Balancing Productivity and Quality Patient Care

Balancing Productivity and Quality Patient Care Balancing Productivity and Quality Patient Care Abstract The purpose of this examination is to identify challenges balancing productivity and quality patient care as it stands from a supervisory position. Today’s supervisors must not only focus on their staff and patients, but also on the organizational business aspects such as increasing productivity and quality patient care. Supervisors are getting sandwiched between balancing productivity and quality care. In this somewhat daunting quandary the supervisors must strive to find ways to accomplish both missions. As I will propose this will require communication changes in organizational health care systems and a paradigm shift in current ideologies in the health care industry. Let’s start off in my own backyard so to speak, my organization is a Nursing and Rehabilitation hospital. The Mission statement is, â€Å"Come Here, Get Well, and Go Home†. This is a 213 bed facility. There are approximately 135 employees throughout the organization working on any given day. The organization specializes in sub-acute care, long-term care and has a rehabilitation unit. Also the organization has physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy components to support patient’s recovery. All of these people in organization eventually may have some contact with a new patient at different times in the recovery process. It is obvious from a macro-perspective it would be difficult to realize any improvements in productivity or patient care without solid supervisory skills and knowledge. Nursing is my focus and professional occupation in which I will narrow the field to nursing for this examination. As a nursing supervisor one has to continually be knowledgeable to accomplish both goals of productivity and quality patient care. Their responsibilities include planning, organizing and overseeing staff. Nurse supervisors provided leadership two staffs under their charge. The nurse supervisor implements and interprets organizational policies and procedures maintaining nursing standards and regulations. They also continually evaluate patient care and ensuring their satisfaction. A nursing supervisor skills also include budgeting, prioritizing duties and delegating responsibilities. Some of the obstacles that impede the ability of nursing supervisors out of their control is rising healthcare expenditures have motivated spending reforms such as Medicares payment system. While such initiatives aim to limit wasteful healthcare expenses, they may inadvertently result in lower-quality care: providers may face an incentive to reduce the quality of their treatments to minimize costs and increase patient loads. (McDevitt, 2013) Unfortunately this is not the only pressure in which health care organizations have to do more with less. Supplies, operating costs, state and national legislation has placed a huge strain on the healthcare system at large. In the past nursing productivity has been the defined as the ratio of patient care per hour, per patient to salary and benefit costs paid out to staff by the organization. (Kohr, 2012) In the current economy this does not take into consideration the level of expertise in which nurses must process information to accomplish the goals of increased productivity and patient care. After all of that is said: Nursing productivity models of any kind should take into account patients’ needs, nursing competencies, the availability of material resources, and services provided. Nursing workload is a direct reflection of these variables and affects the delivery of patient care, patient safety, as well as satisfaction of nurses and of patients and their family members. Many investigators have linked nursing staff indicators and nurse staffing with patients’ outcomes (Kohr, 2012) The problems of balancing productivity with quality patients care are reducing costs and employee hours for the sake of protecting the bottom line is that really â€Å"protecting the patient?.† Yet that statement has clearly infiltrated and grayed the area between professional ethical, moral boundaries. In attempts at optimizing for efficiency are we as supervisors ultimately must manage both dichotomies. Managing these dichotomies is seemingly overwhelming at first glance. This is what I mean by the proverbial sandwich effect, the danger here is being so overwhelmed that you are paralyzed into doing nothing. I contend that productivity and quality patient care are not at odds with one another: they are both vital to the success of any healthcare organization. The essence of productivity vs. quality patient care dilemma is this: Productivity is visible, continuous, readily-understood and directly measured: a daily metric. On the other hand, quality patient care is invisible, boring, discontinuous, indirect, and its success is measured by the absence of negative outcomes. (Appel, 2012) Now that’s somewhat of a quandary. Almost in the same breath organizations are willing to state quality patient care is our core principle. The problem, however, is turning that vision into action: it is in the daily operations (Appel, 2012) and