Main Points of the Articles
In their article, Ellen et al. (2013) attempted to determine the support accessible to health organizations to aid in evidence-informed decision-making. The authors conducted 57 interviews in 25 different organizations and found that an organizational climate responsive to research is essential for improving the quality of decision-making. This is because such a climate ensures that every decision made is informed by evidence.
Ellen et al. (2013) propose that healthcare organizations should expedite roles that encourage the use of research, create and maintain ties to researchers outside the organization, collaborate in building staff capacity through training programs, and provide the technological infrastructure to enable access to research evidence. This would facilitate evidence-informed decision-making and make it easier for organizations to make decisions. I may put this knowledge to use in my professional life by always making sure that the judgments I make are based on solid research findings by referring to the appropriate databases consistently. In addition, I can raise awareness about the necessity of adopting this strategy to enhance the quality of patient care, reduce errors, and improve patient satisfaction, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making within our organization.
According to Arendt et al. (2019), practicing mindfulness is one of the most important tactics for efficient communication in leadership roles. Based on their research findings, the authors suggest a positive link between leaders’ dispositional mindfulness and their followers’ well-being. A strong leader-follower relationship, strong interpersonal skills, and follower satisfaction are key characteristics of follower well-being.
To improve my ability to communicate effectively with clients, I can put the mindfulness method to work in my professional life. According to Arendt et al. (2019), being mindful in communication entails maintaining an open mind, refraining from passing judgment, and maintaining awareness of the context in which communication occurs. As a result, effective communication in my job will consider the need to support the wellness of my followers.
Group Processing and Team Development
One of the essential features of group processing is the workgroup structure. The work duties that need to be fulfilled, the size of the group, group norms, and status relationships are all factors that influence the cohesiveness of a group, and group processing needs to consider all of these factors (Black et al., 2019). The formation of a leadership and communication structure is an inevitable part of any group context. According to Black et al. (2019), leadership and communication are relational in nature because they facilitate a group in achieving its objectives, preserving its norms, and distinguishing among the various types of labor activities its members engage in.
According to Bruce Tuckman, the development of a team can be broken down into five stages. The first stage, known as “forming,” is when group members become familiar with one another while searching for a leader and getting to know one another (Super, 2020). The subsequent stage is known as the storming stage. It is characterized by competitiveness and disputes as members identify and accept individual differences, work through conflicting ideas, settle on collective tasks, and overcome barriers. At this point in the norming process, most of the group’s problems have been handled, and the group is working toward developing a sense of oneness (Super, 2020). Organizing the team for peak performance comes next, followed by adjourning, in which all objectives have been met and the remaining tasks have been finished.
Communication and Decision-Making
To boost overall operational efficiency, healthcare companies must maintain strong lines of communication. Errors can be prevented, and, as a result, expenditures related to medical errors, patient satisfaction, and continuity of care can all improve with good communication. According to Ellen et al. (2013), evidence-based decision-making procedures are essential for teams in healthcare organizations. Evidence-based decision-making lowers the likelihood of making mistakes and improves the efficacy of communication because every piece of information that is exchanged is founded on evidence.
In addition, Ratna (2019) observes that if the decision-making process in functional healthcare teams is carried out through collaboration, the leaders take the initiative in the process to concentrate on improving their patients’ health. In contrast, dysfunctional teams judge solely on their interests, and the decision-making process does not involve collaboration. This frequently leads to a communication breakdown, leading to medical errors and patient discontent.
Value of Communication in Healthcare Organizations
As a result of the sensitive nature of the data and information that health care organizations are responsible for maintaining and disseminating, effective communication is of the utmost significance in these establishments. They dealt with their patients’ health conditions and the information histories that should have been adequately transmitted to one another. They record and save the data for future reference.
Such records are required to monitor patients’ condition regularly, particularly those who are nearing the end of their lives. Patient health can be put at risk, and their state can deteriorate when these pieces of information are not effectively conveyed to one another (Arendt et al., 2019).
One more issue to consider is that the improper management of their data and information can result in the abrupt death of some people. Misunderstandings could result in adverse impacts for both patients and medical professionals. For instance, there is no evidence suggesting that this particular patient required two antibiotic injections daily for their wounds to heal correctly. It was not followed for another two days, when the wounds were significantly worse and began to hurt.
Another example would be if the patient specified that they are allergic to dairy products but failed to communicate this information to the nurse attendant, as well as other examples that were far more severe in the past, such as misunderstandings (Black et al., 2019). It was also found that efficient communication within and between hospitals is highly significant and beneficial in providing patients with protection, reducing costs, and optimizing the effectiveness of hospital operations. If followed correctly, this could reduce the number of errors that occur in medical care and speed up the healing process for patients.
Decision-Making Methods
When discussing the functional and dysfunctional processes within an organization, one is referring to the two types of conflict that may occur within that setting. It is common knowledge that there is no flawless organization; disagreements are bound to happen in various contexts and settings. One form of conflict that might be advantageous for an organization is known as functional conflict (Ratna, 2019). It constructively encourages healthy rivalry and debate, leading to improved results. Even though dysfunctional processes are an unhealthy sort of completion that has the potential to damage a company’s strong culture, they nevertheless exist.
Conclusion
Ellen and coworkers (2013) conducted a study to find out what support health organizations have available to help them make evidence-informed decisions. They suggest that healthcare organizations should expedite responsibilities that facilitate the adoption of research. It has been shown that one of the most effective ways to communicate effectively in leadership jobs is to practice mindfulness (Arendt et al., 2019). The structure of workgroups is a critical component of group processing. It is critical for healthcare organizations to keep open lines of communication in order to improve overall operational efficiency. Both patients and medical personnel may suffer as a result of misunderstandings.
References
Arendt, J. F., Verdorfer, A. P., & Kugler, K. G. (2019). Mindfulness and leadership: Communication as a behavioral correlate of leader mindfulness and its effect on follower satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(667), 1-10.
Black, J. S., Bright, D., Gardner, D., Hartmann, E., Lambert, J., Leduc, L., Webster, L.J., O’Rourke, S.J., Pierce, J., Steers, R., Terjesen, S., & Weiss, J. (2019). Chapter 6: Perception and managerial decision making. In Organizational Behavior. OpenStax Textbooks.
Ellen, M. E., Léon, G., Bouchard, G., Lavis, J. N., Ouimet, M., & Grimshaw, J. M. (2013). What supports do health system organizations have in place to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making? A qualitative study. Implementation Science, 8(84), 1-19.
Ratna, H. (2019). The importance of effective communication in healthcare practice. Harvard Public Health Review, 23, 1-6.
Super, J. F. (2020). Building innovative teams: Leadership strategies across the various stages of team development. Business Horizons, 63(4), 553-563.