Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in hospital problem management

SWOT Analysis: Community Hospital Problems

Strengths

The community hospital described in the scenario has a strong reputation based upon its past performance. It is called a community 'icon.' The hospital system that recently purchased acquired it has a positive attitude towards change. At the community hospital there is an influx of new leadership as old, change-resistant leaders are now retiring or leaving. There is a plan to remedy some of the problems with the community hospital, such as transitioning unionized nurses into the role of nurse managers who work on 24-hour shifts in which they oversee the entire arc of patient care.

Weaknesses

Despite clear problems such as the long delays in transferring patients, the heavy paperwork burden placed upon night staff, and the possibility of more pay for nurse managers working 24-hour shifts, there is tremendous change resistance amongst the healthcare teams to instituting reforms.

Opportunities

The change in leadership presents an opportunity to completely change the policy of the hospital for the better and to create a more effective system of patient care.

Threats

A number of hospitals in the area are currently providing better patient care, and changing the hospital's standard operating procedures very quickly will be difficult.

SWOT Analysis and recommendations for Dr. M

In many ways, the community hospital is currently being presented with a great opportunity: although it has substantial problems, the leadership is changing and it has been bought by a more effective institution which is known for a 'brand' of healthcare very sensitive to the needs of patients. There is a clear plan that can remedy some of the institution's problems, specifically to shift the responsibilities for patient care to nurse managers on 24-hour cycles, versus staff nurses on 8-hour cycles. This is designed to create greater continuity of patient care and also to reduce the time lag in transferring patients from the ER to other units which results in most of the burden of paperwork being borne by the night staff.

However, there is tremendous change resistance to this new proposal. Head nurses and assistant nurses are reluctant to leave their unions and become management. The board of directors is reluctant to provide the additional funding needed to support the salaries of nurses on such a 24-hour cycle. Although critical leadership roles have changed, there is still a need to generate buy-in. The window of opportunity must be taken advantage of now before the threat of other hospitals that can currently provide more effective care begins to draw away patients.