Understanding the role of healthcare management Replies
Each reply must be 450 words and incorporate at least three scholarly citation(s)
in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. In
addition, the reply must integrate a minimum of two citations of scriiptural support as well as
the course textbook (Buchbinder and Thompson: Career Opportunities in Health Care Management) in each reply.
Discussion 1: Healthcare management is essential in the success of an organization by providing leadership in completing objectives to attain a goal with the knowledge of resources to help in achieving those goals. The education curriculum for those in healthcare has begun to include curriculum in leadership courses for competency. Buchbinder & Thompson (2010) state that it is the profession that provides leadership and direction to an organization whose purpose is to deliver personal health services, and to divisions, departments, units, or services within. Healthcare management aids in providing support to staff, assurance of competency of staff, assuring lost cost utilization, and optimizing patient care. They are the point person for all day-to-day functions of an organization requiring good communication with other members of nursing staff, physicians, therapists, patients, and the community. They are essentially the spokesperson for the organization. Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But with the multitude of counselors there is safety”. Healthcare managers implement six major functions and three key competencies as they carry out their process of management: Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Controlling, Directing, Decision Making, and Conceptual, Technical, and Interpersonal Skills.
Six Major Functions
Planning and Organizing
Planning assists in the process of setting goals for the organization, establishing day-to-day functions and processes, providing effective use of resources, and prioritizing to accomplish them. This is an essential function and should accompany the concept of formal planning as it is most effective in the healthcare field. According to Ofei et al. (2022), formal planning has been recognized for its vital role in integration and coordination to form the basis for both centralizing and decentralizing organizational decision-making and accompanies timeframes of days, weeks, months, and years. Planning also entails thinking ahead of those who are prospects for management once a position is opened, especially with the rise of those in the Baby Boomer era in healthcare looking forward to retirement (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). Organizing is the function responsible for the overall distribution of specific divisions, units, or services that they are responsible for along with day-to-day assignments, authority, and responsibility delegations. Organizing is different than planning as it is the action of carrying out planning.
Staffing and Controlling
Staffing is common in the duties of all healthcare managers; it envelopes the acquiring, training, and retention of current and future employees to maintain efficient patient care. Having an acceptable and manageable ratio of patients to care provider is important and must take into account acuity to prevent burnout and stress. Controlling correlates to staffing as it entails performance monitoring and evaluations to ensure that the staff on hand are following their scopes of practice and competent in tasks within their scope of practice. A healthcare manager must be effective in keeping up with reports of incompetency of staff and have the process of reeducation or corrective action depending on the severity.
Directing and Decision-Making
Directing has the focus of providing effective leadership and inspiration to their peers by providing an open door of communication, expectations, and education. Of the leadership style participatory and authoritative could be considered the styles needed for healthcare. A leader must be willing to work with their team in times of struggle while staying authoritative in tasks at hand and delegation. This is not something that is just taught but acquired through assistive roles and experience. Many times, staffing falters because the leader is not willing to get their hands dirty with their coworkers. I have learned from being on both sides and feedback that a leader gains more respect when seen doing the same tasks as those they manage. Decision-making is an essential function in healthcare management as it intertwines all the functions mentioned prior to coming to an appropriate decision with the consideration of pros and cons (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). Aufegger et al. (2021) elaborate on the methods of shared leadership and group decision-making in healthcare to develop, provide, and maintain holistic and high-quality patient-centered care.
Key Competencies
Conceptual Skills
Conceptual skill is acquired and taught to healthcare professionals in the way of critical thinking to help with the ability to analyze and solve complex problems. A healthcare manager must understand the organization’s mission, vision, and goals to be successful. They need to take abstract ideas and assess strategies to follow through with such ideas. Conceptual skills are crucial to implementing, maintaining, and achieving quality patient care. Paarima et al. (2020) stated that knowledge and the ability to apply conceptual skills in healthcare managers were rated the lowest in managerial competencies. In order for the manager to be successful for the organization, they must understand this skill.
Technical Skills
Technical skills are the basis of healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care. They are the skill taught through education, evidence-based practices, and onsite education through on-the-job training. A great example of this would be the administration of medications. In school healthcare professionals are taught to utilize the rights of medication administration which has expanded within the past decade. These are the right patient, the right drug, the right dosage, the right time, the right route, the right to refuse, the right knowledge, right questions or challenges, the right advice, and right response or outcome (Edwards, 2015). Medication errors are avoidable if the healthcare professional follows technical skills that have been educated.
Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are the skills that help in communication, relationships, and the ability to work well with others no matter if peers, other supervisors, subordinates, or even patients (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). The ability to efficiently relate to those under their supervision aids in improving cohesion and team dynamics that will reflect on the outcome of patient satisfaction and quality of care. The failure of such skills can result in negative effects on service delivery if they cannot effectively relay in detail and ask for recall of objectives to meet goals (Paarima et al., 2020).
Healthcare managers have the ability to be successful if these functions and skills are implemented. Timothy 3:16-17, “All scriipture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may complete, equipped for good work”. Realistic goals that are attainable should be set for the success of management and the organization. Evidence-based practices must be implemented to prevent errors that are avoidable and increase quality care to patients resulting in organizational success. A well-balanced care team must be organized and starts with the interpersonal skills of the manager and their communication. While all these functions and skills differ from one another by the aspects and contributions they provide they also correlate with one another to provide cohesion. Without one, another is failed.
References
Aufegger, L., Soane, E., Darzi, A., & Bicknell, C. (2021). Shared leadership in tertiary care: design of simulation for patient safety decision-making in healthcare management teams. BMJ Simulation & Technology Enhanced Learning, 7(4), 216-222. https://doi:10.1136/bmjstel-2020-000627.
