Nursing and Management

Henry Case Study

The management theory being illustrated by Henry is the theory X management theory. This is the management system where the leader is the final decision maker. When a leader applying this type of leadership makes a decision, he considers it final and does not allow the people working under their leadership to air their views. This leadership method could make the workers under such a manager feel that they have no role to play in the running of the hospital. The health care workers working under Henry are likely to get frustrated. It is likely that he feels he is more qualified than his colleagues. A thought that endangers the lives of patients because he is lightly to make a mistake and not take correction kindly from his colleagues. This management system is dangerous in medical facility (Hawthorne, 2017).

A more beneficial theory would be the theory Y management policy where the nurses have the freedom to express their views and challenge the decisions made Henry. He should have the patience to take what the other nurses have to say without feeling like his authority is being threatened. He does not have to be right always and he has to understand this fact. There are many ways for a leader to ensure that the theory Y policy works in the health. One way is to allow any nurse to report any incident that they deem life threatening or unsafe to the manager. The manger should then develop a habit of responding to these reports promptly to encourage the nurses to keep reporting and improving the security status of the hospital for both the patients and health care workers. In this case, Henry should be more approachable. A trait he clearly does not exercise towards his patients.

The most important thing to do in order to help improve the managerial skills of Henry is to make him see what his current style is doing to people. My first course of action is to find out why the staff is asking to be transferred. I would have to act in confidence to ensure that Henry does not feel hated by the staff. It is important that he realizes he is qualified but he needs to appreciate other workers as well. He should open up more to the suggestions of the nurses. Being supervisor, he should let the nurses do what they have been trained to do without making them feel as if they cannot get anything right which is what he does at the moment. I would have to give Henry pointers on ways in which he can develop better skills of relating to his colleagues. Henry will have to find a way of mending fences with his current colleagues by exercising a more relaxed supervision technique and listening to other people as opposed to what he is doing.

More desirable skills in as far as nursing management and supervision are collaborative skills which theory Y supports (Hawthorne, 2017). This type of leadership put the leader among the people he heads. It makes the manager more approachable and friendly towards his colleagues. Henry applying this skills can notice when a certain nurse is being overworked or going through challenges at work. Listening skills are very important in the development of a conducive work environment. It is also effective for a leader or manager in the medical field to ensure that anything reported to them is taken seriously. In the case of Henry, it would be safe if he could listen to his colleagues and in case an outbreak is reported, he can effectively find a way to mobilize his nurses to prevent spread and create a quarantine for the infected patients equally fats.

Patient Care and Safety

The safety of patients can be ensured by introducing technology to the medical field (Toisey, 2017). Keeping records electronically means that the chances of patient records going missing are high. This means that the patients can be treated using the correct medication even without seeing the same doctor each time. This makes it possible for the safety and health of the patients to be well catered for. Technology in record keeping is going to be useful in keeping patient history intact and easily available even in cases of emergency. Technology in health care can go beyond the development of effective medical facilities to effective record keeping systems.

It would also be important to create a portal where each doctor can access patient records when the patient needs different treatment. This will reduce the chances of a patient being treated with medication that is likely to cause allergic reactions instead of treating the patient. For instance, a patient with a sulphur allergy is supposed to be treated using medication that does not contain the chemical. Good medical records ensure the safety of patients by preventing such mishaps form happening (Toisey, 2017).

The third necessary change would be to ensure enough nurses are hired for the hospital. This means that the nurses will always have enough time to rest and when attending to patients, they can effectively concentrate. This will ensure that the patients are treated by people who can are alert and can easily notice when something is wrong. Fatigued nurses are very likely to make mistakes and endanger patients. It is also possible for patients to be given wrong medication when the nurse is too tired to focus.

The best way to reduce medical errors is to ensure that the nurses are well trained to handle patients. It is also important to ensure that patient files are well kept. This means that at no point will a patient receive wrong medication that could be life threatening. For instance, diabetic patients with type 1 and type two cannot share medication. This is simply because one patient requires medication to raise sugar levels and the other requires medication to lower sugar levels. A mix up in their medication could easily lead to the death of a patient. This can be avoided by the hospital keeping proper records of their patients and their conditions (Toisey, 2017).

It is also important to ensure that nurses and doctors treating patients are well rotated to ensure they are always well rested and focused. Minor details in medicine can cause damage in a way that is difficult to recover from. For instance, when a wound is dressed wrongly, it might develop an infection and eventually result to an amputation of a body part. In order to avoid this, a nurse manager has to ensure that their people get adequate breaks between shifts.  

The nurses can readily embrace the available information systems to offer better health care. Nurses can create a platform within the hospital where they get to share information and ideas on better health care practices. It is important for nurses working within a hospital to keep in touch with each other (Toisey, 2017). This would make it possible for them to ensure that they can actively prevent the spread of a contagious infection in case out breaks out. There are many emergencies in the hospitals and it is easier for the nurses to find ways of responding to emergencies when they have access to information. The nurses can also use the information systems to research on best nursing practices because things keep changing in the medical world.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making

There was a time when a neighbor’s son ate a cookie and started swelling. The parents did not think that the cookie could be a problem because the child had never experienced any allergic reactions before. They rushed to my house because they knew I am training to be a nurse. My first instinct was to find the child an anti-allergy medication which I administered and the swelling reduced. I tried to find out what the child had been doing before he started swelling. On further probing I found out that he had been playing in the woods and the next probable cause of the swelling was likely to be an insect bite. Using the information I had gathered, I informed the doctor of my deductions when we got to the hospital. When the tests were conducted, it was found that the child was allergic to insect stings and that he had in fact been stung by a bee and assumed that it was not a serious thing. He had not even informed his parents that he was playing in the woods right before he came to the house and immediately ate the cookie.

In this situation, critical thinking was very crucial. I discerned the information I received quickly and acted to stop the situation from worsening. I also applied listening skills that helped me get maximum information which I used to help the doctor know where to start looking when conducting the tests. My strongest attributes are discernment, attention to detail and listening. I listen and take in details which help me in finding solutions to problems (Hantula, 1982).

This decision was made on a personal level. I had no time to consult given that the swelling of the child was progressing dangerously. I had to act fast before the air ways started blocking and there was no way to administer medication.

My decision making was effective because the life of the child was saved. If my decision had failed, it would have failed for not paying attention to detail. I would have gone with the assumption that the child was allergic to something in the cookie and not gone ahead to find out that it was a bee sting. I would also have endangered the life of the child and wasted time that would have otherwise been crucial in saving his life. It would have failed if the child had not mentioned the sting that he ignored. It would also put my skills to test because even if I had discerned the information I got correctly, it would have been incomplete information.

References

Hantula, D. (1982). Decision Making in Uncertain Times: An Intervieew with Donald Hnatula, Ph.D. Retrieved November 4, 2016, from http://aubreydaniels.com/pmezine/decision-making-uncertain-times-interview-donald-hantula-phd

Hawthorne, M. (2017). Management Theories and Concepts at the Work Place. Retrieved from Chron: smallbusiness.chron.com/managment-theories-concepts-workplace-1769.html

Toisey, C. Q. (2017, March 1). 4 Ways Technology Is Imporving Patient Safety. Retrieved from Health It Outcomes: www.healthitoutcomes.com/doc/ways-technology-impoves-patient-safety-0001