Competing Needs Arise Within Any Organization As Empl 153878 ✓ Solved

Competing Needs Arise Within Any Organization As Employees Seek To Mee

Competing needs arise within any organization as employees seek to meet their targets and leaders seek to meet company goals. As a leader, successful management of these goals requires establishing priorities and allocating resources accordingly. Within a healthcare setting, the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients are often in conflict. Mandatory overtime, implementation of staffing ratios, use of unlicensed assisting personnel, and employer reductions of education benefits are examples of practices that might lead to conflicting needs in practice.

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In any organization, especially within the complex environment of healthcare, managing competing needs is a significant challenge that requires strategic leadership and effective resource allocation. Employees, leaders, patients, and the broader organizational goals often have divergent priorities, which can create conflicts that need to be carefully negotiated to maintain organizational effectiveness and quality of care.

At the core of these conflicts are the differing priorities of key stakeholders. Employees generally seek job security, fair compensation, adequate staffing levels, and opportunities for professional development. Conversely, organizational leaders focus on meeting financial targets, maintaining operational efficiency, and ensuring high-quality patient outcomes. Patients, on the other hand, desire safe, accessible, and high-quality healthcare services. Balancing these conflicting needs necessitates a strategic approach rooted in ethical considerations, effective communication, and tactical resource management.

Healthcare organizations face specific challenges due to the nature of their work. The demand for continuous, high-quality care often leads to staffing shortages and increased workload for caregivers. Mandatory overtime, for instance, can alleviate short-term staffing shortages but may result in employee burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and compromised patient safety (Aiken et al., 2018). Similarly, implementing nurse-to-patient staffing ratios aims to improve patient outcomes but can increase operational costs and staffing shortages if not properly managed (Sharma et al., 2020).

Utilizing unlicensed assistive personnel is another example where organizational needs may conflict with quality standards. While such personnel can help alleviate staffing shortages, they might not have the necessary expertise, potentially affecting care quality and patient safety (Kalisch et al., 2017). Additionally, reductions in education benefits or professional development opportunities, while cost-saving in the short term, can diminish workforce competence and morale over time, impacting patient care and organizational culture (Friese et al., 2019).

Effective leadership in healthcare thus involves recognizing these competing needs and implementing strategies that balance organizational sustainability with staff well-being and patient safety. This can include fostering a culture of open communication, investing in workforce development, and implementing evidence-based staffing models. For example, flexible scheduling, incentivizing staffing adequacy, and leveraging technology to improve workflow efficiency can help reconcile conflicting needs (Halter et al., 2020).

Moreover, policymakers and healthcare administrators must consider ethical principles like justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence in decision-making processes. Ethical frameworks can guide resource allocation, ensuring that patient interests are prioritized without neglecting staff welfare and organizational viability. Engaging frontline staff in decision-making can also improve buy-in and facilitate consensus on complex issues.

In conclusion, managing competing needs within healthcare organizations demands a nuanced understanding of stakeholder priorities and the implementation of strategic interventions. Leaders must adopt a holistic approach that balances the immediate operational requirements with long-term sustainability, staff development, and patient safety. Doing so ensures that healthcare organizations can deliver high-quality care while maintaining a motivated and engaged workforce.

References

• Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Ball, J., et al. (2018). Nurse staffing and patient outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(7), 809-817.
• Friese, C. R., Lake, S., Wang, Y., et al. (2019). The future of nursing: Nurse workforce dynamics and policy considerations. American Journal of Nursing, 119(8), 44-50.
• Halter, M. J., Kelly, J., & O’Brien, D. (2020). Workforce retention strategies in healthcare: A systematic review. Healthcare Management Review, 45(4), 306-318.
• Kalisch, B. J., Lee, K. H., & Rose, S. (2017). Safety Nursing Practice and Unlicensed Assistive personnel: Impact on patient safety. Nursing Outlook, 65(4), 415-423.
• Sharma, S., Hilsabeck, R., & Nicholls, D. (2020). Staffing ratios and patient outcomes: Evidence from recent studies. Journal of Healthcare Quality, 42(2), 91-99.