Organizational Structure and Culture - Essay Example

An organization can have an informal or formal structure. A formal structure is presented diagrammatically in an organizational chart. It has positions, responsibilities, tasks, and relations among workers in different departments. An informal structure describes personal or social relations that are not stated in the organizational chart. It provides social satisfaction by helping workers meet their personal objectives. It contains communication channels that distribute information more rapidly than the formal system.

An organizational chart can be vertical, horizontal, or rectangular. Informal structures require approval of the management and their techniques are closely monitored for effectiveness. Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester has a formal organizational structure. The organizational chart is drawn vertically. The chief nursing officer is the overall head of the nursing department. Every department has an associate director, who operates below the chief nursing officer. The nursing body also contains budget managers, recruitment, research department, information systems, and policy management.

Staff nurses are at the lowest level and interact with the patients. The hospital has a decentralized system where each department has its own director and workers. These nurses are responsible for the welfare of patients in their departments, which provides client centered care. Staff nurses take care of the patients and provide a welcoming environment for their clients. They interact with patients and obtain information about their preferences and priorities. The hospital also has a patient educational program to educate the patients about their role in health practices (URMC, 2012).

The hospital has a computerized information management system. Patient information is stored in the hospital database. Electronic medical records are used to reduce the patient waiting time. Human patient simulator is used by doctors to simulate treatment practices for patients. The institution has an information systems manager who oversees flow of information in the hospital. The system is accessible by all departments, which speeds up information sharing. A patient can have different complications which fall under different departments.

Doctors and nurses in these departments require full health records for the patient before treatment. The information management system ensures availability of such information for all departments. The hospital has an interpreter service for deaf patients. An interpreter is used to aid communication between the deaf client and the clinicians. This facilitates information exchange for better services. Every clinician in the facility has a corporate email for effective communication within the staff.

Face to face communication is used by nurses and doctors to attend to patients. This helps them understand the patient better and provide the requested services. It also helps create a good relationship between the staff and patients. Doctors use notes to pass sensitive information in the presence of the patient. Consultation is done by staff before making important decisions regarding clients. Nurses and doctors hold discussions before performing operations, medication, and other major decisions.

Human patient simulators are used during discussions to determine the right treatment process. Researchers hold lengthy discussions regarding their findings before making a conclusive decision. The