Assignment: Conducting a SWOT Analysis

When developing a strategic plan, the SWOT analysis is used, allowing the team to recognize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the plan (Laureate Education, 2013). This paper will provide a summary of the SWOT Analysis for nursing and staffing shortage and identify strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the analysis.

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SWOT Analysis

When planning a SWOT analysis we must include key members and collect specific data to evaluate the organizations environment. In the particular subject of the nursing shortage and staffing issues, we would identify the nurse-to-patient ratio, number of nurses per shift, and the acuity of the patient’s based on their nursing assessment. Patient safety, satisfaction, and increasing the quality of care should be motivation to strategically plan. By collaborating between key factors in this environment, with the support evidence-based research, strategic planning will exceed, and plans can be developed to provide optimal care to patients. For a successful SWOT analysis to occur, there must be honesty, specificity, simplicity, and self-awareness (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The outcome of a SWOT analysis helps guide strategies (Gnatt, 2010).

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Strengths

· Experienced senior staff

· Quality of clinical resources

Weaknesses

· High nurse-to-patient ratio

· Nurses staff turnover

Opportunities

· Development of longer preceptorship programs

· Improvement of care and patient safety

Threats

· High unemployment rate

· Lack of promotion opportunities for nurses

Internal and external stakeholders must consider what has worked for the organization in the past and some of the reasons why there is such a nursing shortage now. Stakeholders are groups of people whom show an interest in the outcome of an organization (Friedman & Miles, 2006). This can include the community and staff, or any of the people who are involved in the care that the organization is providing (Sare & Ogilvie, 2010). Nurses are identified as key stakeholders since the nurses are the ones that contain most of the workload within the facility (Sare & Ogilvie, 2010).

Summary

Having a clear understanding of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and possible threats will ensure a better plan (White & Blaiser, 2011). The weaknesses may be turned into strengths and the possibility the project will succumb to known risks and challenges may be reduced (White & Blaiser, 2011). Strategic planning is an organizational management activity that is used to set priorities and is a roadmap for success for the organization.

References

Friedman, L., & Miles, S. (2006) Stakeholders Theory and Practice. Oxford: University Press

Gantt, L. (2010). Strategic planning for skills and simulation labs in colleges of nursing. Nursing Economic$, 28(5), 308-313.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Trends in health care organizations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Sare, M., & Ogilvie, L. (2010). Strategic planning for nurses: Change management in health care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

White, K. R., & Blaiser, K. M. (2011). Strategic planning to improve EHDI programs. Volta Review, 111(2), 83.