HCM611-0803A-01 Managing the Health Care Organization - Phase 2 Discussion Board - Essay Example

HCM611-0803A-01 Managing the Health Care Organization - Phase 2 Discussion Board Policies and procedures related to the improvement of nursing care and efficiency includes quality assessment and improvement program. The policies of the program include monitoring and assessment of structure, process, and care standards. The hospital needs to ensure that the standard of patient care is optimum through a standard program. The program should evaluate the efficiency of nursing care and its outcome in the patient.

(Roussel, Swansburg C.R. & Swansburg R.J., 2006)Nurses can be convinced about working under renewed policies and procedures by creating a public awareness about the benefits of nursing career. The prospective nurse should be informed about the world of opportunities available to the nurse under the regulated working environment. Further, the hospital should instil a thought in the nurse that they have a great responsibility to the society. The job of a nurse in a challenging atmosphere need not be dealing with the patient alone but the nurse has opportunities to adorn the role of an administrator or teacher.

This is one job that can bring a meaningful change to the lives of people. The vacancy of nurses due to work pressure and retirement can be solved by encouraging nurses to realise the need for social work while finding job satisfaction for oneself by caring for the sick and maintaining the health of the public. The role of nurse lies in shaping and implementing policies for the health care system (Nurses launch public awareness, 2008).The successful implementation of policies and procedures can be achieved by creating a realisation among employees on the need for patient satisfaction, reduction of cost, reduction in errors and the need to exhibit high levels of efficiency.

The prospective nurse should be taught about the importance of reducing cost by eradicating wastage at work. Prospective nurses should be briefed about handling the Emergency Department with ease even in the busiest of times and they should be assured of support from the hospital in dealing with the crowd by applying the methods like lean principle. This principle was actually used in the manufacturing sector but yields good results when applied to the health care system also. Lean principle gives importance to reduce waste, decrease production time, increase capacity, improve workflow and reduce cost.

The hospital can ensure prospective employees about professional support from time to time to improve workflow and organisation of duty and assure them that there will be no duplication of work and unnecessary wastage of time for locating supplies. This policy should ensure that there will be no long duration of admission of patients in the hospital. Hospitals can justify stringent working atmosphere with their additional working facilities like computers and software to maintain charts and the filling of document (paperless work to simplify work).

Nurses should be assured that the hospital would arrange rigorous training program in every aspect of their profession for the smooth flow of job. Nurses who are to handle the emergency department can be assured of incentive for handling patients within a certain period of arrival at the hospital. Nurses should be briefed about easy to follow shift timings. The technological advancement of the hospital in terms of handling supplies and patient details will be of interest to the new nurse and will result in their productivity without much strain.

A nurse will be convinced on knowing that high amount of patient satisfaction can be obtained without much stress due to the facilities of the hospital by keeping a keen focus on the policies and procedures.The morale of the nurse will automatically increase on knowing the facilities of the hospital. Nurses will now view their work from a different perspective, thus giving room for better efficiency. Further, problem solving strategies in times of need will become a part of their duty and they will not blame the hospital policies for any issues in their work.

The management can gain the confidence of a new employee by speaking about openness of the management and transparency in terms of all dealings. This will provide a great level of encouragement to the new employee (Kent, 2008).The decision of a nurse can be influenced by the hospital management by assuring special recognition. Recognition will improve the quality of care. Recognitions can include the presentation of a trophy with the name of the nurse and the respective accomplishment. These measures will definitely result in a positive response from the nurse.

Morale of nurses tends to increase with these initiatives and the distribution of award will bolster the quality of all other staffs in the hospital. This will ensure that hard work of nurse will not go unrecognised and gives hope for the retention of nurses in a hospital. Open nominations can be allowed for the awards so that there is no bias regarding the selection. (Casey & Currey, 2006).The combination of right policies and procedures with the right people will thus lead to better quality of care, efficiency and will boost the morale of the entire workforce in a hospital.

Nurses will then comply with the policies and procedures of the management and protect the health of patients, ensure safety and safeguard the rights of the patients. The choice of right nurse to suit the policies will ensure proper coordination of assistance to the patients. This will lead to increased intervention at times of risk to a patient which will be restricted to educating the patient about the sickness or reporting the risk to others in the team. Greater responsibility will be exhibited by the nurse in teaching patients about self administration of medicine in specific circumstances.

In conclusion, best nursing practices and high quality care can be assured with the right people and right policies and procedures of the hospital management. (Policy Related to the Nurse’s role, 2006)ReferenceCasey, R. & Currey, A. (October 2006). An Emergency Department Awards Ceremony: One Hospitals Journey. Vol.32, Iss.5, Page 459-463. Available: http://www.jenonline.org/article/PIIS0099176706003357/fulltext. Accessed: July 18, 2008.Kent, A. (April 2008). Leaning Towards Efficiency, A Georgia medical center introduces lean processes to streamline workflow.

Available: http://www.healthmgttech.com/features/2008_april/0408_leaning.aspx. Accessed: July 18, 2008.Nurses launch public awareness campaign to promote the profession (May 9, 2008). Available: http://www.rnao.org/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=2442. Accessed: July 18, 2008Policy Related to the Nurse’s Role in Medication Administration in Community Based Care Settings. (2006). Available: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/spd/provtools/nursing/policy/meds.pdf. Accessed: July 18, 2008Roussel, L.

, Swansburg C.R. & Swansburg R.J. (2006). Management and Leadership for Nurse Administrators. London: Jones & Bartlett.