Design of a Recruitment Plan

Design of a Recruitment Plan

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Design of a Recruitment Plan

Question 1

The criteria or characteristics that integrate the essential abilities, skills and competencies of the role of the nursing professional who works offering direct care in a hospital include the ability to perform nursing duties ethically and professionally, and the ability to create a working environment that supports supportive relationships. In the first criterion, the nursing professional should resolve ethical dilemmas by being compassionate and employing patient-centered care approaches. Besides, the work ethic of the nurse should be anchored in evidence-based practices, which provide a high likelihood of a speedy return to health by the patient. Similarly, the second criterion is the ability to foster a supportive environment at the workplace. Nurses collaborate with other nurses and health professional in a healthcare facility and participate as members of a multidisciplinary team. Besides, nurses employ a whole family approach to care in which they involve the families and friends of the patients in the intervention strategies. Thirdly, the use of evidence-based practice approaches is critical in integrating the essential skills, abilities and competences of a nurse. Evidence-based practice is developed through credible research findings in studies conducted by nursing professionals about diverse issues related to their professional practice and patient care. Therefore, a nursing professional should continually update his or her practice knowledge to ensure that the latest approaches are employed in the healthcare setting.

Question 2

The leading concept in healthcare provision in the contemporary world is value-based care. The current era in healthcare is characterized by patients that are highly knowledgeable and discerning (Mold, 2017). Patients are increasingly articulating their needs and preferences and therefore, seek the most value from a healthcare organization. Therefore, healthcare facilities that promote value-based care have a good reputation with patients and healthcare professionals (Mold, 2017). In turn, they attract many patients, thus increasing the revenues accrued, and attract highly-qualified healthcare professionals. The organization also benefits from retaining its highly-qualified healthcare practitioners. 

The three characteristics that define me as a leader in the nursing profession include, firstly, having excellent communication skills. I have a good mastery of the English language, as well as being conversant with Spanish, which enables me to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This facilitates my collaboration in multidisciplinary teams at the workplace. Secondly, I am a critical thinker who analyses every situation before devising an intervention. This way, I also help other colleague nurses to resolve their professional and personal issues by providing well-considered advice coupled with mentoring and coaching. Thirdly, I am compassionate, which enables me relate to the emotions and feelings of others. Therefore, I can provide emotional and psychological support to my colleagues, especially when faced with complex and stressful situations in and out of their work environment. 

Question 3

Situation #1

The strategic actions to correct noncompliance with hand washing by nursing staff and with infection control measures in direct patient care are several. The first is increasing the availability of hand hygiene equipment and products (Gould, et al., 2017). The equipment includes handwashing stations, soap dispensers and sanitizer dispensers situated at various points in the healthcare facility where the nurses work. These would be hand washing basins fitted with running water and plentiful disposable towels. The hand washing products include alcohol-based hand hygiene products like sanitizers and soaps. The second action is employing different types of education and training for the nurses (Gould, et al., 2017). These could be lectures, discussion forums, practical sessions, and demonstrations. The education programs should also have an assessment component to help determine whether the nurses have learned the correct handwashing procedures. The third action is deploying several written and verbal reminders (Gould, et al., 2017). Recorded voice reminders can be played back through loudspeakers fitted in several points in the healthcare facility. Also, posters can be hung on the walls of the facility neat the hand washing and sanitizing stations. The fourth action is having several performance feedback mechanisms to determine the level of regular handwashing adherence among the nurses. The fifth action is to involve the nurses in the planning and decision-making processes involving commitment to regular handwashing. The sixth action is to provide regular administrative support to all the actions mentioned. Hospital administrators should provide the finances to purchase the handwashing equipment and supplies, and organize training and evaluation programs.

Question 4

Part A: Training and Retention Plan

To promote nurse recruitment, I would employ two strategies. The first is to advertise the nursing positions across different media outlets, including extensive use of social media to support traditional media advertisements. Secondly is to emphasize the facilities commitment to promoting a work-life balance for the hired nurses (Alvernia University, 2017). This includes provided flexible working hours and not having mandatory overtime. 

The retention plan for existing employees includes onboarding and training for continuous professional development. Training should focus on evidence-based practice, avoiding burnout, importance of being a lifelong learner, patient-centered care, and work-life balance (Alvernia University, 2017). These topics are critical for developing the nurse as a professional practitioner in the healthcare field. The professional nurse needs to be conversant with these topics to progress the nursing career by adopting new and modern approaches to care while also contributing to knowledge generation.

Part B: Recruitment Announcement

Job title

X Healthcare is seeking highly-qualified nursing professionals to fill the position of Critical Care Nurses to work in the emergency room department.

