Okay, it's been a few months since I wrote an article for
you and I apologize for that. I've been so busy trying
to grow this business. Friday, I was talking with
another nurse-entrepreneur and the subject of how to solve
problems in an organization came up. I want to share
with you some very important tips if you want to help your
organization make positive and effective changes.
As patient advocates, that should be a part of our everyday
thinking. Most of us are led to believe we can't make
a difference. Well, there is a reason for this, we
don't. But why don't we? The answer may be more
simple than you think. We're usually so busy running
our mouths complaining about the problem to people who are
not in a position to effect change.
Just what does that mean? Simply put,
too many of our professional colleagues identify problems
and then make the biggest error possible: they start complaining
about the situation. Listen, as a former administrative
level nurse, I can tell you this, if you're complaining about
an issue to some one who cannot change the problem, you're
just ______ (rhymes with witching).
Now, as the professional and lay community
begin to recognize the crisis in nursing, we must seize the
moment and take the leading role in helping to solve not only
the problem that faces nurses, but also health care delivery
as a whole. After all, we are primarily responsible
for its delivery.
So what are the steps that help our profession,
your organization and the public at large? It's really
quite simple, though it will require some trial and error
to perfect and more importantly, to become comfortable in
their daily usage.
First, after you have identified a problem
or issue, spend some time thinking about it, taking into account
the research (without prejudice) you should do to assure you
have identified the problem properly. Ask others about
this issue. Are they having similar experiences?
Think...when, where, why, who, and how.
Second- and this is critical- come up with
ideas to solve the problem. This is often difficult
because it means taking some personal risk. If you come
up with ideas, they may not work. But let this not be
a reason to stay silent. Edison did not invent a working
light the first time he tried. Yet with perseverance
he created something that changed the world. Why
do we evaluate care? Because it is only with implementation
that we see what is effective in our plan and identify areas
for further improvement in the plan. Plans are never
perfect, but they will usually lead us to a place that is
better.
Third, with the absence of any emotional involvement,
present the problem and your improvement plan, as appropriate
for your organization. Be willing to get involved
in the change process. Be willing to negotiate, and
remember you may not have the whole picture included in your
plan. Be committed to the change process; it's rarely
easy. When discussing the issue, change your focus from
the problem to the solution. Your job isn't to sell
the fact that there is a problem; chances are good you're
not the only one that knows it's a problem. Rather,
your job is to sell the benefits of improvement. How
will nursing, the organization, and the organization's customers
benefit?
Thanks to many talented individuals inside
and out of nursing and the healthcare industry, America is
beginning to hear our voices, they are beginning look more
closely at our plight, and they are beginning to appreciate
our professional role and responsibilities. Physicians,
politicians, health care advocates, and the public at large
are all talking about this subject.
What I've told you here is really nothing new.
Your training included this problem solving technique for
treating health deviations in your patients. Simply
apply the same rule of Assessment, Planning, Implementing,
and Evaluating. This time though we are focusing on
deviations of effective health care delivery systems in our
organizations. To your surprise, you may just find the
organization very receptive and willing to embrace your thoughts.
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About the Author
Pat is the founder of Nurse-Recruiter.com.
With a background of more than 20 years clinical nursing
experience and as a Internet nurse-entrepreneur for
the past five years, he has an extensive knowledge of
our profession and how the Internet is a growing and
invaluable resource to our peers. Last year, Pat
along with his partner created and launched RecruitingWare,
a 100% Internet based software program designed to help
organizations recruit nurses and healthcare personnel.
Pat's latest offering is The
NursingBar, a free downloadable program that helps
nurses to maximize their use of the Internet.
The program attaches itself to your web browser giving
you a built in nursing search engineYou can check
out this latest offering by going to www.nursingbar.com. |
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