Organizational Analysis of a Healthcare Institution - Essay Example

Organizational Review: An Analysis of a Healthcare Institution Name of Student: Course No: Name of Supervisor: Date: Organisation Overview Purpose of the Review The organisational review is aimed at examining the structure under which an organisation functions. An assessment of the structure of the organisation is done as well as the roles and responsibilities of the organisation. The objectives of the organisation must be articulated and to what extent they are being achieved. According to Koontz and Weihrich (2007) the means to success of any hospital lies with its personnel, rather than any other factor. The essential elements that influence staffing in a hospital organisation include quantity, quality and use of personnel in light of the framework and organisational process. This review therefore aims at establishing these parameters for the betterment of the organisation. Description of Workplace There is a challenge to the definition and measurement of output in an organisation including healthcare facilities. This is because the nature of work is extremely variable, complicated, demanding, non-deferrable, urgent and reactive. The requirement is for an organisational environment which is multifaceted, in order to manage the extremely specialised and varied professionals who interrelate to provide the services expected of them (Anderson and McDaniel, 2000). There has been an important change in the make-up of the health care staff. Non-physician staff in healthcare organisations has increased significantly including non-physician clinicians and nursing staff (Druss et.al, 2003). This has led to creation of novel roles for in the provision of healthcare. This change has increased collaboration between disciplines leading to reduction in patients treated. Role and Position within Organisation In my role as nurse practitioner, I am charged with many aspects of patient care and record keeping. This role is fast changing in the contemporary hospital setting as many principles of management and organisation are challenged in the current hospital setting. With decentralisation being the by-word, this poses a challenge to nursing services because we must not only meet market demands, but also endeavour to contribute to corporate profits while doing so. The various aspects of nursing care that I undertake includes medical care, management education, health support, research as well as the edification, information and counselling of patients. Management Process Role of Nursing Manager There is a distinct advantage to having a medical manager over a non-medical one because of the higher standing, greater knowledge on the workings of healthcare and less inhibition in articulating the issues (Simpson and Smith, 1997). The nurse manager in charge is charged with adopting the staffing policy for the organisation. She matches the knowledge of employees to the needs of patient care in a way that maximises both quality of care and job satisfaction. She also uses the patient assessment, work quantification and job analysis to find out the staff required for each group to be assigned to what patients. Patient groups include coronary care, renal failure, paraplegia, cancer, arthritis, etc. she makes up a master staffing plan and develops policies to implement the plan within the hospital units. She ensures that shift start-time; quantity of personnel on duty during holidays, and number of workers on duty during each shift is a flexible and accommodative concept that takes workload and workflow into account. Organisation Design An organisation can be defined as a social system framework made up of cohorts of personnel interacting in a work environment to achieve pre-specified goals (Clinton, 2004). The structure and management of an organisation can take many avenues. Our organisation is made up of a complex structure that consists of official units with homogeneous regulations, guidelines and procedures. The personnel have specific and specialised areas of operation where the pay structure, job roles and responsibilities are standardised. The hospital is made up of a professional bureaucracy that is made up of a functioning nucleus of professionals whose decision making capabilities and sophisticated support staff is decentralised. Unfortunately, the techno-structure is not very developed. The organisation is divided into separate divisions headed up by one administrative centre that join up to form an integrated whole. These divisions are Administrative Services Informational Services Therapeutic Services Diagnostic Services Support Services Health care organisations could be owned by various entities, either private or governmental, not for profit, or for profit, affiliated to sectarian interests or not. My health care organisation is an unaffiliated, for profit private enterprise. It employs a functional structure where employees are categorised into departments defined by their speciality. Thus nursing responsibilities all fall under nursing services with one administrative unit that make decisions. At the unit level, care is patient centred, that is, a unit-based nursing care delivery system. The administration of patient care services occurs at the unit and the aim is to contain costs, enhance efficiency, quality and decentralise responsibility. The R.N. is the patient care coordinator. Organisational Chart The organisational chart is a map which allocates sectors of responsibility and specialisation. It illustrates the formal relationships that exist within a structure in which the process of management occurs. Chain of Command This is the official line of authority and communication. When this line of authority is centralised, the decisions emanate from the autocratic centre downward. The decentralised organization has a flat framework in which decisions are made at the position in which they take place. The latter is the structure with which we are working. Figure 1: Organisational Chart for Royal Donnybrook Hospital Organisational Culture This is a cognitive structure which consists of approaches, principles, behavioural standards and prospects common to members of an organisation. The culture of the organisation assists to create a feeling of belonging amongst employees and therefore helps to promote internalisation of organisational goals. It also provides a foundation and fosters solidity in procedures, communication and interaction of roles. The total of an organisation’s values, language, traditions and customs is its culture according to Marquis and Huston (2009) and it is enforced by symbols, language and ceremony. In our organisation this is done via ceremonies that showcase the excellence of employees in epitomizing the values espoused by the organisation. These values include quality patient care, going the extra mile, efficiency in use of resources, and mutual staff support. The organisational vision involves improvement of services to the patient care and reduction of time it takes for a patient to be attended to in the Emergency Room. The Royal Hospital Donnybrook has a mission to make available wide ranging specialist services for adults in a way that is caring, dynamic, collaborative, and holistic. This has led to a shift in paradigm from simply care for the elderly to an emphasis on rehabilitation, hence a recent increase in beds for rehabilitation by 70%. This is partnered with provision of care for the more elderly and adults patients who require unremitting attention medically, with nursing and therapy. This goes hand in hand with promotion of community services. Conclusion The manager’s responsibility is an unremitting balance of requirements for a task on the on hand and the needs of the individual and the group as a whole. Simultaneously, they are required to hone in on pressing issues and deal with them as soon as possible. The manager mobilises individuals and groups to work toward a common objective within an organisation in conjunction with the exterior milieu. They come to decisions; apportion assets and direct activities for the attainment of the stated aim. The main challenge of management is to create an environment where people are motivated to show up for duty. At Donnybrook, the staff continuously works toward attaining this goal and the organisational overview is a means by which progress can be mapped and managed.   References Anderson R, McDaniel R. (2000). Managing Healthcare organizations: where Professionalism meets complexity science. Healthcare Manage Rev, 25(1): 83–92. Clinton, M. (Ed.) (2004). Management in the Australian healthcare industry. (3rd Ed.). South Melbourne: Prentice Hall. Druss B, Marcus S, Olfson M. et al. (2003). Trends in care by nonphysician clinicians in the United States. New Engl J Med, 348(2): 130–7. Marquis, B and Huston, C. (2009). Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer. Koontz H, Weihrich H .(2007) Essentials Of Management An International Perspective. (1st edn.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill publishers. Simpson J and Smith R. (1997). Why healthcare systems need medical managers. BMJ, 314(7095): 1636. Read More