Developing Organizational Policies And Practices Assignment

Developing Organizational Policies And Practices Assignment

The primary competing needs in the organization are the quality of care versus the number of qualified staff and available funds versus the facility’s capacity to recruit and retain staff. Balancing between offering high-quality care and keeping a practicable number of health workers poses a significant challenge for the former. The lower number of health workers handle excessive work, compromising safety and care quality, consistent with the observation by Ma et al. (2022). Regarding the latter competing need, the available financial resources may be inadequate to recruit and retain nurses, impeding the development of reliable retention models.

The relevant policy is the organization’s method of acquiring staff and managing the workforce. The current policy hires a significantly low number of nurses across cadres, with rigid schedules and slightly lower compensation in comparison to recommended rates. Ethically, the policy should focus on protecting clients’ safety and promoting quality care, besides providing adequate support for nurses and promoting their reasonable handling (Broome and Marshall, 2021). This approach will benefit both the client and the nurse.

Policy/Practice Changes

The organization could utilize the following approaches to address the primary competing needs and ethical considerations. First, the facility should implement flexible models for managing staff, which will protect client needs and promote fair handling of staff, consistent with NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2021). This step would entail establishing schedules that are compatible with fluctuating patient numbers and allow for career advancement for nursing practitioners.

Moreover, the organization should allocate funds to robust staff retention models. Such models provide incentives to increase work satisfaction, promote career progression and provide rewarding remuneration (NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc., 2021). In detail, such approaches could include reimbursing nurses who enroll for further education, establishing mentorship forums and rewarding high-quality performance.

References

Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader. Springer.

Ma, E., Kritsimali, A., Olby-Clements, B., Boyd, K., & Demirbasa, B. (2022). Innovative staffing solutions to nursing shortages in acute mental health inpatient wards. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 43(2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.1961331

NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2021). 2021 NSI national health care retention & RN staffing report. http://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

Competing needs arise within any organization as employees seek to meet their targets and leaders seek to meet company goals. As a leader, successful management of these goals requires establishing priorities and allocating resources accordingly.

Within a healthcare setting, the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients are often in conflict. Mandatory overtime, implementation of staffing ratios, use of unlicensed assisting personnel, and employer reductions of education benefits are examples of practices that might lead to conflicting needs in practice.

Leaders can contribute to both the problem and the solution through policies, action, and inaction. In this Assignment, you will further develop the white paper you began work on in Module 1 by addressing competing needs within your organization.

To Prepare:

• Review the national healthcare issue/stressor you examined in your Assignment for Module 1 and review the analysis of the healthcare issue/stressor you selected.
• Identify and review two evidence-based scholarly resources that focus on proposed policies/practices to apply to your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post regarding competing needs.

The Assignment (1-2 pages):

Developing Organizational Policies and Practices

Add a section to the 2-3 page paper you submitted in Module 1. The new section should address the following in 1-2 pages:

• Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Critique the policy for ethical considerations and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.
• Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.
• Cite evidence that informs the healthcare issue/stressor and/or the policies and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.
• Due to the nature of this assignment, your instructor may require more than 7 days to provide you with quality feedback.

