Course Project: Developing a Strategic Plan - Term Paper Example

A summary of Developing a Strategic Plan A summary of Developing a Strategic Plan The unmet need and how it is evident The unmet need in my organization is insufficient level of nursing staff. This unmet need is evident in my organization in a number of ways. In the media (Laureate Education, 2013d), Dr. Carson Huston asserts that evidence of insufficient level of nursing staff, as an unmet need, can be exemplified by observing historical patterns. In this respect, shortage of nurses in my organization is evidenced by the high attrition level, the aging nursing workforce, low levels of nurses in reference to the national projections, as well as few learning institutions related to nursing within the locality.

In explication, the nursing workforce in my organization is characterized by a ageing nursing workforce as only 15 percent are under the age of 30. This irrelative difference in age-group will cause a huge gap in future after the retirement of the older generation of the workforce. Data from few available nursing schools within the locality also shows a high attrition rate. High number of dropouts in nursing schools translates to lower number of nurses joining the nursing profession particularly within the locality.

Mission, vision, and values of my organization The mission of my organization is to become an epitome of quality through the provision of affordable and well coordinated care. The vision is to turn out to be a hospital renowned for its irrefutable and verified positive outcomes achieved through a patient-focused approach. The values of my organization are to cultivate relationships with all stakeholders on the basis of trust, achieve change through originality, improve value for our clients, and spotlight care to individuals and the community in general.

Data from historical analysis According to projections cited in The Campaign for Nursings Future (2013), the highest proportion of nurses in a national perspective is expected to be between 50 and 60 years of age. In the year 2000, the average age of the nursing workforce nationally was at 45.2 and this figure increased to 46 years of age in 2008 (Campaign for Nursings Future, 2013). A national Sample Survey of Registered Nurses conducted in 2008, as further postulated by the Campaign for Nursings Future (2013), showed that approximately 55 percent of the nursing workforce would retire between 2011 and 2020 thus illustrating a further projected shortage.

A nursing projection report of 2002 showed a 6 percent shortage of nurses and a projection of a shortage of 20 percent by the year 2020 (Shi, 2010). This national projected shortage is illustrative of the shortage in my organization. In other words, the national shortage is correspondingly evident in my organization.Attempted strategies, vision, and strategic goal As denoted by Timby (2009, p. 11), "The federal government attempted to address the shortage of nurses by approving the Nurse Reinvestment Act".

This act was introduced loan reimbursement programs for students in the nursing field in an effort to encourage and attract more students. In addition, nurses have undertaken a hands-on role in addressing challenges attributed to the shortage particularly through receiving training in additional roles in order to cover the shortage (Timby, 2009). To address the shortage, stakeholders that ought to be involved in the strategic planning include the general public, policy makers, and the healthcare providers themselves.

All these stakeholders would play a significant role in reversing the current trend in terms of nursing shortage. The vision for strategic planning in the organizational level is to attain adequate level of nursing staff with corresponding advanced levels of skills. One of the strategic goal for planning is to increase the number of nurses graduating with Bachelor of Nursing degrees and also reduce attrition levels in nursing schools. One of the broader issues to be covered can be extrapolated from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (n.d) who posit the need for exploring and scrutinizing prospective benefits of modern technology in terms of improving the abilities and competences of the shrinking proportions of nurses.

ReferencesAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing. (n.d). Strategies to Reverse the New Nursing Shortage. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/tri-council- shortage Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Elements of a strategic plan model [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.eduShi, L. (2010). Managing Human Resources in Health Care Organizations. London, UK: Jones and Bartlett. The Campaign for Nursings Future. (2013). National Nursing Shortage Overview.

Retrieved from https://www.discovernursing.com/sites/default/files/media/press1378377288/Nursing %20Shortage%20Overview_5-21-13.pdfTimby, B. K. (2009). Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.