The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay

From an interdisciplinary perspective, researchers have drawn contrasts between nursing and strategic planning (Carney, 2009). However, there is little evidence explaining the role of nurses in strategic management. Based on the failure to understand the interplay between nursing and strategic planning, this paper highlights the major areas of similarity and differences between the two concepts.

Similarities between Nursing and Strategic Planning

Both nursing and strategic planning disciplines are similar in the sense that all of them approach problem-solving from three unique perspectives – gathering data, evaluating possible alternatives, and formulating a plan of action (Schober, 2017).The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay.  In this regard, nursing and strategic planning processes are both useful in implementing nursing informatics strategies (Carney, 2009). Both disciplines also address issues systematically and logically (Marquis & Huston, 2017). Lastly, both processes require frequent evaluations to make sure they remain goal-oriented (Carney, 2009).

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Differences between Nursing and Strategic Planning

One of the major differences between the nursing and strategic planning concepts is their locus of concentration. While the nursing process aims to improve the quality of health care services, strategic planning focuses on achieving organizational goals (Fairholm & Card, 2009). Stated differently, strategic planning aims to accomplish organizational goals, while the nursing process strives to meet patients’ health care needs. Another difference between both concepts is that the nursing process only involves two players – a nurse and a patient, while strategic planning processes involve multiple people (Schober, 2017). The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay. Nursing and strategic planning processes also take different lengths of time to complete. Indeed, while the nursing process takes a short period (months) to complete, the strategic planning process often takes a long period to implement (up to ten years) (Schober, 2017).

Summary

This paper shows that nursing and strategic planning processes are often compared and contrasted because they follow the same process of problem-solving – data gathering, problem evaluation, and formulation of an action plan. The main differences between the two hinge on their varied goals and time to complete them. The nursing process only takes a few months to complete, while the strategic planning process takes a longer time to complete (up to 10 years). Broadly, both concepts could be merged to create a hybrid model for providing quality health care services. The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay.

References

Carney, M. (2009). Enhancing the nurses’ role in healthcare delivery through strategic management: Recognizing its importance or not? Journal of Nursing Management, 17(6), 707-717.

Fairholm, M. R., & Card, M. (2009). Perspectives of strategic thinking: From controlling chaos to embracing it. Journal of Management and Organization, 15(1), 17-30.

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Effective strategic management is the means by which organizations achieve their desired levels of performance. There is a need to explore and describe the relationship between the profession of nursing and strategic management, with particular reference to nurses’ participation in the field of strategy development and implementation. This paper aims to ‘set the scene’ in relation to such an exploration. The concept of strategic management is discussed and some possible definitions are explored. The need for nurses to be involved in strategic management is then considered, drawing on literature from nursing and general management sources. The overall aim of the paper is to provide a basis for further discussion and to generate ideas for research in the area.

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Nurses Role in Supporting the Organization’s Strategic Agenda Nurses have great roles in their various s that they are posted as they have a more direct contact with patients and the community at large. This paper highlights the major roles that nurses play in the various institution where they are suited and in the community. It also states and gives clear impressions on the development of health and how to promote the nursing practices and the major nursing impacts. Summary of the interview The manager’s view regarding the role of the nurse in direct care and supporting the organization is mainly based on planning and the ability to deliver. The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay. In support of the organization, the manager stated that there had to be a coordinator and a monitor whose roles were to check on the progress of the agenda, engage many external stakeholders and secure additional resources. According to the manager the nursing profession demonstrates leadership skills which is mainly driven by ability to gather and interpret data and make implementations in a collaborative manner. In support of the organization the manager has to follow and instill some merits within the organization and follow up to them to see that they are well implemented. Some of these merits include; the increases of nurses for better satisfaction, set track merits that will help in creating successful units, handle labor and union issues and know how to manage and handle the staff. Impact on Nursing Practice The information gained from the interview was very resourceful and it might influence the nursing practice in the future. Quality care is very vital in this age and poor provision of such services can be detrimental to both the health institution and the individual which in this case is the patient. From the interview with the quality manager it was apparent that quality assurance must be fully embraced both now and in the future. Quality assurance entails effective patient care and it is a demonstration of the commitment to the health care and the significance of the patient as a customer who deserves the highest available quality care (Corrigan and Parsley, 1999). The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay. As a nursing leader, it is important for him or her to be responsible for the provision of service oriented and high-quality nursing care. The nursing leader is also responsible for the following; (a) delivering the care with cost management that is disciplined, (b) lead and create a group of nursing managers and executives at the level of the facility, (c) establishment of programs for nursing professional development, (d) to create and maintain the successful supply of nurses, and (e) to advocate for the patients and nurses (Young, 2008). The roles of the nurse leader were clearly outlined as stated above. The quality manager outlined clearly what the nurse ought to do in order to deliver care that was of the highest quality to the patient and better management of the organization or the health institution. The concluding remarks from the quality manager were that the health systems have grown in number and in size and operational and strategic planning processes have become more sophisticated. The enterprise wide strategic plans currently address a wide collection of considerations that have important effect on the entire organization; this is so in the patient and nursing care programs. The synchronous implementation of the organizational strategies is quite difficult and challenging. The organizational capacity is frequently bombarded with agendas that are competing (Young and Gubanc-Anderson, 2008). The complexity of the health systems is increasing on a daily basis. The systems and strategies developed to enhance the quality of care require proper training and implementation in order to achieve the goals of the organization. If the strategies cannot be implemented properly, the overall objectives of the health facility cannot be achieved; in majority of the health care facilities, quality care is the overall objectives. From these statements, it is very clear that the nurse plays a crucial role in the support of the organization’s strategic agenda. Conclusion From the interview conducted with the quality manager, it is important to note that the trend in the nursing care is changing and the organization and the systems used are becoming complex. The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay. Due to this complexity, the organizations are adopting different strategies to ensure the care provided by the health institution and specifically the nurse, is of the highest quality. The role of the nurse in the support of the organization’s strategic agenda is very significant. The role cannot be ignored because the nurse provides information that is vital for the smooth running of the health organization. Other than the smooth running of the organization, the nurse is at the fore front of offering the best quality care to the patient. In a nutshell, all the stakeholders within the health organization play a unique and significant role in the provision of quality care services. References Corrigan, P. & Parsley, K. (1999). Quality improvement in healthcare: Putting evidence into practice. Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thornes. Young, C. (2008). Establishing a nursing strategic agenda: The whys and wherefores [Abstract]. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(3), 200-205. Young, C. (2008). The nursing strategy officer: A new and evolving role [Abstract]. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(3), 195-199.  The Nurses Role in Strategic Management Essay.