Edwards, S. (2015). The 10 ‘R’s of safe multidisciplinary drug administration. Nurse Prescribing 13(8), 398-406. https://doi:10.1268/npre.2015.13.8.398.
Ofei, M., Parima, Y., Achempim-Ansong, G., & Barnes, T. (2022). Exploring the planning practices of nurse managers in the unit: a study of nurse managers in the greater Accra region. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 36(5), 590-603. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10/1108/JHOM-08-2021-0320.
Paarima, Y., Kwashie, A. A., & Ansah Ofei, A. M. (2020). Managerial Competencies of Nurse Managers in Ghana. Africa Journal of Nursing & Midwifery, 22(2), 1–20. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.25159/2520-5293/6969.
Discussion 2: Management in any career field holds a lot of weight and responsibility. Healthcare managers are at the forefront of hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, and so much more. Our role is so diverse and intense, and we can be used to fill so many capacities within a business. Managers are the backbone of their facilities, although they tend to be forgotten about. Often, they work behind the scenes to keep the businesses going, and losing them would be extremely detrimental to any healthcare facility staying relevant. Management is controlling how a business will function, deciding what key roles are needed, and choosing the best person to carry out the duties. Proverbs 26:20 says, “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases” (ESV, 2001). I believe that if there is no order or plan in place, there is no way you can effectively lead or manage any business. Management is not a checklist, but rather, as a “process that is comprised of social and technical functions and activities occurring within organizations for the purpose of accomplishing predetermined objectives through human and other resources” (Buchbinder & Thompson, p. 19, 2010). There are six functions that I will be discussing that are essential to fulfilling the role of any healthcare manager.
The six functions that make up the management process are planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, directing, and decision-making. All these functions equally play a major role and, in my opinion, feed off each other. When you don’t plan adequately, you are making the decision to fail. Planning strategically, ensures you don’t run into any surprises or hiccups, and that you are readily prepared to tackle every expected outcome. “Strategic planning is an example of one of the many tools that the health sector has adopted from the business sector in an attempt to manage an extremely complex and financially constrained system, which often exists in conflict with political and professional pressures” (Dennis, 2019). Organization prevents chaos and clutter which helps establish a smooth workflow in any healthcare facility. I could not imagine being seen in a place of business, especially healthcare, where there was no organization. For instance, what if an emergency department had no triage process? There would be no way to tell what patients are immediate, urgent, or delayed. Healthcare managers need to ensure not only a plan, but a chronological flow to render the best care to patients. Staffing seemingly has been a problem in healthcare these last couple of years. However, not having the appropriate staffing can cause burnout within the staff you do have, and it increases safety concerns for patients and workers. “When staffing levels aren't met, patient mortality increases” (Ashe, 2018). Controlling is vital for managers and losing it can cost everything within your facility to go downhill. I don’t believe you always have to micromanage, but there should be set standards in place to guide your staff even in your absence. Proverbs 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (ESV, 2001). Directing can be as simple as delegating tasks and often is needed because everything cannot be done by one person. “Directing is initiating action in the organization through effective leadership and motivation, and communication with subordinates (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). Although health administrators may generate ideas, it is not their job to do everything by themselves, but to ensure they are appointing a person to each task. Today, it is imperative that we use our resources and stop attempting to do things alone. When we try to do everything on our own, we become overworked and burned out. Decision-making is what I would assume to be the hardest role of a healthcare manager. I’m sure there is always the fear of possibly making the wrong decision. I believe that relying on the other 5 functions of the healthcare manager can aid in helping a manager make the right decision.
A Healthcare manager can ensure high performance within their healthcare facility by using all 6 functions of the managerial roles. When it comes to performance, managers can establish quantifiable and measurable goals to determine performance levels (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). I believe that every goal can be obtainable with a solidified plan, a way to get it done, and delegating duties amongst your best workers. “The relationship between top management competencies and the whole organizational performance of health care organizations focusing, in particular, on the role of information sharing that should support the flow of the strategic and operational vision and engage professionals in enacting their role” (Vainieri, 2019). Lastly, I believe that the development of your team will be crucial to an administrator having a high performance. I can’t reiterate enough the importance of having a team to ensure the goal becomes full circle. “The coordination and delivery of safe, high-quality care demand reliable teamwork and collaboration within, as well as across, organizational, disciplinary, technical, and cultural boundaries” (Rosen et al., 2018).References:
Ashe, Leah RN. The importance of adequate staffing. Nursing Management (Springhouse): December 2018 – Volume 49 – Issue 12 – p 7 doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000549519.47901.4f
Buchbinder, S.B, & Thompson, J. M. (2010). Career opportunities in health care management: perspectives from the field. Jones And Bartlett Publishers.
Hughes, C. F. (2018, June). ELEVATING ADMINISTRATOR AND PHYSICIANCollaboration: These healthcare professionals have different roles but a common goal.TD Magazine, 72(2), 38+. Retrieved from https://link (Links to an external site.) galecom.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A541296910/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=6449f34d
Dennis, C. (2019). Strategic planning—a health system operational perspective. Journal Of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 3. Retrieved from https://jhmhp.amegroups.com/article/view/5557
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/ (Links to an external site.)
Rosen, M. A., DiazGranados, D., Dietz, A. S., Benishek, L. E., Thompson, D., Pronovost, P. J., & Weaver, S. J. (2018). Teamwork in healthcare: Key discoveries enabling safer, high-quality care. The American psychologist, 73(4), 433–450. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000298
Vainieri, M., Ferrè, F., Giacomelli, G., & Nuti, S. (2019). Explaining performance in health care: How and when top management competencies make the difference. Health care management review, 44(4), 306–317. https://doi.org/10.1097/HMR.0000000000000164