Principles of Health Care Administration

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Assume that you are the hospital administrator of a 150-bed hospital located in a small town. Your best friend Betty works for the local newspaper in town. One day Betty calls you and informs you about a rumor that one of the ER nurses in your hospital may have contracted HIV. The chief editor of the newspaper asks Betty to gather more information on this incident. In your discussion response, address the following questions:

What are the risk factors (e.g. legal, ethical, financial, etc.) you foresee in this scenario?

What are the problem solving processes you will embark on?

Who are the stakeholders involved in the problem solving processes?

What are the impacts on stakeholders involved in the problem solving processes?

How will you communicate with various stakeholders (e.g. employees, physicians, the board, and the public) about your findings and decisions?

Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Support your response with a minimum of two scholarly sources.

Class Text

Frates, J. (2014). Health care management: Theory in action. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Discussion:

Presents a case where a hospital administrator is dealing with a rumor that one of the ER nurses may have contracted HIV. Problem-solving often comprises the decision-making process that is the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity (Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Hunt, 2012). Problem-solving and decision-making are also essential skills for management and leadership of today's healthcare organizations. The Analytical Problem Solving Model presented by Frates (2014) provides the general guidelines to problem solving and decision making, including five steps: (1) define the problem; (2) generate alternative solutions; (3) evaluate alternatives; (4) implement and follow up on the solution; and (5) obtain and evaluate feedback. This classical problem-solving and decision-making model deems the leader/manager and team members as acting rationally and in a fully informed manner. In a certain and dynamic environment, the problems can be clearly defined, all possible alternatives are identifiable, and their consequences are predictable (Schermerhorn et al., 2012). Consequently, an optimizing decision can be made as the best solution to the problem.

There are various decision-making models, tools, and techniques described in the textbook by Frates (2014). Each of these models, tools, and techniques may be appropriate for particular types of decisions and circumstances. In other words, there is no a best formula for the healthcare leader/manager to solve the problem. Faced with today's ever changing environment, healthcare leaders must lead the organizations to navigate a landscape affected by complex social and political forces such as shrinking reimbursements, persistent shortages of health professionals, endless requirements to use performance and safety indicators, and prevailing calls for transparency. It is increasingly difficult running a healthcare organization. And yet, healthcare leaders are faced with tough decisions every day.