A. Identify at least five items for each of the following sections of the SWOT template:
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
3. Opportunities
4. Threats
B. Write a conclusion (2 pages) for Dr. M to ponder prior to making a final decision in which you do the following:
1. Discuss each section of the SWOT grid.
2. Make one recommendation for Dr. M to undertake to improve productivity.
Abstract
This is an SWOT analysis based on a case study offered for review. It encompasses management of an emergency unit of a 300 suburban hospital which grew from a 50 bed facility. They are old staff consisting of physicians with some antiquated techniques regarding nurse physician relationships in patient care which obviously need changing.
Introduction
Dynamism experienced in current nursing leadership structure often requires accommodating extensive changes across healthcare systems. An identifiable change is for nurses to express more independence by taking a more active role in the decision making process within their organizations. This is a necessity for each clinical unit. However, it is difficult trying to remodel an existing structure. With healthcare reform this is inevitable, because ther are legal structures imposing these modifications within the healthcare environment. Consequently, system thinking has been used as a model for providing a framework (Student uploaded notes, 2013).
In this strategy distinct components of a system are viewed in isolation for enhancing greater understanding the whole organizational function. As it relates to hospital settings, a SWOT analysis offers subjective evaluation of information derived though systems thinking and then places it in a format that helps understanding, presentation, discussion, and decision making about a larger problem. Nurse leaders have these techniques available for understanding underlying issues that emerge as a larger health care intervention problem (Student uploaded notes, 2013
- Identifying at least five item
- Strengths
- The institution is a 300-bed suburban tertiary care hospital.
- The new nursing officer has a doctorate degree
- This officer recognizes inconsistencies within the organization
- Also this officer is open to changes towards improvement
- Dr. M realizes that health care industry needs proper financing for structures to function efficiently.
2. Weaknesses
- The community hospital has been running at a loss recently.
- Nurses are not trained to make decisions independently.
- There is a structural dysfunction in the emergency department.
- Senior staff appears to be obsolete and fixed in their ways.
- Patient wait at the emergency is exceptionally long.
- Opportunities
- Upgrading staff quality since three fourths of the nursing population have a minimum of associates degrees
- BSNs and Master’s degrees staff can be trained and used as role models for quality improvement strategies.
- Promoting integration among nursing and non-nursing staff.
- Restructuring the Emergency Department to function more efficiently.
- Making more current emergency care services available to the community
- Threats
- The hospital’s reputation is compromised since the media is reporting irregularities in the emergency department.
- Quality of patient care is decreasing due to nurses’ unwillingness to function at their best.
- Physicians believe that nurse should follow their orders without questioning them
- Nurses who have been working long in the institution may reject changes instituted by Dr. M
- The current CEO is about to retire.
- Write a conclusion
- Discuss each section of the SWOT grid.
Please see SWOT Analysis grid below:-
SWOT analysis is a planning tool that could be very useful in application of systems thinking for resolving issues as those evident at emergency department of the 300-bed suburban tertiary care hospital in Chicago, where Dr. M has taken over as nursing supervisor. Four components are addressed within this grid when systems’ thinking is applied ( Schultz, 2010).
First strengths of the organization are reviewed. In thinking out strengths it is necessary to look at resources present in the organization, which can be presently used to advance the system. These include skills, competences, infrastructure and strategies. Building upon these strengths Dr. M can then cling to the relevant human resources as coordinating forces for change in the systems thinking framework intervention (Turner et.al, 2002).
The second component on the grid is implicit or explicit weakness. In organizations there are explicit weaknesses as expressed in the long wait time patient take to be located in wards. Often this is an international problem at emergency departments. However, reducing wait time and enhancing efficiency in the management of emergency departments across the globe has been given priority. Emergency department management in the US certainly has its own peculiarity, which must be considered in the systems thinking framework as a weakness assessment relevant to US health care system (Skyttner, L. 2006).
Often psychologists have contended that weakness interpreted as challenges are actual opportunities. As such, the third component on the grid pertains to opportunities. Dr. M must ask what opportunities exist amidst these weaknesses. This is a crucial aspect of systems thinking pointing towards critically analyzing the situation to find the good. If doctors feel that their antiquated belief in nurses’ subservience in decision making is valid then examine their reasons for feeling that way. Maybe they could provide the content for revolutionizing perceptions between nurse physician roles within the organization for an on the job training to begin at this 300 bed suburban tertiary care hospital in Chicago (Ackoff, 2010).
Analysts have posited that when opportunities are not grasped in time weakness become threats, which can destroy the organization. For example, if physicians are allowed to continuing thinking nurses must administer all their orders without question and opportunities not taken to resolve the issue then quality patient care will become a threat. Many other threats could emerge from this single neglected opportunity (Gharajedaghi, 2005)
2. Make one recommendation for Dr. M to undertake to improve productivity.
Productivity can be improved by conducting an organization’s needs assessment as was done in SWOT and thereafter restructuring the emergency department through appropriate staff training. Staff training will be developed by a Subject Matter Expert after reviewing the SWOT grid. It should focus on unit supervisors, nurses and physicians. Training would be conducted for each category of health care worker. The subject matter expert (SME) will design a curriculum for workshop training extending at least over three one week monthly sessions (Checkland, & Poulter, 2006). .
It is initial staff development training with the focus of improving emergency department management. Nurses will learn to take responsibility for completing work on their shift. Productivity will be improved because the training outcome ought to provide emergency unit staff with additional skills to function more effectively. Doctors will learn to give nurses the opportunity of making independent decisions. This will be encouraged during workshop demonstrations. When nurses and doctors can collaborate in reducing backlog og pateints if discharged early during the day productivity will be greatly increased(Checkland, & Poulter, 2006).
References
Ackoff, R. (2010) Systems Thinking for Curious Managers. London. Triarchy Press
Checkland, P., & Poulter, J (2006) Learning for Action. New York. Wiley
Gharajedaghi, J. (2005) Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity - A Platform for
Designing Business Architecture. London. Butterworth-Heinemann
Turner, N.;Barling, J. Epitropaki, O. Butcher, V., & Milner, C. (2002). Transformational
leadership and moral reasoning. Journal of Applied Psychology 87 (2): 304–311
Schultz, D (2010). Psychology and work today. New York: Prentice Hall.
Skyttner, L. (2006). General Systems Theory: Problems, Perspective, Practice. World
Scientific Publishing Company.
