenario.

SCENARIO

Tori and Jillian work at separate hospitals that are part of a large metropolitan health care system. They are both nurse managers of general med–surg units. Staffing among the med–surg units has been problematic due to increased patient volume and cost control measures enacted by the health care corporation. Staff members have complained numerous times that extra shifts are only offered to part-time employees and that premium pay shifts are given to those with more seniority. As the holidays approach, staff tension increases, because a lottery system has traditionally been used to assign shifts for major holidays. Additionally, since employees are free to transfer within any of the eight metropolitan hospitals, there has been significant turnover in the med–surg units as employees decide to transfer to ambulatory care and same-day surgery facilities.