Frontline Nurses Highlight Staffing Challenges, Language Barriers, and Profit-Driven Care Models

A recent study conducted by the Penn Nursing Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research (CHOPR) sheds crucial light on the factors influencing hospital nurses' ability to deliver equitable and quality care, especially to socially disadvantaged populations. Published in JAMA Network Open, the research provides comprehensive insights into systemic, institutional, community, and individual barriers faced by nurses in their daily practice.

Surveying 1,084 direct care nurses across 58 hospitals in New York and Illinois, the study identified six core themes that significantly impact patient care. Firstly, a recurring issue is the prioritization of profits over patient well-being, where financial incentives often misalign with the goal of equitable treatment. Secondly, effective care continuity relies heavily on partnerships with social workers and community resources to connect patients with necessary support services.

Insufficient staffing and time constraints emerged as critical hurdles, with nurses reporting heavy workloads that hinder their ability to provide optimal care. The importance of technology in overcoming language barriers was also emphasized, highlighting the need for language access tools and in-person interpreters for patients with limited English proficiency.

Patient-related factors such as health literacy, family support, and trust levels were recognized as significant determinants of health outcomes. Moreover, nurses’ personal backgrounds and biases influence patient interactions, underscoring the necessity for cultural competency training and workforce diversity.

Lead author J. Margo Brooks Carthon stressed the importance of listening to nurses’ frontline perspectives and translating these insights into healthcare improvements. Proposed solutions include enhancing language support technology, strengthening community networks, and promoting cultural competence in training programs.

Overall, the study calls for hospitals to adopt patient-centered policies, invest in sufficient staffing, reinforce community partnerships, and foster workforce diversity to bridge disparities and elevate care quality for all patients, including vulnerable populations.