Designing New Horizons Healthcare: a fictional community clinic

New Horizons Healthcare

Practical experience is very important when trying to understand how one's education can assist them in their career. Within the nursing profession, much is discussed in the classroom about theory and ideas that may lead to more effective and efficient healing methods. Creative imagination in developing an idea is also very important in learning how to incorporate ideas into material manifestations that can be actually experienced. The purpose of this paper is to create a fictional medical clinical site and describe its fundamental components. The details of this organization will include the financial operations, the patient care methods, communication and technology implementations and how the role of the nursing profession can best be used in this type of environment.

Organizational Basics

The name of this clinical site is New Horizons Healthcare. This name is chosen due to its uplifting message. New Horizons Healthcare is a not for profit organization that is designated for a local communities general health care needs. The non-profit model was chosen for several reasons. Hill (2011) wrote "The verdict is in, and it's clear that nonprofit health care is superior to for-profit health care. It costs less and it delivers better results. The results speak for themselves, showing the difference between health care run mostly as a nonprofit venture with the goal of keeping families and workers healthy and productive, or running it as a for-profit commercial enterprise."

The clinic itself looks to serve a community of 100 people. The site is located in an neighborhood setting and can see up to 25 patients a day. 2 staff doctors, 2 Nurse practitioners, 3 RNs, and 4 administrative assistants are employed at New Horizons Healthcare. General medical services are offered at this clinic serving anyone that is seeking medical care.

Finances

Private funding is the main source for the New Horizons Healthcare clinic. The fundraising aspects of this non-profit organization have been met with great success and there is much financial backing to help make this organization a long lasting outlet for healing within their community. Foster et al. (2009) wrote "Although a nonprofit that needs a few million dollars annually may convince a handful of foundations or wealthy individuals to support an issue that they had not previously prioritized, a nonprofit trying to raise tens of millions of dollars per year can rarely do so." Due to this fact other financing sources are accepted to help keep the clinic up and running at a high level of standard. Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance policies are accepted in this clinic and will take cash, credit cards, debit cards and personal checks and money orders in exchange for medical services.

Communication

Communication and technology at New Horizons Healthcare attempts to be as simple and as practical as possible. Open door policies are enforced at the clinic and any and all suggestions are welcomed. Too often hospital hierarchies look to serve individual egos and this attitude is not something New Horizons Healthcare is interested in promoting. Rather the environment facilitates smooth, open and frank communication where the patient is considered the number one priority in the equation.

Most human resources management is directed by one of the administrative assistants, proficient in HR management software. The current system that is being used also allows for scheduling, billing and record keeping services to be performed by the small administrative staff.

Role of Nursing

The role of nursing is heavily emphasized in the New Horizons Healthcare workplace. While doctors play an important role in the healing process, without the more subtle and intuitive caring aspects that nurses provide to patients, nothing can be really done. Caring and respect are key ideals that nurses are expected to practice their profession with while working at New Horizons. Rhodes et al. (2011) described how a balance of both competence and care makes for the optimal environment to practice the medical arts. They wrote "The image of nurses as 'competent and intelligent caregivers' must become as well-known as the image of nurses as 'angels in white' so as to attract qualified individuals to the nursing profession. Competence and caring are interrelated. These traits need to be developed in students and sustained in nurses to recruit nurses into the profession and move nursing forward as a profession that truly makes a difference in patient outcomes."

Policy and Employment

There are no policy changes I could recommend to New Horizons Healthcare clinic as the clinicians were substantial in their efforts during the developmental stage of the creation of this organization. New Horizons Healthcare clinic is an organization I would seek employment with due to its alignment with my values and ideals involved in the nursing profession.