Introduction
PSYCHsafe Corporation is a for-profit organization that cooperates with various psychiatric clinics. In particular, it provides products that are critical to ensuring the safety of patients and employees. For instance, one should consider such goods as tracking bracelets and alarms showing that a person has left the room. Overall, the safety of patients and medical workers is the primary concern to the management of this company. It should be kept in mind that many people, who have to seek assistance in such hospitals, cannot always control their actions. Furthermore, they can involuntarily harm nurses or even themselves. Very often such problems result in costly lawsuits. Thus, this danger should not be overlooked. Apart from that, PSYCHsafe wants to help nurses and physicians adjust to the new safety standards. These healthcare professionals should know how to offer emotional support to patients and shield them from potential dangers. This sense of competence is vital for their job satisfaction. The organization receives reimbursement from various sources. For instance, the company interacts with providers that are included in health maintenance organizations (HNOs) and diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Overall, the mission of PSYCHsafe Corporation is to create the safe environment in mental health institutions. In turn, the vision of this organization is to become the leading partner of many hospitals working in this field of healthcare. The management should concentrate on the implications of the new healthcare standards that are set for nurses and other medical workers because these changes can offer many opportunities for this company. Finally, it is vital to remember that PSYCHsafe Corporation is a client-centered organization. Therefore, the management should identify the ways in which they can improve the work of hospitals that can be viewed as the key customers.
The QSEN initiative and its impacts on the work of PSYCHsafe Corporation
It is possible to consider the initiative named Quality and Safety Education for Nurses or QSEN. This policy is related to several priorities. For instance, one should consider such issues as teamwork and cooperation, safety of patients, the adoption of evidence-based practices, and the use of quantitative data to improve the performance (Sherwood & Zomorodi, 2014). Overall, researchers argue that nurses can possess a broad range of competencies at the individual level. However, the fundamental problem is that at the group level, healthcare workers may not always respond adequately to the challenges faced by patients. In turn, QSEN is supposed to improve this element of their performance.
The adoption of this framework can have profound implications for PSYCHsafe Corporation because this organization develops products and services that can be useful for achieving the objectives embedded in QSEN. In particular, its goods and services make the internal environment of hospitals safer. In this case, one should not speak only about the technologies offered by the company. Much attention should also be paid to the services related to the management of personnel. Therefore, this company will be able to increase its revenues. It is one of the impacts that should be identified.
One should remember that this initiative was initially designed for nursing schools (Smith, 2015, p. 283). Nevertheless, the new policy can also transform the functioning of various medical institutions. These agencies will need to adopt new policies that will improve the work of nurses. In particular, they may need to apply technologies that can improve the time-management of employees and coordination of their work (Surendra, Omar, & Amit, 2010).
Overall, QSEN is aimed at eliminating preventable errors that can be caused by the lack of communication, inadequate use of technologies, or lack of coordination. For instance, it is possible to consider the injuries resulting from falls. Moreover, much attention should be paid to the traumas sustained during violent assaults. This problem is particularly acute in psychiatric clinics. The key implication of this policy is that hospitals will be more willing to adopt the technologies that are useful for averting possible incidents. For example, one can mention electronic reminders informing medical workers that an observation check has to be done. Very often employees can forget about this task.
The advocates of QSEN emphasize the need for “vigilant systems of care” (Dolansky & Moore, 2013). In other words, medical workers should adopt procedures and technologies that can make them more responsive the problems faced by patients. Therefore, they can benefit from using the products created by PSYCHsafe Corporation.
Moreover, many mental health hospitals will attach importance to the collaboration of various professionals because this aspect of performance is indispensable for coordinating the work of various professionals. In turn, PSYCHsafe enables employees to acquire these skills by implementing on the job-training programs. Overall, the services and products of this company will enjoy greater demand. Thus, the management should consider these changes in the practices of healthcare organizations because these trends can lead to the growth of this organization.
