Introduction
The delivery of healthcare services values professionalism, ethical behavior and efficiency to ensure that a healthy population is assured amid curbing the spread of diseases and ill health ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . Central to ensuring that this efficiency is achieved is the provision of firm and visionary leadership structure whose role is ensuring that there is synergy between the various departments and employees of the organization ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . Additionally, the existence of good leadership ensures that conflicts that arise in addition to misunderstandings are amicably resolved in a way that promotes a healthy working environment.
However, the role of a healthcare manager or leader in any capacity is marred by a myriad of challenges. The challenges encountered range from those that affect the organization as a whole, for instance market shifts or shocks in the industry to personal challenges that affect the ability of the supervisor to administer their services appropriately ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . Furthermore, a healthcare supervisor could be faced by professional challenges, which are challenges associated with the knowledge, skill and ability of the supervisor to disseminate and demonstrate this in the duties ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . Additionally, healthcare leaders face ethical challenges often encompassing the provision of the vital healthcare services to all individuals in a community.
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These are challenges that are encountered by health care supervisors stemming from their direct contact with both the patients and subordinate workers ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . However, in today’s highly automated world, technology presents solutions to everyday medical and health problems as much as it presents challenges to the institutions where it is adopted. The challenges facing leadership in healthcare institutions and facilities due to technological advancement could result in poor leadership which increases the costs of running organizations. It also results in a reduction of the efficiency of staff in addition to affecting service delivery and consequently, customer satisfaction.
Challenges
Among the challenges that face healthcare supervisors is the existence and operation of a wide array of technological advancements in different fields and areas of expertise, given the gradual increase in the size, capacity and services that are offered by healthcare organizations ( Arroliga et al, 2014) . The increase in machinery and equipment has led to horizontal differentiation of tasks in addition to increasing specialization ( Barnett, 2011) . However, the increased number in machinery and equipment has also led to a rise in conflict both in communication and coordination between the personnel who man the equipment ( Arroliga et al, 2014) . The challenges in the coordination of personnel from different and diverse departments arise due to the difference in the nature of duties.
Additionally, healthcare supervisors are limited in their role given the level of jurisdiction and power they have over those the adoption of new technology and innovations by the hospital management and procure department ( Barnett, 2011) . Research points to the fact that it is essential for a leader to have control over the work environment given the fact that the handing of equipment and subsequent maintenance by personnel could fall in the hands of supervisors ( Arroliga et al, 2014) . The lack of control over the technological advancements adopted creates inefficiencies due to the fact that not all advancements create the efficiency required within a short duration of time ( Arroliga et al, 2014) . The health supervisors must be given substantial priority in determination of the technology that has been adopted to ensure that employees and duties are distributed with regard to the level of technological advancements in the relevant departments ( Arroliga et al, 2014) . The insufficiency of the power that is held by leaders in the healthcare industry over the technology that is adopted by health facilities deprives patients of a critical role of the healthcare supervisor. The role is to ensure that optimum care is provided for them, even in terms of resources availed ( Arroliga et al, 2014) .
Additionally, supervision of healthcare encounters challenges which arise from inadequacy of manpower that are skilled enough to handle the equipment and machines that are purchased by health institutions ( Barnett, 2011) . Given the critical role that delegation of duties plays in easing the workload for nurses in addition to enhancing efficient delivery of services, it is vital for organizations to ensure that skilled personnel are readily available ( Barnett, 2011) . The lack of enough skilled personnel to handle equipment leads to erroneous medication which could cause death or serious illness, which reflect negatively off the organization and its leaders, including health supervisors.
Technological advancements have additionally resulted in the increased cost of running institutions in terms of the cost of electricity and the cost of labor from a trained and skilled professional or personnel ( Barnett, 2011) . The increased costs of implementation of new technology and software in hospitals has led to the prevalence of cash shortages which only presents fresh challenges to the management of the hospital or institutions. Additionally, the increased cost of technological advancement has led to the loss of jobs in order to balance out the new costs. This has led to staff shortages which additionally add to the tasks and responsibilities that a health supervisor has.
Furthermore, the adaptation of new technology by institutions and facilities has led to a reduction in the personnel employed by hospitals to avoid duality in roles and induce efficiency in addition to saving on the costs of running business. To this effect lack of health supervisors is yet to be countered by sufficient technology therefore leaving facilities with the challenges of ensuring a smooth transition between human capital and machinery and technology. Additionally, the absence of supervisors could result in mayhem in the delivery of service by other employees given the fact that supervisors aid in ensuring coordination and teamwork among employees.
