Nurses are one of the most in-demand practitioners in the healthcare industry. In fact, they top at number two on the best jobs in America according to US News Money. Besides being known to be well-paid, it is also one of the most challenging jobs out there. From effective patient care, safety assurance, to top-quality service, nurses have a lot of responsibilities on their hands. So to make sure they improve and maintain efficient nursing care delivery, a strategy map that lays out the directives according to healthcare standards is given to these practitioners. And it is presented in the form of 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.
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:
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.
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 So rather than sticking to traditional strategies that are not only outdated but also less effective, it helps organizations to adapt to the newest and most effective strategies according to trends.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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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