Financial management
Overall, the financial performance of this organization is dependent on its ability to establish partnerships with various psychiatric hospitals. One should bear in mind that this area of health care does not always bring steady revenues to for-profit organizations such as PSYCHsafe Corporation. This organization can become cost-effective if it establishes partnerships with different clinics. At first, it is possible to consider managed care organizations or MCOs. These institutions combine two aspects, namely, the delivery of medical services and their financing. As a rule, MCOs also function as insurance companies (Pilzer & Lindquist, 2014). In particular, PSYCHsafe Corporation has established partnerships with various health maintenance organizations or HMOs. They offer healthcare plans to the clients. In turn, PSYCHsafe Corporation cooperates with the hospitals that are included in these networks. This partnership can be critical for the financial performance of this company. Furthermore, it is vital to consider diagnosis-related groups or DRGs. In this case, the diagnosis is the main criterion used for determining the compensation received by healthcare organizations (Eastaugh, 2004, p. 29). Their reimbursement is not dependent on the services that these medical institutions provide (Eastaugh, 2004, p. 29). Such hospitals are financed by Medicare and some charitable organizations (Burlingame, 2004). Some of them are important partners of PSYCHsafe Corporation.
Apart from that, the company can achieve growth after the adoption of the Affordable Care Act. In particular, the organization will be able to work with those clinics that support low-income patients. These individuals are affected by several difficulties such as mental disorders and lack of financial resources. However, this legislative act will guarantee additional financing to the hospitals that support these social groups. Certainly, the implementation of this law can be hindered by different challenges. For instance, the U.S. healthcare system cannot quickly adjust to the new model of financing that should support the universal coverage of patients (Rice, Unruh, & Rosenau, 2014, p. 894). Furthermore, the sustainability of the new policy is often questioned (Antos, Wilensky, & Kuttner, 2008). However, many hospitals have already transitioned to this model (Sanders, 2013).
Thus, one should speak about the new opportunities that will be available to the companies providing technologies to these medical institutions. It is possible to argue that PSYCHsafe Corporation should cooperate with medical organizations that have different sources of reimbursement. This strategy will be one of the prerequisites for the success.
However, the primary task for this company is to design products and services that can adequately serve the needs of individuals who struggle with some mental disorders. Moreover, the company should ensure that medical workers can feel more confident in the workplace. PSYCHsafe Corporation should establish its reputation as an efficient supplier. By achieving this goal, this organization will strengthen its financial sustainability.
Recommendations for cost-containment
At present, the primary task of the management is to develop strategies for the reduction of costs entailed by the mental health clinics that cooperate with PSYCHsafe Corporation. In particular, the company should develop products that can minimize labor expenses of psychiatric hospitals. For instance, these healthcare organizations should apply such products as tracking bracelets, video surveillance, and alarms that are useful for monitoring the movement within a hospital. Additionally, medical workers will be able to respond to possible threats as soon as possible. For instance, one should consider the cases when patients try to injure themselves. It is one of the key risks that medical workers must not overlook because such incidents can lead to costly lawsuits.
Additionally, a significant portion of the costs incurred by hospitals is related to the turnover of nurses within organizations. This problem usually increases the expenses of clinics (Gormley & Kennerly, 2011). In turn, PSYCHsafe Corporation should improve the recruitment and retention methods adopted in mental health hospitals. For instance, PSYCHsafe should be able to recruit those nurses who are more prepared for working in psychiatric clinics. By achieving these goals, the company will help many hospitals become more cost-efficient.
Materials management
Materials management is one of the top priorities that should be considered by the management. In particular, they should work on the development of the supply chain that will be critical for the timely delivery of products to various psychiatric clinics. Additionally, Psychsafe should concentrate on the replacement of electronic products that can be malfunctioning due to some reasons. The completion of these tasks is essential for making the environment of hospitals much safer. Therefore, this dimension of the company’s performance should be aligned with the goals included in QSEN. Additionally, the reliability of materials management will eventually contribute the growth of PSYCHsafe Corporation.
One should not forget that materials management should be driven by the values and principles that are embedded in Christian worldviews. The management of PSYCHsafe Corporation should focus on the reduction of costs that can be incurred by various hospitals because these expenses can be used to improve the experiences of patients. This argument strongly applies to mental health clinics financed by charitable organizations or Medicare.
