NURS 6241: STRATEGIC PLANNING IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS - Final Complete Project

Addressing an Unmet Need through Strategic Planning

NURS 6241: STRATEGIC PLANNING IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS

Addressing an Unmet Need through Strategic Planning

Introduction

It is the expectation of any health ministry to have its professionals competent with the latest trends in technology. The motivation of this is that technology continually changes and is used in the high skilled intervention process. Henderson, Davis, Smith and King (2014) state that it is a phenomenon that is not permanent, and each day there is an emergence of one form of technology that is aimed to improve the quality of performance of a previous form of technology. Nurses and other medical practitioners are expected to, therefore, be knowledgeable of the types and varieties of technology that emerge (Cappelli, 2015). Despite this expectation, the situation is the reverse of its expectations. Based on this the paper below defines the need with a standpoint of using strategic management to address the unmet need of technological gap.

Unmet Need

The strategic planning process for this unmet need and gap identified would start by identification of the unmet need as well those that are directly affiliated with it. Balicer et al. (2011) state that as planning is started with needs identification, it is significant to establish the affected group that will later on in the project implementation be used in planning and intervention delivery. The mission of any health care facility is often to provide safe health care and disease intervention strategies that work towards promoting improved quality of life and value placed on the life of the patient (Henderson et al., 2014). The strategic process, therefore, translates to taking these factors, identifying the needs and coming up with a solution(s) that addresses the needs with the aim of realizing the mission and vision of health care provision. In this case study, the specific unmet need is the gap in knowledge of technological advancement. While it is expected that health care personnel to be conversant with the latest trends in technology to facilitate effectiveness of service the reality is that most of them lack these skills. It is therefore necessary for them to improve on these skills and become more proficient.

Broader Issues and Stakeholder Involvement

When addressing the issue, it would be critical to look at the broader issues surrounding the need. In this scenario, these are factors that include the costs associated with the project implementation, the willingness of the health care practitioner to indulge in the process of technological knowledge acquisition and the possible impact that the project will have on the organization, individual nurse, and the patients. Levin, Harper and Barr (2015,) state that the issue of technological gaps has been addressed on a case-by-case basis as opposed to uniformly among health care workers. Purnell (2014) asserts that there are no present universal policies that govern the way that professionals must handle their ignorance. After the incompetence in technology has been identified, the sorting for a solution is often left to the individual. It is therefore imperative that there be the involvement of policy makers and administrators that will see to it that the process is adequately addressed and implemented. The policy maker may be critical in offering a universal solution that covers all health professional in significant ways such as offering sponsorships and scholarships for skill development.

Addressing the Need at a System’s Level

Why should the identified need be addressed? The impact of unskilled nurses and other medical professionals results in a change in care delivery and quality of services (Cappelli, 2015). Just as technology is constantly evolving and making health care easier to engage in, the professionals should be well updated with these techniques. Without doing this the professional places the patients at high risk as technology use increases chances of proper health care. Better health care translates to improved care quality that eventually means improved health on the side of the patient. With such trends, it is likely that the future spells inadequacy as fewer nurses will have the necessary skills and therefore cause the shortage of qualified professionals (Henderson et al., 2014). One strategic goal, therefore, is to increase knowledge, proficiency and skills in technological awareness by the nurses within health care facilities level. Within the system, the best strategy would be used to address the need is to ensure that there is the acquisition of skills beyond the basic knowledge of professional technology.

In conclusion, there is definite need to increase the level of competence in the use of technology by the nurses at the health care level. This is best identified through the changing and implementation of policies that translate to increased technological awareness. The right identification and use of policy makers is one such approach as it not only covers the institutions but tries to uniformly apply laws that will affect the entire local stakeholders who are vital in the solution phase. Finally, by analyzing the past experiences one can easily formulate an effective path to be used in addressing the inadequacies realized.

References

Balicer, R. D., Shadmi, E., Lieberman, N., Greenberg-Dotan, S., Goldfracht, M., Jana, L., . . . Jacobson, O. (2011). Reducing health disparities: Strategy planning and implementation in Israel's largest health care organization. Health Services Research, 46(4), 1281–1299. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Cappelli, P. H. (2015). Skill gaps, skill shortages, and skill mismatches: Evidence and arguments for the United States. ILR Review, 68(2), 251-290.

Henderson, K., Davis, T. C., Smith, M., & King, M. (2014). Nurse practitioners in telehealth: bridging the gaps in healthcare delivery. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 10(10), 845-850.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Elements of a strategic plan model [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Lavin, M., Harper, E., & Barr, N. (2015). Health information technology, patient safety, and professional nursing care documentation in acute care settings. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(2).

Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care. FA Davis.