30+ Sample Nursing Strategic Plan

What Is a Nursing Strategic Plan?

A nursing strategic plan is basically the business roadmap of how nurse practitioners work in the best way possible for a successful future. The plan consists of a list of activities that can guide nurses on how to deliver effective quality nursing care, especially recommendations that go in accordance with healthcare standards. And nursing strategic plans can certainly help healthcare organizations out there to ensure outstanding outcomes will be delivered by the nurses.

US News Money reported that nurses rank number two on the best jobs in America.

Why Should There Be a Nursing Strategic Plan?

Indeed, nurses already have an idea about their job according to their education, training, and job description. So why is a nursing strategic plan still necessary? Here are some points to ponder on that prove why nursing strategic plans are important:

Detailed Planning Framework

Nursing strategic plans consist of a detailed planning framework, meaning it deals more than just about what nurses should do or should not do in their job. For example, the plan tackles patient care, staffing plan, leadership, health and safety implementation, overall health care action plan, and so much more. The point is that the plan is nuanced into various elements and it is through those details that you can expect a better direction towards the future of nurses and their industry.

Adjusts to Trends and Advanced Technologies

Bear in mind that even in the healthcare industry, trends and technological advancement will bring constant changes on how to deliver nursing care efficiently and effectively. So rather than sticking to traditional strategies that are not only outdated but also less effective, it helps organizations to adapt to the newest and most effective strategies according to trends. Hence, there is always room for new knowledge and improvement plans among nurses.

It’s All about the Patients

Ensuring that the patients receive the best experience is the top priority of nursing practitioners. Nurses are not only going to be smart and excellent with the patient safety plan but also know how to treat patients with courtesy and reverence. For example, the plan can include tips on how to explain technical terms in layman’s terms and ensure that patients are being listened to when they have a concern. Showing kindness is also one way of practicing value-based care. Thus, patients are guaranteed protection at the right care, time, and cost.

Engages Collaborative Efforts

Nursing strategic plans require a team effort. It does not only concern nurses since there are administrators, assistants, and other team members as well. So expect the planning process to talk about unity to ensure positive outcomes in business. Also, there are plans set on how to keep practitioners engaged with their work. Because at some point, working can be daunting and stressful. Engagement strategies can make a difference so workers are willing to serve properly.

The Anatomy of a Standard Nursing Strategic Plan

Albeit nursing strategic plans differ per company, there is a similar format towards how it is presented. And here is a closer look at the basic layout expected among nursing strategic plans:

Title Page: Nursing strategic plans start with the title page. And it is basically the introductory statement of what the plan is called. So the words “nursing strategic plan” must be evident on that page, including when it is made.Introduction: The next page is the introduction such as the abstract of the nursing strategic plan or executive summary. Also, don’t forget to include the table of contents so readers can easily navigate the information in the nursing strategic plan.Team Members: Be sure to state who the target audience is—the nurses. However, nursing strategic plans can also be presented to administrators and other stakeholders. With the help of audience analysis, you will know which specific audiences to cater to. So mention the names of the team members and their information in this section.Vision and Mission Statement: Figure out what your organization believes and why you are working. And that can be explained properly in your plan’s vision and mission statement. This part brings an idea as to what the purpose of the organization and the overall plan are.Nursing Care Goals and Objectives: A clear understanding of what to accomplish is the right direction your nursing strategic plan should focus on. This part of the plan highlights the main objectives, timeline charts, and other metrics to gauge on. Present and expound these goals properly or making them happen might be impossible.Areas of Concern: Remember that making strategic plans is also about raising concerns. Focus on mentioning the problem statement because these areas of concern will eventually be fixed if nurses follow the nursing strategic plan. And it is crucial to be honest with the concerns even though they sound disadvantageous. Strategic plans are meant to end these problems in the first place. And being able to identify such issues is the first step to knowing what solutions are appropriate to give.Changes to Make: Changes do not automatically promise an improvement. However, any type of improvement involves some sort of change. So be sure to discuss planned alterations to deliver the best outcomes in nursing operations. Although changes may be successful or not, the key is to consider documentation to know what can be better for the organization next time.Tactics and Outcomes: Strategic plans also focus on determining your tactics. And with every tactic written in the document, associate it with its desired outcome. That way, tactics and outcomes will both be compared and measured in the plan.Monitoring Plan: Strategic planning is incomplete without a monitoring or assessment plan. There should be a way to track if the strategies were followed or if there is a need to make new strategies, perhaps. And it is through monitoring that you will know what better recommendations should be added for the future nursing strategic plan.Closing Statement: Write your final thoughts or conclusion in the nursing strategic plan’s closing statement section. This part summarizes the overall intent of the plan and what the main gist of the document is.