Recommendations for operations
While cooperating with each of the hospitals, the employees of PSYCHsafe Corporation should evaluate the design of this healthcare organization. This assessment is necessary for determining what kind of products will be required for increasing the safety of medical workers and patients. Furthermore, they will need to discuss potential safety risks with the administrators of these clinics. The company should develop a flexible pricing policy that can suit the needs of various hospitals. Additionally, the employees should work out a schedule for checking each of the devices supplied to the clinic. They need to focus on the functioning of tracking bracelets and alarm systems.
The company can improve its interactions with clinics if the management identifies a set of best practices that are essential for the protection of people’s health. These guidelines can be suggested to the administrators of various mental health organizations. Additionally, PSYCHsafe Corporation should increase medical workers’ awareness about the most difficult cases that may occur in such hospitals. For instance, the employees of the company should focus on violent assaults involving patients.
Personnel management
The management of Psychsafe should consider several questions that are related to the management of employees. In particular, the organization should employ workers who fully understand the challenges encountered by mental institutions. These individuals should know what kind of products and services these agencies need. Apart from that, they should help hospitals with the recruitment of personnel. Overall, the employees of the PSYCHsafe Corporation should be competent in such areas as hospital administration, HR management, and the design of technologies.
Hospital administrators should select candidates whose educational background is related to nursing in psychiatric clinics. These applicants are more likely to have the skills that are vital to protecting patients from possible threats. One should consider such competencies as risk assessment and ability to de-escalate aggression or violence. Much attention should be paid to the personal characteristic of these professionals. For instance, recruiters should attach importance to empathy because this capacity helps nurses implement psychosocial interventions. It is one of the main criteria that should be identified.
Apart from that, PSYCHsafe Corporation should help hospitals implement workplace training programs. They should be aimed at illustrating the best practices adopted by psychiatric clinics. For example, nurses should be informed about the interventions that are necessary for minimizing aggressive behavior. Overall, PSYCHsafe should improve HR practices adopted in various psychiatric clinics. Much attention should be paid to the continuous education of medical workers because this task is critical for increasing employees’ preparedness for different challenges. Researchers note that such training programs can strengthen workers’ commitment to organizational objectives (Rhay, Wen, & Li-Yu, 2010, p. 565). Additionally, this education will enable nurses to address potential problems on their own (Porter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2013). This sense of competence will increase their satisfaction with their jobs. Thus, continuous education will be one of the major priorities for PSYCHsafe Corporation.
Creating a safe environment
It will be possible to design the safe environment by combining both technological tools and procedures. In particular, it is necessary to create the schedule for monitoring the state of patients. These checks should be done during every 15 minutes. Apart from that, the employee should have competencies related to such areas as communicative skills, the use of various technologies, de-escalation of aggression. Additionally, the hospital administrators should make sure that each shift is adequately staffed. For instance, there should be a sufficient number of medical workers and security guards. It is one of the main requirements that should be met.
Medical workers can reduce possible threats by classifying patients’ mental problems. This classification can be valuable for identifying those individuals who may resort to violence. So, the employees of clinics must pay more attention to these patients. PSYCHsafe Corporation should help hospitals with this task.
To some degree, the design of the environment should be driven by Christian values and worldviews. In particular, one should consider the assumption according to which every individual has a right to dignity and compassion. This need is critical for the patients of psychiatric clinics. In many cases, these individuals feel marginalized. Moreover, they can be mistreated by medical workers. In turn, nurses should adopt the servant model of leadership. This approach implies that leaders should acquire power within organizations by addressing the needs of other people. Such individuals must ensure that other individuals can cope with various difficulties (O’Brien, 2011). This approach is also relevant to the healthcare organizations. Moreover, it is compatible with Christian values.
It is important to remember that modern hospitals want to acquire the so-called Magnet status which means that a healthcare organization wants to reach the highest quality standards (UC Davis Medical Center, 2015). This accreditation program is supposed to distinguish those medical institutions that create the safest environment for patients. This initiative has attracted the attention of administrators managing mental health clinics. So, these organizations will adopt the technologies that can prevent violent incidents in the workplace. In turn, PSYCHsafe can benefit from this opportunity.
Overall, this discussion indicates that the management of PSYCHsafe Corporation can improve the work of many mental healthcare clinics. However, it is important for this organization to create products and services that are aligned with the goals of various healthcare organizations.
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