Assignment 1

Addressing Nursing Shortages in Our Healthcare Organization

• The healthcare institution is currently facing a deteriorating deficit of nurses and nurse managers, a trend that has been observed nationwide in recent years. This ongoing and escalating shortage of nursing professionals is unparalleled in the annals of modern healthcare (Tamata & Mohammadnezhad, 2023). Within our organization, seasoned nurses have exited the profession due to retirement or career transitions, leaving behind vacancies that the remaining nurses and leaders have struggled to fill (Broome & Marshall, 2021). This challenge is exacerbated by the absence of nursing education opportunities in baccalaureate nursing programs and the lack of experience among potential candidates for these open positions. As Beitz (2019) note, the scarcity of academic nursing education programs in the United States has been a persistent issue since the early 1970s. The purpose of this paper is to explain evidence-based strategies to curb the nursing shortage and how the strategies can be applied to our institution.
• Two Outside Articles and How Issue is Addressed in Other Organizations
• The issue of nursing shortages has been a long-standing challenge, and its effects on our institution are reflected in various important indicators (Baker, 2022). Based on our internal records, there has been a 15% rise in nurse-to-patient ratios in the last year, resulting in heavier workloads and possible risks to patient safety. Furthermore, there has been a 20% surge in burnout and discontentment among nursing staff, impacting overall staff morale per the survey done three months ago.
• Two reputable sources have provided insights into how different organizations are addressing the nursing shortage problem. The initial article, authored by Ma et al. (2022), focuses on “Innovative Staffing Solutions for Nursing Shortages.” It examines the impact of a newly implemented therapeutic staffing model at the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT). The article identifies several themes among the staff, including shift patterns, ward duties/workload, and morale. While the new model shows promise, it also highlights certain issues. The article suggests recommendations to enhance team cohesiveness, foster a sense of value, and strengthen professional identities. The second article, published by NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. in 2021, is a report on national healthcare retention and RN staffing. According to this article, one measurable indicator of the severity of a hospital’s vacancy rate is the utilization of contract labor and overtime. The management should not perceive contract labor costs as mere operating expenses but rather incorporate them into the position control system. A more accurate understanding of the direct labor cost can be obtained by including these costs within the payroll cost line.
• Strategies to Address Organizational Impact and the Positive/Negative Impact in Our Organization
• The scholarly resources provide valuable strategies that could greatly benefit our organization. One such strategy is the flexible therapeutic staffing model introduced by Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust, which outlines staffing levels for each service line and ward (Ma et al., 2022). This model emphasizes the importance of flexible rotas, career development for healthcare workers, and safe staffing through therapeutic models involving various disciplines. This model allows our organization to manage patient loads, especially during peak times, effectively.
• Implementing strategies aimed at retaining employees, as suggested by NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2021), has the potential to enhance job satisfaction and decrease burnout within our nursing team. To enhance the financial performance of our hospital, it is imperative to focus on enhancing our ability to retain staff, addressing vacancy rates, strengthening recruitment efforts, and managing labor costs effectively. The establishment and maintenance of a high-quality workforce are crucial for successfully managing the challenges associated with staffing.
• The healthcare system faces mounting pressure due to the growing general population and aging population, leading to a higher demand for health services and, subsequently, nurses. While these strategies have their advantages, it is vital to acknowledge the potential challenges they pose. For example, the upfront costs of introducing new staffing models or retention programs could put a strain on our financial resources. Additionally, resistance to change from current staff members could impede the effective execution of these initiatives.

• Conclusion
• One of the most critical challenges facing our organization is the shortage of nurses, which has a significant impact on our overall well-being. To address this challenge and ensure the smooth functioning of our operations, we need to adopt effective strategies that can help us attract and retain nursing staff. These strategies can be sourced from presented external sources. Customizing these strategies to suit the organizational environment is also important, as it can help the organization achieve the desired outcomes and meet the unique needs of staff and patients. By investing in effective strategies, the organization can create an environment that supports the growth and development of our nursing staff, resulting in improved patient outcomes and overall organizational success.

• References
• Baker, D. W. (2022). Addressing the nursing shortage in the United States: An interview with Dr. Peter Buerhaus. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 48(5), 298–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2022.02.006
• Beitz, J. M. (2019). Addressing the perioperative nursing shortage through education: A perioperative imperative. AORN Journal, 110(4), 403–414. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.12805
• Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader. Springer.
• Ma, E., Kritsimali, A., Olby-Clements, B., Boyd, K., & Demirbasa, B. (2022). Innovative staffing solutions to nursing shortages in acute mental health inpatient wards. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 43(2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.1961331
• NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2021). 2021 NSI national health care retention & RN staffing report. http://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf
• Tamata, A. T., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2023). A systematic review study on the factors affecting the shortage of nursing workforce in the hospitals. Nursing Open, 10(3), 1247–1257. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1434

LEARNING RESOURCES

Required Readings

• American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statementsLinks to an external site.. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only

Note: Review all, with special attention to “Provision 6” (pp. 23–26).

• Kelly, P., & Porr, C. (2018). Ethical nursing care versus cost containment: Considerations to enhance RN practiceLinks to an external site.. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 6. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man06. Retrieved from

http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No1-Jan-2018/Ethical-Nursing-Cost-Containment.html

• Milliken, A. (2018). Ethical awareness: What it is and why it mattersLinks to an external site.. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 1. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man01. Retrieved from

http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No1-Jan-2018/Ethical-Awareness.html

Required Media

• Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2012). Ethical, Moral, and Legal Leadership[Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2009b). Working with Individuals[Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Rubric

NURS_6053_Module02_Week03_Assignment_Rubric

PreviousNext