Reflection on learning 04/04/2022

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Week 2 Discussion: Organizational Assessment

Leonard Einstein

Chamberlain University

Karen Kidder

02/27/2022

Week 2 Discussion: Organizational Assessment

Question 1

The process I would follow to assess the organization where I plan to conduct my project for opportunities for improvement would entail five major steps. First, there is project mobilization. A comprehensive background review of the organization is conducted. During this step, all relevant stakeholders are identified and actively engaged in the background review. Diversity is vital in the selection of the stakeholders to ensure diverse perspectives are considered when assessing the organization (Kazadi,s Lievens, & Mahr, 2017). The input of the stakeholders will facilitate the development of a work plan. Second, there is the phase 1 data collection (big picture). This is where the management team is interviewed and a selection of project team members is done to help identify pertinent areas of concern or improvement. The areas to be investigated in this context include leadership, external environment, organizational culture, mission & strategy, management practices, and organizational structure, among others. The objective of this step is to obtain preliminary findings of the key issues of concern (Adair et al., 2018).

Third, there is the phase 2 data collection (targeted). During this step, there is the collection of data on crucial issues to guide the development of solutions or alternatives. This step follows the organizational leaders’ discussion and agreement. The objective of this step is to obtain detailed findings of the key issues of concern. Fourth there is the evaluation and identification of strategic changes. The management team is actively engaged by the project team to identify strategic changes. This is where the objectives and goals of the project are identified (Adair et al., 2018). Recommendations are agreed upon and possible alternatives are identified as well. Finally, there is action planning. An action plan to address the change priorities is developed and implemented. During all these steps, constant stakeholder engagement is vital for project success.

Question 2

The practice problem identified for this paper is obesity in the United States. According to (Flegal et al., 2017), the prevalence of obesity in the US stands at 42.4%. Diseases related to obesity in the country include certain forms of cancer type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. These diseases are some of the leading causes of premature and preventable deaths in the country. Flegal et al. (2017) further note that the approximate yearly medical cost of obesity in the country is $150 billion. People with obesity have significantly higher medical costs compared to those with healthy weights. Obesity is a serious problem not only because of its physical health and financial concerns, but because the condition is associated with low-quality life and poor mental health outcomes. Therefore, it is a serious practice problem.

In this context, the following are the ultimate goals for the DNP project:

a) Develop and implement evidence-based changes that positively affect healthcare outcomes via indirect or direct care.

b) Have a population/aggregate focus.

c) Have a sustainability plan for the developed changes.

d) Implement evaluation of outcomes in addition to a feedback mechanism.

These goals relate to the organization’s mission and vision. The organization’s vision is to positively transform healthcare, create hope for humanity, and advance medical education. The mission is to enhance public health by setting and achieving high excellence standards in clinical care, research, and education. The goals of the project will actively help advance the organization’s mission and vision. By coming up with evidence-based strategies to deal with the obesity practice problem and creating a sustainability plan for the same, it will be feasible to advance high standards in clinical care, research, and education.

References

Adair, K. C., Quow, K., Frankel, A., Mosca, P. J., Profit, J., Hadley, A., ... & Bryan Sexton, J. (2018). The Improvement Readiness scale of the SCORE survey: A metric to assess capacity for quality improvement in healthcare. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1), 1-10.

Flegal, K. M., Kruszon-Moran, D., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2017). Trends in obesity among adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. Jama, 315(21), 2284-2291.

Kazadi, K., Lievens, A., & Mahr, D. (2017). Stakeholder co-creation during the innovation process: Identifying capabilities for knowledge creation among multiple stakeholders. Journal of Business Research, 69(2), 525-540.