Decision making and time management tools

You have been hired as the new Chief Nursing Officer of a hospital that is facing several competing demands that are impacting patient care and staff morale. The hospital provides care to patients with complex medical needs, and the nursing staff is dedicated and hard-working. These competing demands include:

Budget constraints: The hospital is facing financial challenges and has limited resources for staffing, equipment, and supplies.

Staffing: Pay overtime or use agency staff. Keep in mind that patient satisfaction scores are falling and impacting reimbursement.

• Equipment: The MRI machine is old and needs major repairs. Replace, repair, or refer patients to other service providers. Keep in mind that diagnostic tests are revenue generating. Consider grants and other ways to fund the cost to repair or replace relevant to the revenue lost to referral.
• Supplies: Supply costs are increasing due to nationwide shortages and inflation. How can you determine supply needs, wastes, and ways to cut costs?
• Staffing shortages: There are not enough nurses to provide optimal care to patients, and the nursing staff is feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Nurses are unhappy, dissatisfied, and voicing concerns about patient safety and satisfaction. What actions are needed to improve morale? What actions are needed to address declining patient satisfaction scores? How will you address patient safety issues?
• Quality improvement initiatives: The hospital has set goals for improving patient outcomes, but there is a lack of clarity about priorities and strategies. The hospital has several upcoming regulatory visits and needs to implement, update, or revise its quality measures programs. How can you plan, implement, and evaluate quality improvement needs?
• Communication and conflict management: There are instances of miscommunication and conflicts between team members, which have resulted in errors in patient care and delays in treatment.
• Collaboration: Departments are no longer working collaboratively. The HR Department reports instances of incivility and possible lawsuits relating to interdisciplinary conflict.