The mission, vision, and values statements guide healthcare policy and practice within the institution. When planning for change, healthcare leaders ideally base their decisions on their alignment with the mission, vision, and values of the organization. All strategic planning should be purposeful and proactive, rather than arbitrary and reactive (Marquis & Huston, , p. 142). Unfortunately, a large number of organizations lose sight of the need for proactive planning and end up reacting to crises or problems after they occur. To stimulate proactive planning, leaders need to engender the type of organizational climate that is conducive to it. This would mean empowering all managers at every level of the institution to forecast potential challenges and participate more fully in the process of aligning organizational practices with organizational values.

For example, the fundamental mission of Dignity Health, parent company to Mercy Hospitals, is furthering the healing ministry of Jesus, and to providing high-quality, affordable health care to the communities we serve. More specific mission statements include delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable...

Actions that become part of the day-to-day operations of the...…the work that nurses do, and staff is expected to actively participate in community activities according to a posted schedule of events. Likewise, the leaders in the organization do value stewardship in the way they create annual budgets that reflect the need to respond to demographic changes or legislative changes in the community. Teamwork, innovation, and long-term planning also enable us to collectively progress towards our ultimate goals of improving healthcare outlooks in the community. It is critical for all nurse leaders to remain cognizant of the overarching values, missions, and vision of the organization and to embody these principles in our interactions with staff,…