Introduction
Nurse managers must make daily decisions that affect their staff members’ working circumstances, the standard of patient care, patient outcomes, and the hospital’s reputation. Bikker and Bekooij (2021) state that to assess and successfully meet the demands of all parties, a manager must be familiar with all organizational elements, medical and healthcare information, and related specifics. It is the responsibility of the nurse manager to ensure that a hospital carries out its nursing function with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. However, several external factors impact the job of a nursing manager and the decision-making process. I interviewed a nurse manager from a nearby medical facility to understand how external influences affect how well she does her tasks. In particular, highlighted the impact of health policy, regulatory requirements, accreditation, and healthcare finance in the interview as external factors that affect decision-making.
Health Policy
Health policy is fundamentally adaptable and flexible since its main objective is to ensure that the population receives the highest possible standard of care and treatment. However, decisions that impact these problems are made by considering both the data provided by doctors and nurses and the statistics of people’s requests (Bikker & Bekooij, 2021). As a result, to develop an effective policy, medical staff participation and suggestions are required.
In the interview, Mrs. Jensen sees that for her decisions to have a positive effect, she must effectively manage policy difficulties. For instance, she emphasizes the importance of mentoring her staff members to enhance their expertise by applying evidence-based procedures. The policy aids in raising staff morale and developing their ideas for providing services. Additionally, research on firms that support nurses’ engagement has produced comparable effects since nurses frequently show notable improvements in their job due to employee initiatives. Because the current policy compels managers to make choices that could improve it, nurses’ decisions and health care policy consequently influence one another.
Regulatory Requirements
Health regulations and standards are required to make nursing decision-making easier and to lessen the possibility of malpractice and medical errors. In addition, nursing may be directly impacted by laws and policies of the federal, state, and local governments. Bikker and Bekooij (2021) state that the functions and responsibilities of regulatory authorities should be clearly defined as healthcare access changes and safety concerns develop. Mrs. Jensen acknowledges that the regulatory landscape may hinder or frustrate the provision of nursing services. Since it is equally important for nurses to display sympathy and adhere to formal standards, the rules remarkably impact decision-making. A nurse manager must, therefore, occasionally depart from the norm. The nursing manager uses an instance from her practice as an example when she permitted her subordinate to finish the shift earlier to assist her son’s academic performance. She was aware that the nurse was required at work but that her son’s health would impact the nurse’s disposition and the caliber of her work. She had to permit her to depart despite breaking the local and organizational norms.
Accreditation
Accreditation standards significantly impact any healthcare facility’s nurse administration. A hospital’s ability to provide certain services is defined by its accreditation requirements, which are directly related to better patient outcomes. Traczynski and Udalova (2018) state that to ensure a healthcare facility complies with the most recent standards of patient care; the accreditation authorities monitor the delivery of nursing services. Despite being authorized to provide a limited number of services, Mrs. Jensen’s institution needs to work harder to broaden its scope. Without the required accreditation she cannot be able to apply for funds, permissions, or increased hospital charges. Additionally, no adjustment demanded by one of the accrediting bodies may put the nurse manager under more stress and burden.
Health Care Financing
For many states, funding medical organizations are challenging because the budget is constrained, and the demands of this sector keep expanding. According to Taylor (2017), the effectiveness and efficiency of patient care services, as well as the results, have a significant impact on healthcare funding. However, some hospitals need more resources to expand and raise the level of care. They must rely on insufficient internal funding and seek additional funding from outside sources, such as sponsorships, grants, and healthcare institutions. Mrs. Jensen acknowledges that she must operate within a limited budget that must be carefully stretched to accommodate all requests. The financing issue has a bigger impact than the other aspects of research. The nursing manager is responsible for budget management and financial choices, many of which impact the hospital’s organizational structure.
Conclusion
Mrs. Jensen’s interview provides evidence that outside pressures impact nurse management. The interview’s main objective was to determine how decision-making is affected by health policy, legal requirements, accreditation, and financing for healthcare. Health financing has the biggest impact as it is frequently constrained and unable to meet all requirements. Decisions are influenced equally by health regulations, accreditation standards, and health policies, but still all decisions made by the nurse manager are distinctive. To implement the best solution, the administrator must understand and manage the influence of all aspects.
References
Bikker, J. A., & Bekooij, J. (2021). Market Forces in Healthcare Insurance: The Impact of Healthcare Reform on Regulated Competition Revisited. De Nederlandsche Bank Working Paper No. 705, SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.
Taylor, D. W. (2017). Rethinking the financing of healthcare in Canada. Healthcare Management Forum, 29(6), 260–263. Web.
Traczynski, J., & Udalova, V. (2018). Nurse practitioner independence, health care utilization, and health outcomes. Journal of Health Economics, 58, 90–109. Web.