How to Create a Solid Nursing Strategic Plan

After a thorough introduction towards the nursing strategic plan’s meaning, significance, and anatomy, you are knowledgeable enough about how nursing strategic plans work. Now for the main course, are you prepared to make your own nursing strategic plan now? Without further ado, here are the steps that can help you make the best nursing strategic plans:

  • Step 1: Meet with the Right Strategic Planning Team and Set SMART Goals

    Making something as important as a nursing strategic plan does not mean you just carry all the weight by yourself. Work with the right strategic planning team such as administrators, physicians, pharmacists, head nurses, healthcare IT workers, and experts in other departments. Then, collaborate on setting the goals for the nursing strategic plan. The key is to set SMART goals so that the overall strategic plan is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

  • Step 2: Download and Edit a Sample Nursing Strategic Plan Template

    Why bother making nursing strategic plans from scratch when you can simply edit a premade plan already using our collection of 30+ sample nursing strategic plan templates? You’re free to choose your preferred sample such as a strategic plan template for hospital, a health and safety strategic plan template, and even nursing strategic performance examples. And make sure to customize your chosen template to make it original and relevant to your purpose. Download now!

  • Step 3: Enumerate the Standard Elements of a Nursing Strategic Plan

    Title page, introduction, team members, mission and vision statement, etc.—you are already knowledgeable about the anatomy of a basic nursing strategic plan. So to complete your nursing strategic plan, be sure to add these components. But you can also make it your own such as incorporating other elements such as the nursing budget plan, SWOT analysis, and other sections. Or, you omit any from the standard elements. Go for what works for your plan. However, be sure the inclusions are important and relevant to the main plan or they are considered unnecessary.

  • Step 4: Observe an Easy-to-Follow Structure

    No business plan should be hard to read. Review what you wrote and make things easier and more understandable for your audience. Maybe there are complex technical terms that need to be explained, vague sentences that require additional instructions, or errors that must be rectified. So be sure to polish your work until you come up with a sound nursing strategic plan. This is why collaborative effort matters because the rest of the team may be able to pick up some of your flaws. Thus, the entire plan will be improved.

  • Step 5: Commit to the Plan and Make Observations

    After writing everything down and reviewing your work, the important step is to really commit to the plan. Ensure that nurses and anyone involved in the plan would follow the data or instructions written in the nursing strategic plan. Otherwise, there is no point in making the best plan if there is no engagement of the people expected to pursue the plan. Also, conduct observations along the way in case there is a need to change the plan for a better future. Whatever idea that can develop the plan is welcome.

FAQs

Why is strategic planning important in nursing?

Strategic planning allows healthcare organizations to look at the bigger picture on how nurses provide the best services in the future. Also, it helps hospitals stay relevant and active in terms of providing the needs of patients and the community. The same goes for gathering results, analyzing the impact, and monitoring the progress of the nursing care strategies.

What are the steps of strategic planning?

Strategic operational plans can be conducted in five basic steps: (1) identify the strategic position, (2) prioritize the right objectives, (3) make a strategic plan, (4) execute the plan, and (5) monitor and improve the plan.

What are the five key elements of strategic planning?

The five main elements of strategic planning are (1) defining the vision, (2) setting values, (3) identifying the desired outcomes, (4) declaring clear accountability, and (5) implementing KPIs.

Just like any action plan, you can never go wrong with nursing strategic plans when it comes to providing robust nursing care and reaching the desired outcomes. So whenever you need a guide to reassess and layer your nursing services to the right purpose, you can always depend on nursing strategic plans for reference. Create your own strategic plan using free sample nursing strategic plan templates now!