A majority of registered nurses and hospital administrative staff believe their expanding roles call for more training to ensure quality of patient care, according to a recent University of Phoenix College of Health Professions survey conducted online by Harris Poll.
The survey of 250 RNs and 253 healthcare administrative staff took place between June 23 and July 1. Respondents included 503 adults, working full-time in healthcare as either a registered nurse or healthcare administrative staff for two years or more.
Here are five study findings.
1. Survey results indicated that over the past two years, the roles of RNs and administrative staff have expanded, with about a third of each group seeing an increased involvement in patients' emotional well-being (37 percent of RNs, 31 percent of staff) and many increasing their role in overall patient care planning (49 percent of RNs, 35 percent of staff).
2. Both RNs and administrative staff see problem-solving and customer service skills as essential for staying relevant in healthcare, but 68 percent of administrative staff also view technology skills as the key to staying relevant.
3. Most RNs (90 percent) and administrative staff (88 percent) said their facilities should focus on preparing them with leadership skill development opportunities. Sixty-two percent of RNs and 74 percent of administrative staff agree their facility currently does a good job, according to the survey.
4. Sixty-nine percent of RNs and 65 percent of staff surveyed said patients should be very concerned with the quality of care provided.
5. More specifically, the survey found about three in five RNs believed patient physical safety (63 percent) and site contamination (58 percent) as aspects patients should be "very concerned" about.
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