Managing Analysis in Healthcare Facilities - Case Study Example

? Managing Analysis Introduction Managing analysis in health care facilities is indispensible as it allows managers to make frequent decisions by use of collected data in relation to the issues that are facing specific facilities (Arthur 2006). Managers have the mandate to decide on how to deliberate and organize others, over and above, how to control processes within the system. In addition, health managers must assist others to reach their own decisions especially by avoiding common errors that lead to poor decisions. Identify the sorts of arguments which will be put to you, recommending that the proposal is not a good one and unworkable Apparently, the absence of the Manager in the board meeting is unfortunate especially now that he is expected to deliberate on issues that were put forward in the meeting where he was not involved in the decision making. The decision he has to make include; amalgamating the surgical and medical ward and to change the nursing profile in the entire hospital from an all registered nursing staff to a mix of registered and enrolled nurses at a ratio of 4:1 consistent with states policy (Bergeron 2003). The information about these changes have been leaked to the local branch of the union, a situation that has led to filing of an industrial dispute, claiming lack of consultation, and the hearing in two days time. It is also clear that the Director of Nursing will oppose the direction as she is a firm advocate of the primary nursing model which is based on all registered nurse staffing (Belbin 2010). To begin with, the local branch of the union who claims not have been consulted on the intended changes in the hospital bearing in mind that they are part of the hospital, will want to have a meeting with the Manager to give their opinion, suggestion in relation to amalgamating the surgical and medical ward in the hospital, as well as, the mixing of registered and enrolled nurses at the ratio of 4:1 with respect to the states policy. This means that the manager must give them an audience and the lack of this will automatically mean that the scheduled court case will go on as expected in two days (Burns and Sinfield 2012). In essence, if the court case proceeds the Manager will be accused of ignoring the presence of the local union, over and above, the lack of involvement in decision making process. The local union is likely to argue that decision of merging the surgical and medical ward in order to have one less ward will not bring forth the considerable saving as expected but will instead lead to over working on the part of the nurses, a situation equal to confusion of roles, which may deter the running of hospital and particularly on the surgery issue (Arthur 2006). Besides, the local union and the director of nursing are likely to oppose the recommended issue of changing the nursing profile of the entire hospital from all registered nursing staff to a mix of both registered and enrolled nurses at the ratio of 4:1 that consistent with the states policy. In essence, they will argue that although the hospital want to have a reduction in payment of its staff, the issue of having one enrolled nurse in every four nurses reduce the rate of professionalism that is essential in the facilities as the enrolled nurses are not able to handle situations on their own, and can only work under the supervision of the registered nurses hence a delay in executing the duties mandated to them (Gill 2006). Furthermore, if the recommendation is implemented a number of the nurse who are members of the local union will lose their job. Of most important is that, the director of nursing is a firm advocate of the primary model which is based on all registered nurses staffing (Dalkir 2005). Her advocacy counters the registered state policy that ought to have been accomplished all the facilities including this hospital three years ago. Thus, the two recommendations with regard to the local union and the director of nursing are not good and impracticable. Develop a strategy outlying the steps you will take to manage the current situation and implementing the required changes As a manager, the recommendation made by the local health district (LHD) must be implemented to ensure that the facility retains its glory and reverse the declining birth rates, the failure to meet wages and salaries for the current workers. In addition, the facility must meet the yearly projected target, over and above, a goods and service budget that is workable (Curley and Barbara 2001). Step one: Hold an urgent meeting with the local union ahead of the court case to come up with a memorandum of understanding on how the local union will be represented in terms of its members in the upcoming recommendation proposal, hence convincing the union that the recommendation will be beneficial to them in contrast of what they perceive (Dalkir 2005). Step two: Hold an official meeting that incorporate the staff members with the inclusion of the director of nursing and the industrial organiser. The objective of the meeting will be to officially announce the recommendation proposal as was put forward by the local health district in the just concluded meeting. In the meeting, the staff will be given an opportunity to give their views pertaining to the recommendation. None the less, it will be worth mentioning that the staffing of the registered and enrolled nursed in a ratio of 4:1 is staff policy program that is overdue for the last three year (Gill 2006) Step three: Order for the circulation of a memo indicating the end of the current working strategy, as well as, the beginning of the intended implementation. In relation to this, the new phase of the staffs will be based on performance contract meaning that the performance of the nurses will be reviewed for the last one year. Nurses with the best performance rates will be retained but those who have not met the required performance rate will be required to leave to pave the way for the incoming lot of enrolled nurses who will be expected to join the facilities. The work of the enrolled nurses will be to receive directions and delegation from the registered nurses in delivering nursing care and health in the facility. Through this, there will been assurance of improved wages and salary for the entire facility. This is because the wages and salary for the enrolled nurses are slightly below those for the registered nurses (Greve 2003). Step four: Make a decision on when to merge the surgical and medical wards into one ward that will incorporate the two, putting into consideration the patients who require the either of the facilities. Moreover, this would require personal overseeing by the manager. The merging of these two wards emphasizes on the expected savings by the hospital as the cost of maintenance will drastically be reduced to almost half way or so. Through this, the rate of elective surgery which currently stands at 50% improves meaning that the hospital will be able to concentrate on advanced surgery as compared to a medical emergency. Clearly identify the stakeholders who will be engaged in this strategy To ensure