Impact Report to Senior Leadership

In healthcare facilities, patient satisfaction is a very important indicator of the quality of health caser services provided. For the teaching hospital, it affects patient retention and clinical outcomes. A nurse’s interpersonal relationship and communication skills play a very crucial role as far as the contentment of a patient is concerned. It is, therefore, one of the most important things that are considered by medical facilities because it affects daily operations, productivity and performance in the medical sector. The current patient population has become more involved with health care decisions and as such, they strive to ensure that they get the most valuable experience from a healthcare facility. This report provides an analysis of poor patient satisfaction in a suburban teaching hospital with a discussion of how a new leadership position will impact patient outcomes. 

The Challenge and its Impact 

A survey was conducted to establish the level of patient satisfaction for the teaching hospital in the suburban area. A HCAHPS survey was issued to a group of 100 patients who were receiving treatment from the hospital over a three month period ( Press, 2006 ). The questions on the survey were used to evaluate factors such as the quality of health care services received from nurses and the hospital's environment. They also got a chance to evaluate their personal experiences and satisfaction with the institution's healthcare delivery system. At the end of the survey, they were required to indicate whether they would recommend the teaching hospital to friends and family. The results of the survey were used as an indicator of the level of satisfaction for the patient population. 

The results of the survey were used to draw conclusions on the quality of healthcare that is provided by the hospital. Patients indicated that they did not receive safe, competent and quality care form the nurses. Factors such as pain management, clear information, and timely care, empathy, and discharge instructions were identified as the areas that needed improvement. This means that a majority of the patients who were either admitted or treated at the hospital were not satisfied with the quality of service they received. Based on these findings, the management of the facility decided to create a new nurse leadership position. Consequently, the patient liaison nurse was hired to ensure that all the challenges and issues were addressed. 

Impact on Organizations Statement, Mission and Philosophy 

The hospital is committed to becoming a leading healthcare provider in the suburban area as it benchmarks itself to attain international standards of Medicare. It is focused on improving the satisfaction of its patient population with regard to two main factors; the effectiveness of quality care in meeting patient needs and timelessness with which the services are offered ( Aiken et al., 2012 ). These goals are achieved by analyzing patient data that is collected through evaluation of survey feedback. The statement is focused on the delivery of timely and compassionate healthcare services to patients, their families, and general community. The facility is committed to offering high-quality healthcare to meet the needs and expectations of its patient population. 

The impact of poor patient satisfaction will be very detrimental to an organization, especially when it comes to retaining patients ( Shelton, 2000 ). The community will lack confidence in the services that are offered by the organization and as such, this will affect the overall performance of the facility. The cost of a negative patient experience is very significant because I will determine whether it succeeds or fails. For instance, if a 40-year-old woman loses confidence in the institution, she may be making a decision for herself, spouse, children, parents and sometimes the entire community. This ripple effect costs the hospital a lot of revenue because the people would be avoiding the hospital as a result of poor healthcare services. 

Patient Liaison Nurse 

The patient liaison nurse will be responsible for the overall quality of care that is provided by the nursing personnel. This leader will be accountable for the provision of essential support services to enhance patient care. Collaboration with nurse managers and executives will be important for the purpose of establishing nursing care standards and evaluating the overall staff compliance ( O’Connell, Young & Twigg, 2009 ). The impact of a patient’s outcome will be controlled by monitoring the operations of the nursing staff to ensure that they comply with the regulations on federal and institutional practices and standards. This will be achieved by developing service goals and objectives for the purpose of supporting the facility’s goals, values, and programs. It is imperative to note that this position will act as an authoritative channel that identifies all the research protocols affecting the patient population to ensure that all nursing personnel are informed on any changes to be made. The nurse will liaise with, medical staff, administrators and department heads regarding matters of nursing service so that new strategies are developed to ensure all patients are satisfied. A team can be established for the purpose of gathering collective patient feedback. The leader will then review the information that is provided so that he or she can develop a comprehensive approach for dealing with the challenges of providing quality healthcare. 

The introduction of this new position will serve as a strategy for dealing with the problem of poor patient satisfaction within the institution. According to O’Connell, Young & Twigg (2009), the nurse will be able to identify, assess and implement strategic and operational opportunities and initiatives for the purpose of improving the overall patient experience. The possessed knowledge and skills will be used to derive the implications of the HCAHPS scores by using the CMS guidelines on the appropriate patient satisfaction scores. An in-depth analysis of all patient’s metrics based on oral and written surveys, whether compliments or complaints will enable the hospital to assess quantitative data and interpret the results to implement new procedures for handling patients ( Shelton, 2000 ). This will ensure that quality standards are maintained through effective coordination and delivery of patient care services in the nursing environment. 

Leadership Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities 

The liaison nurse should be able to develop an integrated healthcare team by evaluating interpersonal relationships. Moreover, excellent oral and written communication and problem-solving skills will also be essential qualities. These will provide a basis for demonstrating an effective organizational ability to initiate and manage projects and programs. In the long run, these skills will be useful for identifying the aspects of healthcare which need to be adjusted to improve the quality of patient care offered in the hospital ( Press, 2006 ). 

Conclusion 

Patient satisfaction is a very critical element of organizational success in healthcare settings. For the suburban hospital, a survey that was conducted indicated that the patient population was dissatisfied with the services it received. Consequently, there was a need to create a nurse liaison position for the purpose of identifying the areas that need to be improved as well as developing appropriate strategies to achieve this. A SWOT analysis was also conducted to identify the organizational factors that may facilitate a solution to the problem. Based on the discussion, it is evident that the responsibilities, skills, and knowledge of the leader will have a very significant impact on the outcome of patient care. By interpreting the results of the survey and maintaining constant communication with the patient population, the liaison nurse will be able to develop policies, procedures, standards, and comprehensive strategies to ensure the hospital offers quality healthcare services. 

References 

Aiken, L. H., Sermeus, W., Van den Heede, K., Sloane, D. M., Busse, R., McKee, M. & Tishelman, C. (2012). Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States.  Bmj ,  344 , e1717. 

O’Connell, B., Young, J., & Twigg, D. (2009). Patient satisfaction with nursing care: a measurement conundrum.  International Journal of Nursing Practice ,  5 (2), 72-77. 

Press, I. (2006).  Patient satisfaction: Understanding and managing the experience of care . Chicago, Ill: Health Administration Press. 

Shelton, P. J. (2000).  Measuring and improving patient satisfaction . Gaithersburg, Md: Aspen Publishers.