The Organizing Process in Nursing Management

Objectives of distributing work among the nursing staff

These objectives include the following

• Providing good and continuous nursing care to patients
• Use the skills and knowledge of each level of nursing staff
• Allow sufficient time for training and orientation for new nurses
• Raising the level of nursing performance according to work requirements, taking into account the development taking place
• Develop a master plan to distribute nursing staff to the hospital or unit based on an assessment of the needs of patients or beneficiaries of the service
• Boost employee morale

Factors affecting the distribution of work among the nursing staff

These factors include

• Constant change in patient numbers
• Absences, Vacations, and Holidays Among Nurses
• Poor distribution of nurses
• Nursing staff performing non-nursing tasks
• job dissatisfaction

Factors that help the head of nursing staff when distributing nursing work

When distributing nursing work among nursing staff members, factors specific to nurses, patients, tools, machines, and the work environment must be taken into account These factors include the following

• Full knowledge and understanding of the nature of the work
• Taking into account the individual differences and abilities of workers, for example when the nurse is new, she must be trained to develop skills
• Develop appropriate plans for work to develop and improve employees
• Clearly define each individual's responsibilities and distribute the work in writing, taking care not to overlap
• Arrange and organize the different parts of the work distribution plan in writing
• Ensure that everyone knows what they are doing
• Anticipate and Prepare for Emergencies
• Observing, guiding and evaluating employee performance
• Giving direct orders when needed and in emergencies
• Get the group's opinion to volunteer to do a certain job
• Giving directions in the form of a request, not an order

 Work distribution methods

There are three ways to distribute work among nurses

1-     Functional method

This method depends on assigning one or more specific nursing activities to each member of the nursing staff to implement for all patients, for example implementing treatment, changing wounds, etc

Advantages of this method

• You need fewer nurses
• Save time
• The nurse gains skill in this activity

Disadvantages of this method

• Fragmentation of nursing care for the patient among nurses
• Do not give the patient an opportunity to be observed and educated healthily

2-     Status method

This is an ideal method as it provides complete nursing care to the patient by one nurse, and is often used with patients who need special care

Advantages of this method

• Strengthening the relationship between the patient and the nurse
• Facilitates observation of patient condition
• It helps to acquire multiple nursing skills

Disadvantages of this method

• expensive
• Need a large number of nurses

3-     Team method

In this method, all patients are assigned to a number of nurses, and activities and tasks are distributed according to their scientific and practical abilities and according to the patients’ needs The team consists of a qualified nurse/nursing assistant/student, and the purpose here is to benefit from all experiences

Advantages of this method

• Take responsibility
• Create good working relationships between employees
• Give the opportunity to develop
• Efficient use of employee skills and abilities
• Facing different work situations

Disadvantages of this method

• Conflicts between team members
• Need more time to get the job done
• No limitation of liability