that recommendation proposal works out effectively, a number of stakeholders will be engaged. These stakeholders are; Hospital Assessment Committee This assessment committee is responsible of overseeing the overall performance of the hospital. In essence, it is supposed to come up with solutions towards the declining birth rate for the last six months, the failure of the hospital to meet wages and salaries, as well as, goods and services budget. Additionally, the committee should have solutions towards the drop in elective surgery. Through this committee it will be easy to determine why the hospital has reduced in performance rate and how this can be reversed to maintain it glory (Greve 2003). Of importance to note is that, the hospital must be able to offer excellent services so as to make the year turn over that they have a target, over and above, meeting the wages and salaries for the nurses because the revenue performance is 30% under target. Apparently, the hospital is also been faced by competition from a new hospital, which opened eight months ago, has states –of –the arts operating theatres, a birth unit and offers some new sophisticated surgical procedure this hospital is not able to offer (Khan 2008). A government health official This individual will be invited to affirm that the state policy that expects health facilities to work with the ratio of 4:1 in relation of registered nursed and the enrolled nurses respected has been implemented in respect to the state (Huston and Marquis 2009). An official from the Local Branch of the Union The individual will be invited to supervise the performance review process for nurses in preparation of implementation of the recommendation. This will ensure that the local branch understands the new recruiting process for its members. It is worth noting that, currently the hospital is fully staffed although there is minimal staff turnover. Director of Nursing Although, she is a firm advocate of the primary nursing model which is based on all registered nursing, she should be incorporated in the recommendation as it partially deals with what she overlooks. Moreover, she should be able to understand that in order to improve the services at the hospital, there must be a mix of the registered nursing and enrolled nurses. This means that the primary model can only be incorporate partially and with performance angle (Khan 2008). . Anticipate the sorts of resistance you may encounter and from whom and how you will address them in your response The recommendations will no doubt bring resistance from different quarters that are not prepared to embrace change as would be expected. The working staff The working staff might resist the idea of having them recruited in the upcoming recommendation by way of performance review since most of them do not have the best performance record in reference to the fact that the hospital is fully staffed with minimal staff turnover. Furthermore, the performance review process will automatically render a specific percentage of the nurses in the entire hospital jobless. In response to this, managers have the right to make decision pertain to various issues in an organization or company. Hence, the decision of bringing in a new mix of nurses through performance review forth current nurses to determine who remains in the ratio of 4:1 must be implemented (King 2009). In addition, the working staff will also resist the amalgamation of the surgical ward and medical ward as wards that ought to remain separate bearing in mind that the hospital is capable of holding 200 patients and is meant to provide general medical, surgical, paediatric and obstetric services. In response to this, the manager should be to make the working staff understands that merging of the two wards will be for the benefit of the entire facility especially in savings a substantial sum of money to be in a position to run the hospital (Huston and Marquis 2009). The Director of Nursing This individual who is mandated to oversee the running of the nursing fraternity will resist the upcoming recommendation in that the incorporation of enrolled nurses will automatically slow down the working situation in the hospital. This is because the enrolled nurses, who are expected to come in, must receive orders from the registered nurses in order to execute their work. According to King, 2009, it clear that replacing employees can affect productivity of the hospital. Never the less, the working situation will not be major as the highest percentage of the workers expected, are registered nurses who have being working in the same facility but will now be under new staff policy. The incoming lot of enrolled nurses The incoming lot of enrolled nurses will want their own representative in the facility especially in relation to the working condition where the environment is new to them all and that they have work under the direction and deliberation of the registered nurses. In response to this, the manager should appoint an individual who is expected to represent the rest of the enrolled nurses especially when there are in-house meetings (Malhotra 2000). You are expected to refer to the relevant literature related to management, human resource management change and the leadership style you would employ to achieve your goals Decision Making According to Mullen 2002, success depends on whether there is adequate right decisions being made and implemented. While decisions do not often turn out as expected a plan of action that is meant to improve the chances of successful decision must include a variety of issues. In essence, a decision making process embarks on identification of the problem, as well as the nature as the most important part of the process. In decision making processes, a well defined problem is half solved. As a manager it is crucial that any solutions for a specific problem in an organization must be able to tackle the underlying problem and not the symptoms. It is worth noting that the before embarking on solving a problem, a manger must come up with the criteria by which the solutions will be formulated. Chances of finding an adequate solution to a problem increases when suitable alternatives are developed. Although there are n o limitations for alternatives to given problems, it is only advisable that the manager chooses what is best for the entire organization as it is extremely difficult to recognize and investigate every possible outcome of the complex factors that are influenced by decision making (Roy 2000). Employee Involvement The best working environment occurs when everyone at the working place is involved. For that to happen, all employees must play a role in building the organisation regardless of the position they occupy. In essence, employees should be actively involved in decision processes in an organization to create harmony with their colleagues and the top management. Leadership Style As a manager, different leadership styles are necessary in relation to the organization, over and above, the kind of work that being done. At times, a manager may be required to practice more than one leadership style to ensure that work is done effectively. In light