Decentralization Pros And Cons

Decentralization refers to a majority of the decision-making authority is delegated to the lower levels in the chain of command and involves less supervision from upper management (Huber, 2014). Our organization is decentralized due to the nursing staff is not located within one building, but out in the field working individually with various patients in their homes.

According to Osana and Gachunga (2013), when an organization is centralized, processes tend to be slow due to the rules and regulations regarding approval from a higher chain of command. Osano and Gachunga (2013) also states that in smaller, private organizations performance is increased when lower hierarchical authority is present. However, there can be pros and cons to having a decentralized organization. Pros and Cons of Organizational Model

A few of the pros consist of nurses out in the field can take the initiative to call physicians with updates, obtain testing results, delegate responsibilities, and obtain orders on their own without having to call the office and waiting on a response. This shifts accountability to the nurses out in the field, which allows for a quicker turn-around time and increased patient satisfaction. Also, private duty nurses can focus on the care of one patient at a time and creates a closeness regarding the nurse-patient relationship, which also increases patient satisfaction (Huber, 2014). Decentralized nurses in the field are also able to create their own schedules and prioritize responsibilities regarding their patient’s services based on their knowledge of that patient and their circumstance. Only the nurse out in the field is familiar with their patients and relying on authority within the organization would only hinder this