Chapter 12 – Assignment
You are the supervisor of a surgical services department in a nonunion hospital. The staff on your unit have become increasingly frustrated with hospital policies regarding staffing ratios, on-call pay, and verbal medical orders but feel that they have limited opportunities for providing feedback to change the current system. You would like to explore the possibility of moving toward a shared governance model of decision making to resolve the issue and others like it but are not quite sure where to start.
Instructions:
- Review Learning Exercise 12.6 – Problem Solving: Working Toward Shared Governance (located in Chapter 12 of the textbook)
- Answer the following questions:
- Who do I need to involve in the discussion and at what point?
- How might I determine if the overarching organizational structure supports shared governance?
- How would I determine if external stakeholders would be impacted?
- How would I determine if organizational culture and subculture would support a shared governance model?
- What types of nursing councils might be created to provide a framework for operation?
- Who would be the members on these nursing councils?
- What support mechanisms would need to be in place to ensure success of this project?
- What would be my role as a supervisor in identifying and resolving employee concerns in a shared governance model?
- Your paper should be:
- Typed according to APA style for margins, formatting and spacing standards.
- Typed into a Microsoft Word document, save the file, and then upload the file
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this assignment, we will be answering some questions related to the implementation of a shared governance model of decision making in a surgical services department of a nonunion hospital. We will be discussing the steps required, stakeholders involved, and the support mechanisms needed to ensure the success of this project.
1. Who do I need to involve in the discussion and at what point?
The implementation of a shared governance model requires involvement from all stakeholders, including staff nurses, nurse leaders, physician leaders, hospital administrators, and patients. It is essential to involve these parties in the discussion from the very beginning to get their input and buy-in. The initial step would be to form a task force or committee composed of representatives from all stakeholders to lead this initiative.
2. How might I determine if the overarching organizational structure supports shared governance?
To determine whether the organizational structure supports shared governance, we need to evaluate several factors, including external stakeholders, organizational culture, and subculture. We can determine the impact on external stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and meetings. We can also analyze the organization’s mission, vision, and values to assess how well they align with a shared governance model. Additionally, we can examine current policies and procedures to determine any roadblocks to implementing shared governance.
3. What types of nursing councils might be created to provide a framework for operation?
Several types of nursing councils might be created to provide a framework for operation. These councils include unit-based councils, departmental councils, and hospital-wide councils. Each council would have a specific purpose, such as quality improvement, patient safety, staff development, and policy development.
4. Who would be the members on these nursing councils?
The members of nursing councils should represent all the stakeholders involved in the initiative. These members include staff nurses, nurse leaders, physician leaders, hospital administrators, and patient representatives. It is essential to ensure diversity in the membership to get a broad range of perspectives and ideas.
5. What support mechanisms would need to be in place to ensure the success of this project?
To ensure the success of this project, several support mechanisms are necessary. These mechanisms include ongoing education and training, open communication and transparency, incentives for participation, and resources to support the initiative. We need to establish a system to measure success and monitor progress continually.
6. What would be my role as a supervisor in identifying and resolving employee concerns in a shared governance model?
As a supervisor, my role would be to provide guidance and support to my staff in identifying and resolving employee concerns. I would need to create an environment that encourages open communication and transparency. It is crucial to listen to staff concerns and provide feedback to ensure their issues are addressed timely.
