Transitioning From Closed to Open Systems - Research Paper Example

Transitioning From Closed to Open Systems Transitioning From Closed to Open Systems There are various ways of solving issues inorganizations depending on the magnitude of the issue. Some organizations explore outside sources as a way of solving their problems while others stick to their internal mechanisms for solutions. The nursing sector is one that has massive issues that have to be approached uniquely to come up with practical solutions (Gordon, Buchanan and Bretherton, 2008). For example, to improve the health sector all nursing facilities should have sufficient number of health practitioners.

This will increase the quality of services that are offered to the people that need these services. Apparently, the nursing sector has an open and closed system of solving problems. In the open system a nursing facility is at freewill to look for external help from other facilities and organizations. However, closed system perspectives state that a facility will only seek solutions from the internal environment. The latter limits the number of solutions to the existing problems.In recent times, many health facilities have experienced a shortage in the number of nurses that should attend to patients.

Nurses are considered vital in ensuring all the patients are recuperating at a desirable rate. This is owing to the basic services that are offered by the nurses which include exercises, administering drugs, feeding and cleaning of patients. Without adequacy in such services patients will not recover in good time. Therefore, shortage of nurses in the nursing sector is a blow as the patients rarely get the services they need (Smith, 2010). One prevalent issue is the lack of sufficient number of nurses, especially in the ICU.

Most patients who are taken to the ICU require intensive care that involves various delicate services. Acceptable standards state that there should be at least one nurse taking care of two patients in the ICU. Nevertheless, in most health facilities this is a rare ratio. Most of the nurses have to offer their services to at least three patients, which obviously overworks the nurses leading to poor service delivery. In bizarre incidents a single nurse is forced to serve four patients in the ICU.

This highly degrades the quality of services offered across the nursing profession. As such, it jeopardizes the health and safety of the patients in the ICU as well as the reputation of particular health institutions.Shortage of nurses is a prevalent problem that risks the lives of patients. There are various ways of solving the problem though. However, it would be a hard task to use a closed system solution to this problem (Ahmed, 2012). When using an open system in solving such a problem, it will be easier to give quality services to the patients that need them.

First, an open system approach allows the facility to explore external solutions to the problem. The open systems will not strain the current employees in the nursing facility. The perfect open system solution in this kind of situation is finding a travel nurse agency that could partner with the facility. In this scenario the facility will contact the agency at any time they have a large inflow of patients. At such times, the agency will supply nurses to assist in offering the required services.

This would be prudent as the nurse-to-patient ratio will be maintained at a standard rate.ReferencesAhmed, S. (2012). DNP education, practice, and policy: Redesigning advanced practice roles for the 21st century. New York: Springer Publishing Company.Gordon, S., Buchanan, J., & Bretherton, T. (2008). Safety in numbers: nurse-to-patient ratios and the future of health care: The culture and politics of health care work series. New York: Cornell University Press.Smith, B. H. (2010). Problem solving for better health: A global perspective.

New York: Springer Publishing Company.