Project Management in Nursing

¶ … expert recently wrote "there have been projects as long as there have been organizations that undertake deliberate and results-and-outcome oriented work" (p. 29 information) and that is certainly true of the nursing industry. Much of the current methodologies used to address people who are sick or afflicted has come about because of projects initiated or participated in by nurses. Project management methodology can therefore be a boon to the nursing industry and in particular to nurses who comprehend and can implement aspects of that methodology in today's modern nursing world.

Project management is normally referred to in the business world, where it has been in common usage for many years. Project management in the nursing environment is as equally important as it is in the business world, and some might say even more important due to the fact that it could actually be more beneficial on a personal basis than the business project management, especially in today's more liquid and ever-changing medical profession.

One recent study determined that over the last decade a number of significant changes have been made in the nursing field that are encompassing "a number of changes to nursing education, regulation, reimbursement, and practice" (Enlow, Honig, Cook, 2014, p. 13). The study conducted by Enlow et al. focused on a reknowned medical school's curriculum in response to the changes taking place.

What the study found was that the "faculty members engaged in a process of strategic planning to ensure that all educational programs continue to be of the highest quality and remain relevant in the dynamic healthcare sector" (Enlow et al., p. 13). Of course, the Enlow et al. study focused on the educational aspect, but more importantly other studies have focused on the nursing environment after schooling.

One such recent study found that "there is significant pressure to improve patient safety and care outcomes and a demand for managerial or system-wide response to improve patient safety" (Kangasniemi, Vaismoradi, Jasper, Turunen, 2013, p. 905). If that what these studies have found is taken into consideration, then project management could certainly play a major role in both the education of nurses and the ongoing practice of nursing. There might not be a better methodology than project management to answer the above situations.

Project management might best be described as a method of obtaining results on a temporary endeavor to improve an aspect of situational scenario. In this case, project management in the nursing field can be used to implement a new or improved medical procedure in order to enhance the patient's well-being. A successful nurse manager will necessarily have to be a motivator, organizer, and leader in order to navigate the turbulent waters of project management, especially when dealing with individuals who may not be familiar with project management methodology.

The first thing that needs to be accomplished is to consider what the project goal is. What is the goal or objective that fellow nurses have to buy into? Analyzing the situation and then organizing those analytics is essential to communicating the purpose of the project. When the project manager has organized the project into specific categories it can then be communicated to the other participants in a coherent and understandable manner. Using project charts to show a timeline for the project is an excellent way of managing the project.

An initial meeting can be held with all the stakeholders present, and it would be at this meeting that the goals, objectives, timelines, purpose and methodology should be explained. Another important aspect would be to assign the different project requirements to each participant. Displaying the value of project management by example is an excellent manner for getting other individuals to use this methodology in their own practices or areas of influence.

Motivating nurses or medical personnel who are not familiar with this methodology to use it in their own endeavors would take time, effort and communication. The nursing environment is one that is constantly beset with stress and change. Motivating individuals to implement project management into their particular work arenas can be addressed by showing how effective and time-saving such a methodology can be when implemented correctly. Another advantage that project management offers nurses is the fact that information, data, and actions taken can be substantiated and documented.

Because project management often tracks results and provides substantiation that assists nurses who are under constant threat of legal action, presenting such an advantage would help in motivating nurses and administrators to use such a methodology. Many of the new nurses entering the field will also have the technological.