responsibility functions of the nurse supervisor, this is where the rubber meets the road. Nurse supervisors are critical to the surveillance and coordination that reduce such adverse outcomes. Much work remains to be done in evaluating the impact of nursing care on positive quality care indicators, such as appropriate self-care and other measures of improved health status. (Mitchell, 2008) Nurse supervisors must instill in the people that they manage to continually gather information that can be correlated into data to finding that balance between productivity and quality patient care. Whether it be quantitative or qualitative data all must be brought together to facilitate to make informed decision for possible change. Harnessing this information could unlock knowledge that may elicit innovations striking that balance between productivity and quality patient care. Leave no stone unturned, is the mantra of nurse supervisors in today’s tough economic and social times. How do we start? Communication, communication, communication is essential to establish any opportunity to balance a seemingly diametrically opposed processes. They can be integrated (productivity and quality patient care) to provide success for the organization and the patient. Tighter reins of communication and functions must be streamlined for optimal performance. Nurse supervisors can trigger a needs analysis of the situation informing the employees and organization that there is a performance gap between productivity and quality patient care. This brings in the team concept of the organization as a whole (everyone’s job) needs to be the spearhead, focal point for systematic change and concern with both issues of productivity and quality patient care. A decision-making structures is needed, a paradigm shift. What is a paradigm shift? Stephen Covey suggests that a paradigm shift is what we might call the AHA ! experience when someone finally sees the composite picture in another way or finally sees the light. (Covey, 2004) The health care industry has been moving â€Å"paradigm shift toward placing more value on quality and outcomes. This affect has changed in the way health care organizations do business. Higher quality can be the solution, said Dr. Michael Ogden, chief clinical integration officer with Cornerstone Health Care during the discussion at High Point University. In health care specifically, higher quality could actually lead to lower costs. (Covington, 2014) As a nurse supervisor myself this sounds good but how do we get there? Some employers and health plans are pushing for greater price transparency. They argue that if consumers realized that they could receive high-quality services from lower-cost providers, they would seek them out. This, in turn, could encourage competition among providers based on the value of care not just on reputation and market share. (Unknown, 2012) Another aspect would be to empower the patients to be active participants making decisions about their own care. Empowerment of the patient also means to include them as a part of the health care team which may stimulate opportunities and innovation. As a nurse supervisors some of these ideas are not new, I however assert that nurse supervisors must educate themselves to perform their managerial duties at high levels, not only will the organization benefit, but so too will the patients. Nurse supervisors will need considerable intestinal fortitude to sustain balancing productivity and quality patient care. A nurse supervisor of the future will have to be multi-dimensional with traits like leadership and persuasion skills. Nurse supervisors must show empathy, creating trust with coworkers and patients. They must also have analysis skills, to be able to make fact-based decisions. Last but not least, a nurse supervisor must have performance management and coaching skills to follow through on goals and objectives. Finally, I concludes this examination by making a statement that balancing productivity and quality patient care will always be challenging. References Appel, M. (2012, April 20). KevinMD. Retrieved from The problem of mixing productivity with patient safety: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/04/problem-mixing-productivity-patient-safety.html Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York : Free Press a division of Simon and Schuster. Covington, O. (2014, March 21st). Health care providers tout paradigm shift as path to reining in costs. Triad Business Journal. Kohr, L. M. (2012, November Volume 21, No 6). American Journal of Critical Care. Retrieved from Building a Nurse and Productivity Measure Based on this Energy Model: http://www.aacn.org/wd/Cetests/media/A1221063.pdf McDevitt, P. L. (2013, February). Productivity and Quality in Health Care:Evidence from the Dialysis Industry. Retrieved from http://www.econ.psu.edu/~plg15/gm_dialysis_Feb2013.pdf. Mitchell, P. H. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville, Md: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Unknown. (2012, April/May). The Commonwealth fund. Retrieved from Quality Matters: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Newsletters/Quality-Matters/2012/April-May/In-Focus.aspx

