Implementation of Magnet Environment in RMH - Essay Example

There have been frequent changes in management due to poor working conditions and a high turnover of nurses. This has led to discontinuities in the style of management which changes as often as the managers do. Each new manager comes with a new style to which the supporting personnel have to adjust. This has impacted negatively on staff morale and has resulted in a high attrition rate. The result is a high patient to nurse ratio and therefore increased responsibilities for nurses. This has affected the quality of care given to patients and has led to high rates of mortality.

Keenan and Kennedy (2003) indicate that the health outcome is much better when the patient to nurse ratio is low. This finding supports studies done by others including Aiken et al (2002) which indicates that patient outcomes are linked to nurse patient ratio and the number of registered nurses. The chain of command represents the structure of the organization. The lines of authority and responsibility are determined by the chain of command. It also determines the flow of communication and therefore the flow of information throughout the organization.

A clear chain of command is important for efficient and effective management of any operation and the same applies to the operations of RMH hospital. The appropriate channels for vertical communication in RMH are affected and so problems and complaints are not dealt with because the nurses do not know who to report to. It therefore means that patients are not dealt with in the appropriate manner and so the problems keep piling up with no resolution in sight. There is no organized method of communication at RMH and so policies and directives cannot be enforced because there is no one to perform that role.

Decisions are being made by persons who do not have direct contact with patients and therefore do not know what the real problems are. There is no proper supervision because there is not enough staff to go around in order for the job of patient care to run smoothly. This has helped to increase the stress levels of nurses who have to deal with problems by themselves. There is inadequate information flow at RMH because of problems relating to the chain of command. Management is continually changing and new management normally takes some time to learn about the organization.

It therefore means that problems cannot be dealt with as they should because the nurses on the ground have more than they can handle. Political/Economic Elements The role of nurse administration is fundamental to the operations of RMH. All departments depend on administrative and other support functions to provide records, supplies and carry out regular housekeeping services. Even though the nurses role appears to be and is really very critical the support and cooperation of the other departments is fundamental.

The absence of interdisciplinary relationships in RMH is the root cause of some of the problems that currently exist. Critical care procedures are difficult to carry out because of this problem. This has affected both the structure and expertise of RMH ICU. This problem is coupled with the fact that RMH is the largest tertiary care military hospital in Saudi Arabia and is therefore always under pressure to admit patients who are critically ill. However, patients who are