of this, health facilities require democratic leadership style. In this leadership style, everyone is given a hearing and decisions are free-flowing. Moreover, the style is needed in energetic and swiftly changing environment, where every option for improvement is put into consideration in order to keep the organization running. On the other hand, democratic leaders must also be in a position to communicate decisions back to the employees as a sign on unity. Shapira 2002 argues that, democratic leadership style is effective when the leader keeps communication open, focus on the discussion and being able to commit especially during the decision making processes, respecting the ideas of team members and being in a position to explain why some solutions are workable and why some solutions are not workable. None the less, in a special case the manager may be compelled to use a coaching leadership style where the manager focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, over and above, assisting them to connect their goals and those of the organization. This leadership style is effective with employees who show initiative and want more professional development. Working Environment The basic employee retention strategies entail creating and maintaining a workplace that is attractive, retains and nourishes good people. For this to be applicable several issues must be put into consideration. Issues such as development of a corporate mission, culture and value system that emphasises on a safe working environment that has clear, logical and consistent operating policies and procedures is crucial (Watson 2003). Apparently, the environment employee retention strategies address the basic aspects of a working place. To begin with, are the ethics and values upon which the organization rests; the policies that interpret those values and translate them into a daily routine and the actual working environment. The main objective for good working environment is to ensure that the organization is a place in demand for work. Some of issues that promote a good working environment incorporates being fair and honest, promoting integrity and staying focused on the clients (Lehaney 2004). Developing a Competitive Strategies Every organization faces increased levels of compensation and the need to have a sustainable competitive advantage grows even more. In response to compensation, an organization is required to have more flexible and adaptive to the changing environment in the market. Additionally, the organization should nurture their core competencies to remain competitive. For this to be practical, any organization must come up with strategies that order the making and implementation of targeted objectives and it competitive place. (Gill 2006). Employee Recruitment It is indispensible that organizations operate with the inclusion of employees. In essence, employees are the basis for a functioning organization. In light of this it is important that organizations recruit employees that are qualified for a particular position to ensure that the organization performs effectively (Flynn 2002). Financial Problem It is evident that this hospital is going through a major financial problem. According to the performance review that was done by the Local Health District board, there were declining birth rates, failure to meet wages and salaries and goods and services budget, and a 50% drop in elective surgery. In light of this, there is a likelihood of a poor management that is continuously keeping all kind of patients away or better still to the new private hospital , which opened eight months ago. Once there are no patients to treat, the hospital will not be able to sustain itself financially. Low Turnover Although the hospital is fully staffed, it has low turnover from the same staff. The reason for turnover could be that they are perceived by other firms as being poor performers and hence undesirable. Moreover, poor industry image associated with public hospitals where most hiring managers will not consider or target such employees. In relation to this, the hospital may be viewed as weak or having a negative brand image. This is an issue that every organization needs to know in reference to recruitment (Gill 2006). Overcoming Resistance As a manager, it is imperative to generate a way of communicating to employees about new initiatives and their progress. In essence, the management must be in a position to provide employees with regular updates on the progress. This should be facilitated through a selection of a group of people who should assist in planning and implementation of the new initiative. Thorough this, the leaders will slowly adapt to change as expected (Huston and Marquis 2009) New Workers Institution Due to the new initiative, the hospital will require a new institution for the incoming enrolled nurses who must be young and energetic to be able to handle the hospital affairs in a professional and enthusiastic way (Shapira 2002). Dealing with Unions It is known worldwide that managers do not work well with employees who involve themselves with unions. Never the less, it is important to note that the reason why unions are formed is to ensure that the rights of employees are met and taken care of. In light of this, a manager should ensure that he avoids the union at all cost, by being fair, honest, empathetic, and considerate to employees. Moreover, he should be a problem solving person, who is always aware of what the employees want and ready to handle it. This is demonstrated through maintaining a direct and personal relationship with employees that are sincere. Thus, the employee will not seek union interference while they are dissatisfied (Greve 2003). Conclusion Managing analysis in health care facilities is indispensible as it allows managers to make frequent decisions by use of collected data in relation to the issues that are facing specific facilities. In addition, health managers must assist others to reach their own decisions especially by avoiding common errors that lead to poor decisions. Apparently, success depends on whether adequate right decisions are made and implemented. While decisions do not often turn out as expected a plan of action that is meant to improve the chances of successful decision must include a variety of issues. The best working environment occurs when everyone at the working place is involved. As a manager, different leadership styles are necessary in relation to the organization, over and above, the kind of work that being done. At times, a manager may be forced to practise more than one leadership style to ensure that work is done effectively. The basic employee retention strategies entail creating and maintaining a workplace that is attractive, retains and nourishes good people. Every organization faces increased levels of compensation and the need to have a sustainable competitive advantage grows even more. Bibliography; Arthur, D., 2006. Recruiting, interviewing, selecting & orienting new employees. New York: AMACOM. Belbin, R.M., 2010. Team Roles at Work, London, Butterworth-Heinemann. Bergeron, B., 2003. 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