Workflow refers to a set of specific tasks or processes necessary to accomplish a desired goal. An expanded definition of workflow can also refer to the human, technological, or financial resources necessary to fulfill a goal (Cain & Haque, n.d.). When workflow organizational leaders clearly define workflow for their essential services, they can create a culture of safety and reduce patient errors. On the other hand, poorly defined workflow parameters can lead to medical errors and reductions in quality of care.
Some of the most commonly encountered obstacles to workflow include inadequate implementation of technology in the patient care setting and the resistance to change the processes and procedures that have become entrenched in the organizational culture. (Younge, Naheedy, Wilkinson, et al., 2017). For example, if a new technology has been introduced to a department, the new technology will dramatically alter workflow and impede service delivery in some situations. Nurse leaders need to overcome obstacles to change by designing renewed workflow guidelines. The process of redesigning workflow can in fact have a workflow component to it.
Redesigning workflow need not be a time-consuming or resource-intensive procedure. Simply by outlining the goals, and then detailing the steps it takes to achieve those goals, nurse leaders can offer instructive workflow capacities to their employees. Workflow effectiveness also requires nurse compliance, which in turn depends on the introduction of transformational leadership models to empower nurses to offer feedback and ask questions. Using the example of a new technology introduction to a department, the nurse leader can offer a training session followed by a demonstration of the workflow. During this procedure, all nurses have the chance to ask questions related to their perception of the recommended workflow and make suggestions for how to improve workflow.
References
Cain, C. & Haque, S. (n.d.). Organizational workflow and its impact on work quality. In Hughes, R.G. (Ed.) Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2638/
Younge, K.C., Naheedy, K.W., Wilkinson, J. et al. (2017). Improving patient safety and workflow efficiency with standardization pretreatment radiation therapist chart reviews. Practical Radiation Oncology 7(5): 339-345.
