The nurse is caring for a patient who has a history of asthma and is currently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Discuss the pathophysiology of asthma and the impact of pneumonia, assessment information pertinent for the patient, lab work or diagnostic test appropriate for managing the disease process, pharmacology agent that would be appropriate for the patient, and specific nursing interventions addressing the specific needs and care measures. In the discussion discharge planning and teaching should be included

  

In your own workplace, you may find yourself wondering, who should I turn to when I have a practice dilemma? or Where can I go to learn more about this issue? These questions speak to the intricacies of formal and informal organizational structure and leadership.

To prepare:

· Review the information presented in Chapter 12 of the course text. Focus on the information about formal versus informal structure as well as the types of organizational structures.

· Consider the overall structure or hierarchy of your organization or one with which you are familiar. Which organizational structure best describes your organization—line (or bureaucratic), ad hoc, matrix, service line, or flat? Note: It is possible to have a combination of structures in one organization. Is decision making centralized or decentralized in this organization?

· What is the role of committees, task forces, and councils in the organization, and who is invited to join? Consider how this relates to formal and informal leadership.

· Reflect on how decisions are made within a specific department or unit. Which stakeholders provide input or influence the decision-making process? Assess this in terms of formal and informal leadership.

· To support your analysis, consider your own experiences and investigate these matters by speaking with others at the organization and reviewing available documents. Be sure to consider how the concepts of formal and informal structure and leadership relate to one another and are demonstrated in the organization and in the particular department or unit.

Post a depiction of your organization’s formal structure, indicating whether it is best described as line, ad hoc, matrix, service line, flat, or a combination. Describe how decisions are made within the organization and within one department or unit in particular, noting relevant attributes of centralized/decentralized decision making. Explain the influence of formal and informal leadership on decision making within this department or unit.

Select one of the following trends and discuss your understanding of this trend in healthcare and its potential impact on your practice as a nurse. What are the legal, privacy, and ethical considerations of this trend?

• Nanotechnology
• Consumer health informatics (CHI)
• Telehealth (or telenursing)/virtual healthcare
• Social media healthcare applications
• Health-focused wearable technology
• eHealth

Informatics Specialists

How does the current health IT structure at your institution  support or hinder the effectiveness of informatics specialists in  nursing, medicine, and other disciplines?

Response Posts: In your responses to your  classmates, contribute to the discussion with your own original opinions  or interpretation of the course materials and include at least one  citation

Middleville Regional Health Care is one (1) of three (3) hospitals serving a community of 350,000 people. Summary statistics on Middleville and its competitors, from the AHA Guide, are shown below in Table 1. All three organizations are not-for-profit.

Table 1: Middleville, Brierfield, and Greystone Health Care Systems

    

Name

Beds

Admissions

Census

OP Visits

Births

Expenses (000)

Personnel

 

Middleville

575

13,000

350

221,000

2,300

$125,000

2,000

 

Brierfield

380

17,000

260

175,000

1,200

$130,000

1,875

 

Greystone

350

10,000

180

40,000

900

$80,000

1,200

The governing board of Middleville hired a consulting company to evaluate its strategic performance, specifically in the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing. As part of the consultant’s evaluation, several leaders of Middleville’s units were asked their perspective of the organization’s performance. 

You are working for the consultant. Your job is to identify the issues from the response that should be considered further by the consultant team and possibly discussed with the governing board and the CEO. The firm has a rule, “Never offer a criticism or negative finding without suggesting how the client organization can correct it,” so you must indicate what sort of correction you would recommend as part of your list. Because you know there were about two (2) dozen other interviews, you decide you should rank your issues in importance, to make sure the most critical are discussed.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Explain the governing board’s role in these strategic initiatives, determining its responsibility and involvement.
2. Evidence-based management means that operational and strategic decisions are made based upon the evidence that goals and objectives are actually being met. Quantitative measurements must be identified and measured. This data is then used to evaluate the HCO’s performance. Name three (3) performances Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community, and identify quantifiable, measureable indicators that can be used to do so. Explain the importance of each performance measurement.
3. Given the statistics of Middleville and its two (2) competitors provided in Table 1, recommend to the HCO what areas it should focus on to maintain its competitive market share as well as continue to provide healthcare to the community in the 21st century.
4. Some of Middleville’s Board members are very interested in pursuing advanced technology systems over the next five (5) years, while others are concerned about the enormous expense and need assurance that the investment in technology will be worthwhile. In both monetary and process terms, describe the costs and benefits associated with implementing EMR and associated health data systems. Lay out a plan for how various systems can be implemented.
5. Middleville has faced many challenges in recruiting and retaining nurses and other clinical employees. The economy has hit the area very hard and budgetary limitations have reduced the amount of money available for salary increases. The Board knows it needs to provide other benefits to their valued employees. Provide at least two (2) suggestions to Human Resources to promote employee satisfaction and, therefore, retain experienced personnel.
6. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
7. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

a.  Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

b.  Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

c.  Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Examine how healthcare management concepts and theories are applied to critical issues in healthcare organizations.
• Analyze the critical management issues, purpose, functions, and performance measures of different departments within healthcare organizations.
• Explain how public policy has shaped the development of the U.S. healthcare system.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization management.
• Write clearly and concisely about health services organization management using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.