Resolution of the problems with staffing requires analysis of specific aspects of the units’ work. First, it is vital to analyze the current workload and schedules of nurses working in the unit (Hakanen & Soudunsaari, 2012). It is critical to determine whether they can be engaged in the new project and contribute to its evolution. Second, their competencies and skills should be reviewed (Hakanen & Soudunsaari, 2012). It is vital to guarantee they can perform existing tasks. After the required information is obtained, the nurse manager will have to align the unit’s work by engaging the selected individuals and ensuring they work on assigned positions. The cost-benefit analysis will help to determine the effectiveness of the solution. However, further disregarding the situation and anticipating future needs might result in the unit’s failure and inability to consider patients’ needs.
Analyzing the case, several employment types can be offered. A full-time model is the first possible option. It implies that an employee works the total number of hours assigned by the company during a week (Healey & Marchese, 2012). It means that specialists can train and improve their skills, which is one of the major method’s advantages. However, the unit will also have to pay monthly, which might be viewed as a drawback (Healey & Marchese, 2012). Per diem employment is another possible model that can be used. It means that a specialist is asked to work on an as-needed basis (Healey & Marchese, 2012). The advantage of the approach is that it can help to fill the most problematic vacancies and align the work of the unit. However, the method might require additional planning and introduce issues with integrating an employee into the unit’s work (Healey & Marchese, 2012). For this reason, the strengths and weaknesses of the options should be considered.
References
Hakanen, M., & Soudunsaari, A. (2012). Building trust in high-performing teams. Technology Innovation Management Review, 2(6), 38–41.
Healey, B. J., & Marchese, M. C. (2012). Foundations of health care management: Principles and methods. Jossey-Bass.