Business Week 3-Class: Perfecto

Instructions: Reply to the threads of at least 2 classmates.

Each reply must be at least 450 words.

Each reply must also include a biblical integration and at least 2 peer-reviewed source citations in current APA format in addition to the text.

Trend 1

We read in Luke 14:28, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" This speaks directly to the matter that we are not to enter into decisions lightly. We must ensure that we have the tools and resources needed to bring a plan to completion and ensure we do so in the most efficient manner possible. The same concept would apply when conducting a job analysis for an organization

The purpose of a job analysis is to ensure the the expected outcomes of a role are being achieved in the most efficient and effective ways possible (Pynes and Lombardi, 2011). Sometimes that includes evaluating a work flow, a series of processes, a specific role, or a combination of all of the above. It is of the utmost importance for an organization in any space to ensure that are constantly evaluating the productivity and work flows to ensure that are obtaining maximum results. In this week's reading we learn of several different tools that can be utilized when conducting a job analysis.

During my time as a nurse manager in the hospital setting, I actually had to enlist the assistance of our Human Resources to evaluate our work flow as we were undergoing a reorganization of two of my departments. Due to a drastic decrease in the number of deliveries we were having in our labor department, we were faced with the charge to combine our Post-Partum unit with our Women's Health unit. This led to a considerable challenge when taking into account the fact that there were newborns on the post-partum unit. This raised considerable concerns regarding cross-contamination between women's health patients (who may have been considerably ill) and post-partum patients and newborns. We have to take a complete inventory of the skill-set of our staff (as those were being combined as well), the lay-out of the unit (to determine priority order for filling rooms based on diagnosis), and patient assignments (to ensure the most appropriate combination of patient loads).

The two most effective tools that were utilized in our situation were interview and observation. We selected a panel of staff members from each of the positions that staffed both units, day and night shift, weekday and weekend employees, as well as representation from our charge nurses. The consultant spent a considerable amount of time during the interview process. She interview each of the roles types individually to discuss their current work flow and what changes would be anticipated as a result of the merger. Once the role specific interviews were completed, she then pulled several different combinations of roles together (RN and CNA, CNA and Secretary, as well as a panel that included a representative from each role). The purpose of this approach was to discuss the collective process as a whole to identify gaps in the processes. The benefit of the interview was that it gave the staff the opportunity to elaborate in their discussions whereas the limitation was that the discussion was isolated to those staff members that were selected to participate as subject matter experts (Doyle, Caro, Lysoby, Auld, & Smith, 2012).

After the initial interview process was complete, the consultant, along with her counterparts, conducted observations on each of the units to evaluate the work flow for each of the areas and roles. The observations phase lasted for a period of 14 days and was found to be quite effective given that the consultant was able to observe the performance of concrete tasks by each role on all shifts and allowed are varied mix of scenarios and patient combinations (Wei and Salvendy, 2004).

Once the observation period was completed, the consultants compiled their data and compared what they observed with the information that was provided during the interview. Subsequently, the information collected during the interviews combined with the observation data led to a proposed combination work flow to trial after the unit merger. It was a comprehensive assessment that led to a template for room admissions, patient load combinations, and staff duty changes. With a few moderate tweaks for situations that weren't anticipated during the analysis the end result was a smooth transition that minimized the transition difficulties and lessened confusion about the changes.

Ultimately, the analysis was successful because it involved candid feedback from the staff and allowed to contribute valuable information to the process. Having seen both interview and observation in successful practical application, for the purpose of completing additional consultations, these would be my starting points for additional analyses, provided the situation being evaluated was applicable to the use of these methods.

Trend 2

There are many tools, models and techniques human resource managers can use when performing a job analysis.  “The complexity of care, budgetary restraints and demand for high-quality patient care have ignited the need for transparent hospital workforce planning” (Van Oostveen, Ubbink, Mens, Pompe & Vermeulen, 2016 p.184).  A human resource consultant coming into a department they might not be familiar with like a nursing unit will need to be able to determine the workflow and how each position fits into the process.  Interviewing key staff such as the employee performing the job, their immediate supervisor and other staff in the department is imperative to get an accurate assessment of the jobs being performed (Pynes &Lombardi, 2011).  This will allow the consultant to come up with a job description and see how different roles in the department interact.  For example it is important to know that the certified nursing aid on a unit is responsible for taking vital signs of the patient and entering them into the electronic medical record so the nurse can review and intervene if needed.  If the consultant recommends for the aid to do a different job it is important to make sure someone else’s role will be to obtain vital signs on patients for that unit.

Along with the interview process it may be necessary for the consultant to actually observe the workflow in action.  It is sometimes hard to understand a process that was mentioned during the interview without seeing it in practice.  It is also a good chance to see where improvements can be made to the existing workflow.  A study by Doyle et al. used face to face interviews to come up with a model that included areas of responsibility, competencies and sub competencies of the participants (2012).  In another study by Keohane et al. observation was used as a method to determine nursing workflow and the use of an electronic system for medication administration which the hospital was considering purchasing (2008).  Through observation this study was able to determine the electronic medical administration program could save the nurses time administering medications to the patients (Keohane, 2008).  This time saved could allow the nurses to spend more time on other duties like charting.  Workflow might need to be adjusted in this situation to accommodate added responsibilities.

Questionnaires can also be an important tool to use when assessing workflow.  Questionnaires can either be done ahead of time before actual observation or interviews or can be designed after if it is found additional information would be helpful when coming up with a workflow design.  The person performing the job should be the initial person filling out the questionnaire with a supervisor adding additional information after review (Pynes & Lombardi, 2011).   Van Oostveen et al. wanted to look how a particular workforce planning system would work for their organization for nurses in the intensive care unit.  Nurses were given a questionnaire to fill out regarding nursing care intensity of patients to help determine the nurse to patient ratio.  The results found the planning system would not work well for the hospitals involved in the study (2016). 

Proverbs 24:27 states, “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house”.   This passage stresses the need to planning before jumping into something.  Using tools like observations, interviews and questionnaires can allow for adequate planning when performing and putting together a job analysis.  A good plan can then be made when adjusting or maintaining current workflow.  This is particularly important in healthcare when some situations can be a matter of life or death. (words 602)