Global Warming Essay Essay

The idea of global became prevalent when the world began industrializing. As the popularity of cars grew and industrial factories began to spring up the air quality suffered. The problem was not recognized because, aside from a few orange skies, there were no obvious effects. Although in this day and age we can see what global warming is doing to our Earth, there are still those people who believe that humans are too small to make an impact. Global warming is too often put on the back burner, and things that seem to be more important are made priority. However global warming is tied back to those things that seem to be a priority. The Earth is our home and should be put first. New York Times, Marjorie Connelly quotes Bernice Schneiderman, â€Å"Economic growth is important, but if we don’t take care of the environment, we won’t be here to enjoy it,† If we are constantly focusing on the economy or other issues, the Earth will get to a point when it is no longer inhabitable. Although this is a serious issue â€Å"31 percent considered global warming to be a natural phenomenon, and 10 percent did not accept the idea of global warming at all.† (Marjorie Connelly). Over forty percent of the population does not realize that our planet is in trouble. This percentage is very much so politically tied. â€Å"18 percent of Republicans did not think global warming was real† and â€Å"sixty-one percent of democrats said global warming was causing an impact now,†. Typically the conservative Republican Party tends to be an older group of people, while the Democrat Party is made up of a much younger group of people. Of course â€Å"those 65 and older expected to see no impact from global warming†, their time is short so they have no reason to care about the climate change. However interestingly, â€Å"Many younger people did, (expect to see impact from global warming) including 50 percent of those under 30.† It is the younger people who care, because they are the ones who will suffer if something is not done to stop climate change. Although the democrats are not taking notice to the climate change, the Pentagon is. Lisa Freidman and Climate Wire report that â€Å"The Pentagon released a landmark report (yesterday) declaring climate change an ‘immediate risk’†. If the government feels this strongly about climate change why don’t we? Not only do they care, but they are doing something about it. Defense secretary Chuck Hagel â€Å"embraced upcoming U.N. negotiations in Lima Peru, aimed at developing a new global agreement† and â€Å"leaders hope to see a draft emerge at the Lima Climate talks in December.† Officials such as Chuck Hagel are aware that climate change does not just mean warmer temperatures, but that â€Å"climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’†. One of the chain reactions that will occur is the obvious rising of sea levels. Rising sea levels means that costal military bases will be flooded, leaving them â€Å"vulnerable† and it will â€Å"complicate surveillance and reconnaissance capability†. What would our nation come to if every costal military base was gone? Countries would be more vulnerable to terrorism and attacks and, those few, but powerful people who do not believe in global warming are allowing this to happen. Besides terrorism and attacks, global warming would also create limited resources. 2014 climate Change Adaption Roadmap warms that â€Å"climate change could leave already weak nations more vulnerable, from restricting food and water to compelling mass migration.† This is why it is crucial for us to do something about the global warming crisis. This is not a matter of warmer summers and colder winters, it is life and possible death for millions of people. Climate change is a largely debated subject, but there is clear and tangible proof of its effects. Although the change is not occurring overnight, Brad Plumer in â€Å"The Washington Post† writes â€Å"the global average is changing over a longer period.† The effects of global warming are apparent in the Annual Global Temperature Anomalies; the records kept from 1950-2012 show an obvious upward trend (The Washington Post). Although winters still exist, every ice shelf has not melted, and we still have â€Å"La Nià ±a† years, the ultimate trend shows that the Earth is getting warmer. The question is, what is causing this overall increase in temperature? The answer is that humans are adding excess carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and â€Å"Climate scientists are quite sure that if we keep adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, that  will trap more heat in the Earth’s surface and the global average temperature will continue to rise over time.† (Br ad Plumer). Carbon dioxide is a large factor in the climate change but it is not the only cause. Other things that effect the Earth’s temperature are natural events such as â€Å"El Nià ±o and La Nià ±a cycles†¦volcanoes†¦ air pollution. There are changes in solar activity and so forth.† (Brad Plumer). Although humans are not the only cause of global warming we are making the climate change more drastic. Since we live on this planet it is important for us to take care of it, so that whatever nature throws at us will not be the end on humanity. â€Å"The IPCC says that heavy precipitation events in the Northern Hemisphere are expected to increase as the planet heats up. But that prediction is for all seasons, not just winter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What this means is that is there will be extreme weather conditions; it will be raining heavily in one part of the world and another part experience an intense drought. This will effect resources, food and clean water for people, and the overall wellbeing of the humanity. Another effect of global warming is that it will cause the jet streams that help to heat and cool our planet to change entirely. This again will cause our planet to heat up even more,† we’ll still see record cold snaps in the United States as the planet heats up. They’ll just become less frequent over time, while record heat waves will become increasingly common.† The evidence of global warming is right in front of us. On the flip side, although many people whole heartedly believe in climate change, their argument is about as sturdy as the so called â€Å"melting† glaciers. The first of many faults in the climate change theory and campaign is that they do not disclose all information. In Donna Edmund’s article â€Å"Man-made Climate Change is a Myth† she quotes weather channel founder John Coleman saying â€Å"your only speakers are two people who continue to present failed science as though it is the final and complete story,† in regards to the Hammer Forum on Climate Change. The fact that these forums and organizations are neglecting to acknowledge scientific information against their argument is extremely concerning. Could they be intentionally hiding things from the public? When Edmund brings up the important topic that â€Å"The polar ice is increasing, not melting away. Polar Bears are increasing in numbers. Heat waves have actually diminished not increase.† The people who  are arguing for climate change do not have a leg to stand on. This shows that the fight to prove climate change is more of a political movement rather than an attempt to save the environment. Before any of that sounds remotely convincing, where is their factual evidence? Those arguing against the fact of global warming have no concrete facts, but many opinions, some may even say ignorance. Climate change is something that will be debated as long as there is money to have and power to be gained. However it is important to know the motives behind and argument before you side with one. The motive behind proving climate change and doing something about it is to save the Earth and everyone on it. This is matter of loving one another enough to protect our planet. What lengths would you go to, to protect the future of your children and your grandchildren? Bibliography Connelly, Marjorie. â€Å"Global Warming Concerns Grow.† The New York Times 22 Sept. 2014 Edmunds, Donna R. â€Å"Man-made Climate Change Is a Myth.† Weather.com. The Weather Channel, 24 Oct. 2014 â€Å"Efforts to End Shark Finning Make Progress.† 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. Friedman, Lisa. â€Å"Immediate Risk to National Security Posed by Global Warming.† ClimateWire 14 Oct. 2014 Plumer, Brad. â€Å"The Washington Post.† Can Global Warming Be Real If It’s Cold in the U.S.? Um†¦yes! (January 6)