Job Description

1. Attend to critical care patients
2. Administer medications to critical care patients
3. Collaborate with physicians and multidisciplinary health team members
4. Use multidisciplinary team strategies to resold patients’ needs and problems
5. Maintaining confidentiality of patients’ medical and personal information
6. Advising and training patients and their families about health maintenance strategies and standards
7. Establishing a compassionate workplace environment through the provision of psychological, spiritual, and emotional support to patients and their families and friends to facilitate speedy return to health

Fringe benefits

1. Paid annual leave comprising 30 working days
2. Paid professional development training opportunities
   1. Conference attendance
   1. Research opportunities
   1. Publishing research articles
   1. Furthering professional qualifications, such as sponsorship for graduate and post graduate studies
   1. Exchange programs with other healthcare institutions in the group to provide opportunities in working in diverse healthcare settings
3. Flexible working hours
4. Paid maternity and paternity leaves
5. Paid professional licensing advancement

Job Requirements

1. Possess at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
2. Registered Nurse
3. Clean background and drug checks
4. Active state licensure

Part C: Interview

1. What do you like most about being a nurse?
2. Describe any two medical emergencies you have encountered in your nursing career and how you resolved them?
3. Why are you leaving your current position and healthcare facility?
4. Which professional journals do you read regularly?
5. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a nursing professional?

Question 5

Situation #3

The situation presented by the noncompliance of XY as a nursing professional can be addressed in the following manner considering the labor reform law in Puerto Rico. I would avoid the dismissal option first, because this option should be the last resort after all other remedial avenues have been explored. The law protects employees against employer harassment and wrongful dismissal for issues that the employer could help resolve (Alvarez-Sanchez & Santos, 2014). I would first confirm whether the employee has taken any steps in professional development that would help address the skill deficiencies in the documentation process. Since the healthcare facility has a resource center filled with professional publications and manuals that deal with the healthcare documentation process, I would first enquire is XY has reviewed these publications and what challenges remain after acquiring new knowledge related to the documentation process. I would also find out whether XY has approached the nurse manager and presented need to be trained, and how the manager responded to such requests.  

Progressive discipline is a professional disciplining approach of employees that involves correction of errant behavior using a series of increasingly formal steps. During each step, the employer provides succinct and beneficial feedback to the noncompliant employee related to the improvement or lack of it in the employee’s behavior (Leonard, 2020). The process begins with a series of verbal warnings and advisories delivered in an informal manner, after which they are delivered through a series of formal letters and warning, maintained in the employee’s records (Leonard, 2020). In the third step, a suspension is provided in which the employee is out of work and is paid a fraction of the salary or none at all. However, the employer must seek to conduct a Loudermill Hearing in which the employee is provided an opportunity to defend him or herself, and the employer explains the meaning of the punishment against the offense committed (Alvarez-Sanchez & Santos, 2014). Nonetheless, the counsel of a legal practitioner is critical before this step is evoked to prevent litigations by the employee. Lastly, the errant employee is terminated fir continued malpractice. Like in the previous case, a Loudermill Hearing and the legal counsel are needed (Leonard, 2020). However, this action is the last resort for an employee that has repeatedly committed an offense and refused to take corrective or remedial measures.

I would not repeal the second warning. The law provides for a second warning to be delivered to a serial offender. Besides, an employee has the responsibility of updating his or her skills, and the employer is not mandated to provide any training to an employee that has sought employment to a position voluntarily. However, I would give the employee a Loudermill Hearing to understand the reasons for the continuously errant behavior (Leonard, 2020). In addition, I would consider offering training to the employee and encourage the employee to utilize the resource facilities at the facility, including publications and the internet as resource materials, and older and more experienced employees as resource persons.

The use of technology, networks, and online newspapers helps improve evidence-based practices as nursing leaders and managers in various ways. They help the nursing leaders and managers communicate effectively with their colleagues and subordinates. Nursing leaders and managers can use social networks to discuss issues related to nursing practice that promote the provision of evidence-based care. Digital technologies and networks facilitate speedy recording of patients’ conditions and intervention implemented in an electronic format that can be shared between the healthcare professionals in the network. They also enable access to high quality publications that present the latest knowledge in evidence-based practices in the nursing field.

References

Alvarez-Sanchez, M. & Santos, J. F. (2014). New Puerto Rico laws expand protection activity for retaliation claims, create civil penalties for violation of vacation, sick leave statute. Retrieved from https://www.jacksonlewis.com/resources-publication/new-puerto-rico-laws-expand-protected-activity-retaliation-claims-create-civil-penalties-violations

Alvernia University (2017). Nurse retention strategies. Retrieved from https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/nurse-retention-strategies/

Gould, D. J., Moralejo, D., Drey, N., Chudleigh, J. H., & Taljaard, M. (2017). Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care. Cochrane database of systematic reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd005186.pub2

Leonard, E. (2020). Career conversations: Progressive discipline the right way. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 59(2), 92-95. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.59.2.7272

Mold, J. (2017). Goal-directed health care: Redefining health and health care in the era of value-based care. Cureus, 9(2), e1043. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.1043