The adoption of new technology by healthcare facilities should additionally consider the ability of healthcare supervisors to ensure that asset tracking measures are put in place. While a wide array of software has been designed to aid in managing the equipment and machinery that is used by hospital staff, an efficient tracking solution is yet to be found ( MacPhee, 2013) . This increases the workload of healthcare supervisors given the fact that they are accountable to the institution with regard to the use and distribution of resources, such as the hospital equipment that is required ( Gopee, 2015) . Health care supervisors additionally encounter challenges in trying to implement measures such as records and reports to offer support to the software used. The efforts made are often faced with opposition from subordinates who prefer the timeliness and efficiency of using technology.
Supervisors of healthcare are faced with the task to ensure that national and organization technology advancement and innovation policies are properly implemented within the structure of the organization ( MacPhee, 2013) . However, insufficiency in funds and supports has resulted in incapacities in the implementation of projects and policies. Supervisors are therefore faced with the uphill task of having to reconcile the promises of the government with the delivery of critical health services to the community and the general public ( MacPhee, 2013) . The proper integration of technology in institutions therefore requires the commitment of institutions to ensure that supervisors get the resources necessary for facilitating changes and upgrades.
Healthcare supervisors are additionally tasked with the seemingly insurmountable challenge of distributing the scarce resources of the health care technological facilities, machinery and equipment, to the growing numbers of patients ( MacPhee, 2013) . Additionally, the distribution of technological resources is hindered by the lack of hospital capacity for hosting and operating machinery in terms of availability of both space and skilled manpower ( MacPhee, 2013) . The challenge of resource allocation often metamorphoses into ethical issues given the fact that supervisors together with managers are often faced with the task to make the decision on which resources get allocated to the most needy patients and departments.
Technological changes and machinery upgrades in health institutions often are accompanied with the difficulty of implementation of the technology given the brittle state of health (Huston, 2013). Most health institutions therefore take months or even years to fully and efficiently implement technological changes that are made to the organization ( Huston, 2013) . Given the difficult role that leaders play in the adoption of technology, health care supervisors are often faced with new and unfamiliar challenges with regard to the implementation of new technology or machinery and equipment installations ( Huston, 2013) . For a healthcare supervisor to be able to efficiently disseminate their services, they are required to possess excellent decision making skills in addition to the possession of adept high pressure situations coping skills. Additionally, the handling of previously unused technology or software exposes the supervisor to liability in the case of an occupational accident even by a subordinate.
Conclusion
Despite the prevalence of the challenges that are faced in the management of healthcare organizations research has revealed that the most affected countries have ironically not invested in leadership research and quality leadership skills development ( MacPhee, 2013) . Additionally, research points to the fact that it is essential for institutions and organizations to ensure that they have quality leadership. Good leadership skills ensure that uncertainty is properly managed in addition to enhancing positive changes in behavior and culture.
Additionally, quality training of sufficient personnel concerning the maintenance and implementation of new technology entails the focus on how supervisors and healthcare leaders can counter the technological challenges that face them head on ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . The alleviation of technological challenges in addition to the ability to face them gives leaders the edge and experience they need to assume large roles ( Al-Sawai, 2013) . Additionally, quality leadership would ensure that healthcare delivery is both efficient and that technology is properly installed and implemented to facilitate better delivery of vital services.
References
Al-Sawai, A. (2013). Leadership of healthcare professionals: where do we stand?. Oman medical journal , 28 (4), 285.
Arroliga, A. C., Huber, C., Myers, J. D., Dieckert, J. P., & Wesson, D. (2014). Leadership in health care for the 21st century: challenges and opportunities. The American journal of medicine , 127 (3), 246.
Barnett, J. E. (2011). Utilizing technological innovations to enhance psychotherapy supervision, training, and outcomes. Psychotherapy , 48 (2), 103.
Gopee, N. (2015). Mentoring and supervision in healthcare . Sage.
Huston, C. J. (2013). Professional issues in nursing: Challenges and opportunities . Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
MacPhee, M., Chang, L., Lee, D., & Spiri, W. (2013). Global health care leadership development: trends to consider. Journal of Healthcare Leadership , 5 , 21-29.
