NURS 6221: Managing Human Resources | Week 1

Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they’re not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.

—Sir Ken Robinson

Human resource management is one of the more important and complex responsibilities of nurse managers. When nurse managers effectively support and develop staff members, operational and financial activities run more smoothly. However, managing a diverse workforce within a highly complex health care environment produces significant challenges.

Understanding the principles that underlie human resource management will help you more effectively manage the most important asset in health care: the people who provide or support the provision of patient care.

This week, you explore the roles human resource professionals fulfill in health care settings. Furthermore, you examine how these roles differ from those of the nurse manager.

Learning Objectives – Assignment: The Nature of Health Care HR Management NURS 6221

Students will:

• Differentiate between the role of human resource professionals and nurse managers

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Lussier, R. N., & Hendon, J. R. (2018). Human resource management: Functions, applications, & skill development (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

• • Chapter 1, “The New Human Resource Management Process” (pp. 2–37)Chapter 1 provides an introduction to human resource management (HRM). It overviews the various disciplines of HRM, as well as the roles and skills that HRM professionals fulfill within organizations. This chapter also highlights why line managers should be aware of basic HRM functions.

• Chapter 2, “Strategy-Driven Human Resource” (pp. 38-73)This chapter covers the importance of strategic planning and organizational structure. It also overviews organizational culture and strategic measurement tools.

International Counsel of Nurses. (2011). International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.icn.ch/pillarsprograms/international-centre-for-human-resources-in-nursing-ichrn/

The International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing (ICHRN) aims to address common health care challenges such as budget cuts and underemployment of nursing personnel by integrating meaningful data and best practices into health care settings. The ICHRN website provides nurse administrators with an online resource that assists them in HR-based endeavors.

Required Media

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2006). Survey on HR [Interactive Media]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Before reading this week’s Learning Resources, take this survey to determine how much you already know about the role of HR. In addition, review this week’s Discussion and think about how you will use the results from this survey in your Discussion posting.

Note: Please click on the following link for the transcript: Transcript (PDF).

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Introduction to healthcare human resource management. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.

This week’s presenters introduce how managers can partner with human resource professionals to better manage the people and processes of their setting.

Discussion: The Role of HR in Health Care Settings

Janet has been working as a nurse manager for a little over six months. Since she took this position, nurses have asked her a variety of questions related to paid leave, health insurance coverage, retirement plans, and other important issues. Each new question causes Janet to wonder whether she is providing her staff with sufficient information. Janet realizes that she needs help answering these questions, and she is curious to see if she can enlist the assistance of someone in the Human Resources department. Despite her experience as a nurse and as a nurse manager, Janet is not sure what kind of support HR can provide, nor how and when she should request their help.

Nurse managers may be uncertain about the roles that HR plays in health care organizations. In addition, many managers are unclear about how HR can support them with the staff function of their managerial responsibilities. As a nurse manager, what questions might you have about HR’s role? Furthermore, how have your previous experiences impacted your perceptions?

To prepare

• Reflect upon the role HR has played in your current organization or one with which you are familiar. What interactions have you noticed between HR professionals and other staff in this setting? How do these interactions compare to those of nurse managers and staff that you have observed?
• Complete the media survey, “Survey on HR,” found in this week’s Learning Resources. Though this survey is not graded, take careful note of the questions asked and the correct answers.
• Review Chapter 1, “The New Human Resource Management Process” in the course text, Human Resource Management: Functions, Applications, & Skill Development, as well as this week’s media, “Introduction to Healthcare Human Resource Management.”
• Consider how your perceptions of HR are similar to or different from the roles of HR described in the Learning Resources. How does the role of HR differ from that of a nurse manager?

By Day 3 Assignment: The Nature of Health Care HR Management NURS 6221

Post a description of your media survey experience, including your survey results and your reactions to the survey. Explain at least two perceptions that you held regarding the role of HR compared to the role of the nurse manager. Describe how these perceptions were similar to or different from the roles outlined in the Learning Resources. Without identifying individuals or organizations, support your response by briefly describing experiences that may have influenced your perceptions.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

• Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information or research.
• Share an insight from having read a colleague’s posting, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional resources.
• Assignment: The Nature of Health Care HR Management NURS 6221

MORE INFO 

The Role of HR in Health Care Settings

Introduction

The health care industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades. In many ways, it’s become a more competitive and challenging environment for employers. This shift has led to a need for organizations to rethink their HR strategies and focus on new ways of doing things. One way in which this can happen is by hiring an HR manager who understands how to work with different types of people within their organization as well as outside of it—specifically those working in healthcare settings.

Introduction to the Health Care Environment

The health care industry is a complex business that involves many different factors. It’s an important service industry, but it also has a social and political role to play. The health care system is the largest in the world, with an estimated $3 trillion spent on it every year (the U.S. military spends more than twice that).

In addition to being a service industry, health care can also be considered an art form—there are hundreds of different forms of treatment that professionals use when treating patients with various ailments or injuries; these include physical therapy (for chronic pain), counseling psychology-based therapies like group therapy for depression or anxiety disorders which help people work through their feelings rather than just masking them over time; alternative medicine such as acupuncture or chiropractic adjustment treatments aimed at relieving tension headaches caused by stressors like work overloads at home responsibilities outside of work hours); natural remedies such as herbs taken orally during meals instead than using pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors who specialize in treating conditions like high blood pressure due illness complications from diabetes mellitus type 1 diabetes mellitus type 2

The Role of HR in Health Care Settings

HR is a critical function in the health care setting. It provides recruiting, training and development, employee relations, compensation and benefits administration, human resources analytics and other support functions. The health care environment is complex and requires close collaboration with physician partners to ensure that patient needs are met efficiently while maintaining patient safety standards.

Understanding your role as an HR manager will help you identify key issues for management teams when it comes to addressing these challenges.

The Role of HR in Strategic Planning and Decision Making

The role of HR in strategic planning and decision making

When it comes to employee engagement, there are a number of factors that can have an impact on your organization’s success. One of these is the role played by your human resources department (HR). As a part of your overall leadership team, they play an important role in helping you make decisions based on what will best suit both your employees and clients—and ultimately lead to success for all involved. The following sections will explore how HR contributes towards effective strategy development:

Key Issues for HR Managers in the Health Care Setting

• The role of HR in the health care setting is multifaceted and involves many different areas. The key issues for HR managers include:

• Strategic planning and decision making

• Workforce management

• Employee satisfaction and engagement

Conclusion

Now that you have a better understanding of what HR does in health care settings and how it can impact patient care, it’s time for some closing thoughts.

• Be sure that all staff members who will be involved with your organization have been fully trained on your policies and procedures before the start of their employment. This includes ensuring that all employees are aware of what is expected from them when interacting with patients;

• Make sure you have clear expectations for each employee regarding confidentiality matters—especially if they’re working in a position where they may come into contact with patients’ personal information or medical records (for example: social workers);

• Ensure there are standard protocols in place so that employees know exactly how to behave when interacting with patients at all times;

• Review your current policies regularly so they’re up-to-date—and don’t forget about training!

Takeaway:

You’ve heard that HR is important in the health care setting. Now you know it’s true. HR can help with strategic planning and decision making, but also with key issues such as workforce development, recruitment and retention.

In fact, recent studies show that healthcare organizations need more than just a good strategist—they need an effective human resources department as well.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has helped you to understand the role of your HR department in health care settings. While it may not be a glamorous job, it is vital for your organization’s success.