NR 581NP Week 5 Discussion; Issues in Healthcare

lOMoARcPSD|50231526 lOMoARcPSD|50231526 Locate a news story or other resource from the last six months regarding an issue in healthcare and answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail. Include the following sections: 1. Application of Course Knowledge a. Summarize the issue. Over the past six months the American Red Cross has been facing an emergency blood shortage. According to NBCNews the blood supply decreased about 25% since July 1, 2024. Typically during the summer the donations decrease due to people traveling and the summer heat. As a result of this blood supply that is sent to hospitals quicker than the donors are able to supply. Donated blood is a very crucial part of lifesaving medical treatments, especially during operations and possibly childbirth. b. Discuss how the issue may impact nursing practice at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of the healthcare system. The American Red Cross can be considered a macro-level system if referring to the larger scale of social structures and the impact on the society as a whole. Blood supply shortages have a direct impact on healthcare. The fewer people that donate blood can cause delays or cancellations of major surgeries, emergency treatments and delayed care with chronic conditions. c. Analyze how healthcare policy impacts the issue. There are several policies and regulations on donating blood, to ensure safety measures are in place. Not everyone is a candidate for donating blood. The FDA recently just lifted some restrictions on the criteria for donors so that more people are able to donate. This will increase donors and help maintain a steady blood supply. d. Include a link to the news story or resource. Red Cross faces emergency blood shortage caused in part by heat (nbcnews.com)