A report that was published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) highlighted the significant challenges facing the healthcare system and institutions. Leaders and management teams should always engage and innovate new ways to optimize the safety of their clients and that of their employees. The consequences associated with a lack of safety mechanisms are costly processes that require a lot of resources can lead to loss of life, legal implications, and lifelong problems to the affected individuals. Hospital Hope case study illustrates how laxity in patient safety can cause detrimental problems to patients, clients, health service providers, and harm institutions' reputation (Le-Jeane, 2010). According to the research finding, management should always lead and be involved in bringing change, but they must ensure they engage all stakeholders to achieve set objectives and goals.
Case Study Review
In the scenario, the clients suffered three fatal health problems, which could have been avoided if the facility had a functional patient safety strategy. IOM report defines seven factors that contribute to and enhance safety in healthcare services (Sammer & James, 2011). Some of the essential ingredients in patient safety include leader’s active engagement, adopting patient-based operation strategy, teamwork, enhancing employee’s skills, and having an efficient and effective code of conduct. In addition, patient safety strategy must incorporate a good communication strategy, enhance integration and engagement in the decision-making process, and is focused on consumer needs (Sammer & James, 2011).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The most significant impact of Mrs. Jackson's unfortunate situation is organization's response to the problem. The scenario led to the establishment of a more efficient and effective patient safety strategy that gained support from healthcare professionals and support staff in the institution. The management discovered the cause of the problems and focused on a plan that was to improve the client's experience, employee’s capacity, and quality of services provided (Le-Jeane, 2010). If individual failure were punished without changes, 'Hospital Hope' would not have been able to address the problem comprehensively and effectively. A comprehensive and integrated approach contributed to successful organizational change in Hospital Hope.
Good leadership was the critical factor that contributed to a positive impact and problem management. 'Comprehensive Unit-Based Patient Safety Program (CUSP)' that was introduced through the efforts of Nurse Manager contributed to sustainable risk management. The governing board of the hospital was also involved in making the necessary changes when they moved to ensure the quality of services offered meet health standards requirements set by an institution like joint commission and CDC (Sammer & James, 2011).
As an oversight body, they provided resources required to implement changes like finances to enhance employee’s capacity. When SAQ (Safety Attitudes Questionnaire) was administered to employees, the management discovered more than 50% of employees had a no-confidence on the efficiency of the safety program of SICU (Le-Jeane, 2010). Senior executives responded strategically by using collected data to make decisions on the next course of action. Good leaders and leadership should rely on facts while making a decision. Employee's support of change initiated also shows there was a need to make those changes since the majority were to support the new ideologies.
Employee engagement and involvement in the resolution of the problem was a success factor. Hospital Hope engaged and collaborated with stakeholders and other institutions to achieve intended goals. The institution worked with institutions like the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which enhanced the+ staff capacity on service delivery. In addition, the leaders ensured employees, patients, and family members were adequately engaged and assured of safety within the facility through total commitment (Sammer & James, 2011).
Organization Change Framework
As a member of the organization that needs to make an organizational change on the healthcare system, the organization culture approach would be my framework of choice. First, organization culture brings desired changes at the primary level where observed trends originate. The case study state that 12-25% of mortality is caused by 'central-line-associated blood-stream infections (CLABSIs).' CLABSIs can be managed and reduced at the institution level through comprehensive and strategic efforts, as illustrated through the Hospital Hope scenario (Le-Jeane, 2010). When mortality and preventable infections get reduced at institution level local, national, and regional mortality will be reduced.
The organizational culture framework is comprehensive in transforming and enhance performance and productivity in hospital operations. Hospital hope culture approach involves and engages all stakeholders. Leaders were actively involved in championing and advocating for change through feedbacks and data collection. Employees were consulted and trained to enhance their service delivery capacity. When a strategy is anchored on organization culture, it will be reflected at all levels of the systems. Individuals, departments, institutions, and regions would be aligned to a common goal. Engaging stakeholders enhances and increases employees' support to changes being initiated, reducing chances of resistance and conflicts (Sammer & James, 2011).
Organization culture should be anchored on the seven principles: Leaders and leadership, being consumer-oriented, teamwork, employee’s skills, operation strategy, the communication strategy, and consumer needs are core pillars to healthcare delivery. A leader offers guidance and resources that enable employees to work in a more enhanced state. When leaders support employees in their activities and operating performance and job satisfaction are improved (Le-Jeane, 2010). The performance of employees depends on skills and motivation from job and environment. Goal-oriented organization culture aligns operations, attitudes, and behaviors to values that enable the institution to achieve set goals and objectives.
In conclusion, leadership contributed to the desired changes that occurred in the hospital hope case scenario. Providing a supportive environment should precede the accountability and consequences of individual actions. More than 50% of employees in SICU were incapacitated in providing quality healthcare services that Mrs. Jackson deserved because the system was inadequate. A sustainable system for change must address leaders and leadership, being consumer-oriented, teamwork, employee skills, operation strategy, communication strategy, and consumer needs (Sammer & James, 2011). Organization culture manages problems at the primary level, which reduces observed cases at higher lever hence more effective than top-bottom strategy. A strategy that contributes to a sustainable organizational change should be comprehensive and must involve and engage all stakeholders if optimal results are to be achieved (Le-Jeane, 2010). Hospital Hope changes were well received because employees were involved in making contributions that were facilitated by good leadership through their leaders.
Reference
Le-Jeane, P. (2010). Change Management Some Preliminary Key Factors to succeed in leading People[pdf]. Retrieved from: http://www.diva- portal.org/smash/get/diva2:423577/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Sammer, C. & James, B. (2011). Patient Safety Culture: The Nursing Unit Leader’s Role: retrieved from: http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJ IN/TableofContents/Vol-16-2011/No3-Sept-2011/Pa
