Safety, the Nursing Shortage, and the Bariatric Nurse: Is This an Ethical Debate?

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine report, To Err is Human, suggests that 98,000 people who enter the U.S. healthcare system die each year due to medical errors. To that extent, patient safety and current healthcare dilemmas have become the focus of lively debate. Although important, the focus of this debate tends to be short sided. More and more occupational health experts are suggesting nursing injuries affect the nursing shortage and therefore threaten all aspects of patient care including safety. In fact, on October 7, 2011, the Governor of California signed into law California Assembly Bill 1136. This cash-strapped state recognized the threat nurse injuries place on the nursing shortage and ultimately patient safety. This article briefly describes current legislative attempts to address nursing injuries and the status of the nursing shortage, and argues that this shortage is unique in a number of ways. Ethical questions are raised and ideas are presented, including the argument to justify healthcare, and spec...