Nursing: The Concept Of Decision Making In Nursing

Context 6

This concept is taken from organization, planning and staffing.

Block 1, module 8 entitled decision making Introduction- Decision making is a process of choosing a course of action from alternatives, this process involves understanding the problem, collecting information, developing and evaluating alternative choices of a solution and its evaluation. Decision making is a thought process of selecting a logical choice from available options. When trying to make a good decision, a person must weigh the positives and negatives of each option, and consider all alternatives. For effective decision making, a person must be able to forecast the outcome of each option as well, and based on all these items, determine which option is the

Societal context- The society believes that as a nurse manager we should be able to choose the best alternative to reach the predetermined goal since decision making implies a choice made between two or more alternatives. Thus decision making is a process of identifying and selecting a course of action to solve specific problem. Nurses must continue to learn more about decision making as well as practicing it.

Application to my job- As a clinical nurse, decision making has helped me both personally and professionally E.G. Whether to work in a hospital or community. Decision making has assisted me to make decision on which clients to assist first when faced with several client needs at the same time. Decision making has enabled me to assist my clients to make decision about the course to treatment to follow. It has helped me to keep client information confidentially.

Current research- The major concern in management has been to understand and improve decision making. Various approaches have been proposed by psychologists, most based on a “divide-and –conquer” strategy. This strategy also labelled “problem decomposition”- involves breaking a large decision problem into smaller parts. The idea is not new; In a “letter to joseph priestly”, Benjamin franklin was one of the first to describe a decomposition

Whether the setting is inpatient or outpatient, the emphasis is on providing the highest quality care at an affordable price. The nurse manager is a key individual whose leadership can directly influence many environmental functions. These factors begin with the selection of the right person for the right position and having the manager function in the role of coach. As a coach, the nurse manager can assist and encourage employees to perform at their highest levels with an empowered and self-directed manner. The nurse manager also functions to clarify the organization’s mission expectations. Staffing can be defined as selection of qualified person for the right position to meet the needs of the patients.

Social context- The society believe that selection of staff would seem to be a relatively simple process but the manager wants to choose the most qualified individual for the position. Choosing the right individual is the challenge. The individual must “fit” within the organization and within the specific work group.

Personal context- I feel, human beings create the work environment. Clear expectations and positive attitudes by all individuals, both leaders and followers, are essential to deliver quality patient care. Employers who are empowered by a supportive leader and manager have unlimited potential to provide the best care possible for their