[Class Title]
1. What is the work related problem you will be addressing?
I would like to determine the reason behind this high attrition rate and also determine why there are nurses who quit while there are those who do not. After conducting my research on why I want to become a nurse, I found out that there is a high level of attrition or loss of personnel in the healthcare industry. As observed by the American Health Care Association, more than 40% of nurses quit their jobs (American Health Care Association 2). This high attrition rate is strongly evident especially among nurses that work in hospitals, particularly those who are in direct contact with patients (American Health Care Association 2).
2. State your argument that addresses this problem. Feel free to look back at your course notebook, which is accessible using the "course tools" button. Remember, your argument may have changed now that you've conducted more research.
My hypothesis is that the nursing profession is a difficult and challenging profession because of the enormous amount of pressure and stress in a healthcare environment. For the same reason, I would like to argue that only nurses who finds pleasure and self-satisfaction in helping and caring for others will be able to continue with their profession. Those who are not genuinely committed to helping others will eventually quit their job.
3. What is your main reason or major point why your audience should be persuaded by your argument? Can it be supported using the research you’ve conducted so far? Briefly identify the research you will use to support this point.
Using research data from the initial research that I have conducted, particularly the data from the American Health Care Association, I would like to prove that attrition is common among nurses, especially those who work in hospitals. This attrition rate of nurses is quite alarming because it is significantly higher compared to other healthcare workers. As evidenced by the high attrition rate of nurses in a hospital setting, the statistical data provided by American Health Care Association source will be sufficient to prove this point.
4. What is your second reason or major point why your audience should be persuaded by your argument? Can it be supported using the research you've conducted so far? Briefly identify the research you will use to support this point.
My second major point is that I would like to convince the audience that nursing is not an easy profession. I am speculating that nurses quit their jobs because they are subjected to a stressful environment, which drives them to their limits. To prove this point, I will use the article ‘Nursing: Supply and Demand through 2020’ by Carnevale, Smith and Gulish. The initial research I have conducted may not be sufficient to prove this point and so I will also look into other references that relates to job attrition in a general perspective.
5. What is your third reason or major point why your audience should be persuaded by your argument? Can it be supported using the research you've conducted so far? Briefly identify the research you will use to support this point.
Many people have low regards to the nursing profession. For the same reason, my third major point is that those individuals who are working as nurses and those who are interested in becoming a nurse do so because they are genuinely interested in helping people. I will use Jean Watson’s ‘Theory of Human Caring’ as a major reference to prove that the major motivation of nurses is to help and care for their patients. This source will be sufficient to prove my third point.
6. Now, combine your answers to questions 2-5 to construct a working thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be 1-2 sentences long. Begin by stating the position you will argue, and then go on to list the reasons or major points you will elaborate on in the paper to defend that position.
I would like to argue that only nurses who genuinely want to help people will be able to succeed in the nursing profession. One of the reasons why only nurses with the propensity to help will be able to succeed in their profession is because nursing is a difficult and challenging profession as evidenced by the high attrition rate of nurses in the healthcare industry. Most likely, this difficulty is brought by the stressful work environment wherein nurses are exposed in a healthcare setting. For the same reason, only nurses who find happiness and self-fulfillment in helping people despite the stressful healthcare environment will be able to continue with their calling.
Works Cited
American Health Care Association. REPORT OF FINDINGS 2009 NURSING FACILITY STAFF RETENTION AND TURNOVER SURVEY . May 2011. December 2014 <http://www.ahcancal.org/research_data/staffing/documents/staffsurvey_2009_full_report.pdf>.