Motivation Through Acknowledgement Essay

Impact of being a charismatic leader Leadership is about the ability to influence people by personal attributes and behaviours; different leadership qualities may be needed in different circumstances. Charismatic leadership: A charismatic leader is a leader whose followers are attracted to his or her personality and charm. People using this leadership style excel at working a room and making others feel that they are truly important and needed for the leader (and the ’cause’) to be successful. These magnetic leaders do this through actions such as: Direct eye contact Remembering personal details about the person they are speaking with e.g. use of name or enquiry after family/social matters Giving their complete focus to the other person for the time they are with them Reading their surroundings and being skilled at detecting the moods of the audience and Adjusting his or her behaviours and speech to suit the situation at hand. Their approach when leading teams is to have their enthusiasm rubs off on their team members by being extremely positive and energetic. Teams do, however, need more than just a charming leader to keep them sustainable over the long term. Impacts of Charismatic Leadership Selling The Vision: These leaders are often exceptional at selling the vision and getting people to come along for the ride. They are geniuses at helping people to see possibilities and potentials †¦ to buy into something bigger than themselves. They are generally masters at weaving stories and anecdotes that enable people to buy into a big dream – e.g. JFK leading a nation to put the first man on the moon Inspiring: Their generally optimistic and positive nature draws people to them like a moth to a flame. Often these leaders do inspire people to be at their best and the work environments they create can be very motivating to employees and colleagues alike. Drive Results. A highly charismatic leader can have people willing to walk over hot coals for him or her. Because of this they can achieve results and often get things done that other leadership styles may not. Think Hitler, Lee Iacocca Charismatic leadership is certainly a dynamic and empowering form of leadership, and combined with other styles of leadership, it creates a powerful force that gives people the enthusiasm and  self-management to achieve great results. A leader is a person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it happen. A leader is â€Å"a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal.

Persuasive Speech About Animal Cruelty - 1409 Words

You want to know something horrify and heartbreaking? People say they love animals but that’s false. Something that animal lovers don’t know is that 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans and 200 million animals are reported killed by hunters in the United States every year. Treating animals for their fur and bones is not good for them and us. There meat can cause cancer, using their belongings is depressing and there should be more compassionate for them. I see animals as humans because they can feel happiness, sadness, anger and lastly pain. Animals can’t fight for their body but in this generation many vegetarians and vegans are against animal cruelty. In this life babies are born to feed at first when they come†¦show more content†¦They inject all of those chemicals to make the chicken bigger but that’s hurting us and all the little kids out there for their future. It may cause heart diseases and at a point when we have to t ake so many pills to get better. On Netflix there’s a documentary that came out this year called ‘What the Health’. He also talks about meat causes cancer. He interviewed three people who were sick with cancer and they all went to many doctors to get better but they just receive pills to take and hope for their best. The guy in the video tells them to stop taking the pills, stop eating process meat, try to exercise and he’ll come back in two weeks to see how they are. When that day came those three people he interviewed looked so much healthier and had so much energy. Not eating meat may cause a different in us and a longer life because we are hurting animals by killing them but really they are killing us. When it comes to shopping, I am a very picky person. It can be with makeup, shoes, clothes and furniture. One main problem when it comes to being picky is that I make sure it’s not made by animal’s fur. 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