Write a 4–6 page impact report to senior leadership that identifies the challenge, analyzes how it affects the organization from a nursing perspective, and details the new position.

Assignment Brief

CONTEXT:

Embedded within the AONE (2015) competencies for nursing leaders are various components of systems thinking and systems leadership. Nursing leaders need to perform a historical review of organizational theories because it helps them understand the effect of structures and theories that are relevant to health care organizational systems. This understanding leads to knowledge on how these systems affect the role and scope of nursing practice.

Systems theory came into use within the business sector following a publication on the subject by Peter Senge. As time progressed, health care leaders adapted principles from systems theory and applied them to health care organizations and systems. Systems theory maintains that the parts of the whole affect each other in many ways, with interactions so complex that any event or action may have multiple consequences across the entire whole (Senge, 1990).

Use the following scenario as the basis for your report:

Scenario

The unit-based Shared Governance Council of the organization where you work has identified a major nursing-related challenge (patient/staff safety, confidentiality, management/staff conflict, poor patient satisfaction survey scores, or nursing staff shortages) within your health care organization.

In an unusual move, your system administrator is considering creating a new nurse leadership position that would have the responsibility and authority to address this specific issue. As a member of the shared governance council`s subcommittee, you have been asked to write the committee`s final report.

Please follow these instructions to the Tee!

Use systems thinking and leadership theory as tools to approach this problem.

Construct the report with the following headings: (underlined)

The Nursing Challenge:

• Identify the nursing challenge and its impact from a nursing perspective. Choose from:
• Patient/staff safety, confidentiality, management/staff conflict, poor patient-satisfaction survey scores, or nursing staff shortages.

The System/Organization:

• Explain how the nursing challenge creates a gap or conflict between the organization`s statements and practice.
• Identify the organization type, that is, specialty hospital, teaching hospital, major health care system, et cetera, and summarize the organizational structure, its mission, vision, and philosophy statements.
• Use systems theory and systems thinking to explain the gap or conflict.

SWOT Analysis:

Use the SWOT Analysis Template linked in Required Resources and include the SWOT analysis table in your paper. (included in the other attachment)

• Identify organizational factors that impact the situation using a SWOT analysis.
• For example, a budget cut may cause short staffing, which relates directly to the problem.
• What factors within the system may facilitate a solution for this problem?

Sample Answer

The Nursing Challenge

One of the most serious challenges in our organisation is nursing staff shortages. This issue has created a huge impact on the daily operations of the hospital, especially from a nursing perspective. Due to a lack of nurses, patient care is often delayed, and the remaining nurses are overworked, which increases stress levels and reduces overall job satisfaction. Over time, this leads to more nurses leaving, creating a continuous cycle of understaffing. Furthermore, staff burnout may cause errors, lower morale, and affect patient outcomes. This challenge has now reached a point where it is directly impacting patient safety, nurse retention, and the quality of care.

The System/Organization

Our organisation is a teaching hospital that works as part of a larger public health care system. We aim to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care while educating the next generation of health professionals. The mission of our organisation is “to provide excellent healthcare through innovation and compassion.” Our vision is to be “a leading teaching hospital known for its excellence in care, education, and research.” The philosophy focuses on respect, collaboration, and continuous improvement in patient and staff experiences.

However, the current staff shortage challenges this philosophy. While our mission and vision highlight excellence and innovation, the reality on the ground is that nurses are struggling to manage their workloads. This gap between stated values and daily practices is evident. Using systems theory, we understand that when one part of the system (nursing workforce) is weakened, the entire system (patient care, staff satisfaction, learning environment) is affected. Systems thinking helps us realise that this shortage doesn’t just impact nurses, it affects doctors, students, patients, and overall hospital outcomes.

SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis clearly shows that although we have organisational strengths (teaching status, leadership commitment), the nursing staff shortage is a significant weakness and threat. However, there are also several opportunities that can help address the issue.

Continued...