Communication: Aminta Parra
In organizations and corporations, especially those involving various departments and that have different personnel running and attending to different areas, communication is one of the most essential aspects to put into consideration, and effective communication is achieved in cases whereby all the departments understand the roles that they need to play in specific areas, as well as the implication that acting or failure to act on specific circulated information may have, both on the unit departments, as well as the entire organization or corporation, at large (McKay, 2009).
What is the problem?
In the case of Nurse Aminta Parra, for example, communication is one of the aspects that has been lacking, between the different departments of the healthcare facility. One of the factors that should be noted concerning this case is the fact that as much as Nurse Aminta Parra might have a viable idea of developing a strategy for the ventilator-dependent patients, through which their needs will be effectively attended to when they are discharged to go home, as they have been attended to, when they were still at the medical care facility. However, the main problem in this case is the fact that other departments, such as the dietary representative as well as other nurses, do not agree to Nurse Aminta Parra’s opinion. However, in order to understand this case, it is necessary to address the problem from the root cause, as this is the only way through which it will be easy to identify a strategy through which the problem will be addressed. The root cause of the main problem is the fact that the other departments, as well as employees, are not looking at the ventilator-dependent patients from the same perspective from which Nurse Aminta Parra. As a result, they do not see the challenge that these patients will face from the same perspective that Aminta is, and this leads to their disagreement. At the same time, there is poor communication between the other employees and Aminta Parra. Poor communication leads to misunderstanding or lack of effective message delivery. This is the case that has affected the understanding of the different departments concerning Aminta Parra’s opinion and idea on ventilator-dependent patients.
Whose problem is it?
In this case, identifying the problem and the person responsible for the problem will be determined by how effective the message has been passed. One of the factors to note includes the fact that there is minimal cooperation between the different departments of the minimal cooperation between these different departments. At the same time, each of the departments is focusing on its own interests, and fails to consequently involve the other departments and employees. This has, consequently, affected the organizational relationship between these different departments. The problem, in this case, rests upon the medical facility management team, whereby it has failed to unite and develop the medical facility by developing a common unit (Bolton, 2010). At the same time, it does not create ample room for the exchange, embracement and implementation of employees’ ideas. This is the reason why the different departments have vehemently rejected Aminta Parra’s idea and opinion, without even giving it a chance or consideration.
What should Nurse Parra do?
One of the most essential things to note concerning Sunrise hospital is the fact that there is minimal cooperation between them and the home care facilities to which these discharged patients will be sent. In this case, therefore, Nurse Parra, in conjunction with Sunrise Hospital, should prepare proposals to these home care facilities, in order to explain the reason why it is necessary to change the diets for the patients, and the impacts that this change will have on the patients. At the same time, it is necessary for the nurse for the nurses to explain, in their proposal, the impacts that failure to review the diets will impact on the patients’ health. By so doing, the home care facilities will be in a better position to understand the impacts that the dietary protocol will have on the patients, and their recovery, as well (Beebe, 1990).
What mode of communication should be used by Nurse Parra?
There are various modes of communication that Nurse Parra can use in informing the home care facilities on the essentiality of adopting these dietary principles. For instance, one of the factors to note in this case, include the fact that she needs to compare the implementation of the dietary protocol and failure to apply the same, and the impact that this will have on the patients’ state and recovery. In this case, therefore, a written proposal is the most ideal approach to use in such a case, as it will ensure that all the concerned parties, who in this case include other nurses, the doctors as well as the home care facilities critically look at the issue from an open minded, brad and a well-illustrated perspective. In doing this, it will be easier for the parties that hold differing opinions will get a more elaborate perspective concerning the dietary matter. At the same time the proposal should look at the issue from two different perspectives, and these are the implementation of the dietary protocol on the patients and its consequent impacts, as well as failure to apply the same, and the impacts that this failure will have on the patients. This will provide a guided opinion to the homecare facilities and will give them a wider perspective concerning the same.
The first team that Nurse Parra needs to contact first is the Sunrise Hospital management team. This is due to the fact that the team will approve the budget to the finance department, which should fund the team to compile the report proposal to the homecare facilities. At the same time, the team should effectively understand the necessity of this dietary protocol and the impact that it has on the patients’ wellbeing, and this will guide them in advocating for its implementation, even in the homecare facilities. Other nurses should be included in the communication flow, as it will ensure that the entire hospital staff works in unity, and as a block (Paleg, 2004).
What leadership and management strategies should Parra use?
In such a case, Parra should use a participative strategy, and this is where she will involve all the teams that she seeks to work with in implementing the dietary protocol. In this case, therefore, she will need to introduce all the teams, from both Sunrise Hospital and the respective homecare facilities by presenting her idea to them. After doing so, she will need to support her strategy, and why she and the rest of the nurses see this as the best applicable strategy to use. Lastly, Parra should coalesce the hospital with the homecare facilities together in the implementation of the protocol. This is the only way through which the implementation will be a success.
References
Beebe, S. (1990). Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices. New York: Scott Foresman & Co, pp. 90-112.
Bolton, R. (2010). People Skills. 4th edition. New Jersey: Wiley, pp. 34.
McKay, M. (2009). Messages: The Communication Skills Book. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 98.
Paleg, K. (2004). The Messages Workbook: Powerful Strategies for Effective Communication at Work and Home. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp. 76.
