Nursing

Individuals often use a satisficing strategy Satisficing is not a misspelled word; it is a decision-making strategy whereby the individual chooses an alternative that is not ideal but either is good enough (suffices) under existing cir- cumstances to meet minimum standards of acceptance or is the first acceptable alternative. Many problems in nursing are ineffectively […]

The Decision-Making Process The Decision-Making Process The rational decision-making model is a series of steps that managers take in an effort to make logical, well-grounded rational choices that maximize the achievement of objec- tives. First identify all possible outcomes, examine the probability of each alternative, and then take the action that yields the highest probability

Probability Analysis Probability Analysis Agency A 60% Filling shifts 100% Fixed wages Agency B 50% Filling shifts 70% Fixed wage 106 PART 2 • LEARNING KEY SKILLS IN NURSING MANAGEMENT the likelihood that an event will or will not occur based on a manager’s personal judgment and beliefs. Janeen, a nurse manager of a specialized

Manager’s Checklist The nurse manager is responsible for: ● Identifying problem areas ● Generating ideas that might serve as possible solutions ● Checking with others for advice ● Selecting motivators ● Implementing a solution ● Evaluating the results CASE STUDY 8-1 CHAPTER 8 • THINKING CRITICALLY, MAKING DECISIONS, SOLVING PROBLEMS 105 The manager knows the

Verification. Once a solution has been implemented, evaluate it for effectiveness. You may need to restart the process or go back to another step and create a different solution. Case Study 8-1 describes how one nurse manager used creativity to solve a problem. Decision Making Considering all the practice individuals get in making decisions, it

The creative process. Creativity has four stages: preparation, incubation, insight, and verification. Even people who think they are not naturally creative can learn this process (Figure 8-2). 1. Preparation. A carefully designed planning program is essential. First, acquire informa- tion necessary to understand the situation. Individuals can do this on their own, or groups can

Critical Thinking Through the Nursing Process The Nursing Process Critical-Thinking Skills Assessment Observing Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant data Distinguishing important from unimportant data Validating data Organizing data Categorizing data Diagnosis Finding patterns and relationships Making inferences Stating the problem Suspending judgment Planning Generalizing Transferring knowledge from one situation to another Hypothesizing Implementation Applying knowledge Testing

Characteristics of an Expert Critical Thinker ● Outcome-directed ● Open to new ideas ● Flexible ● Willing to change ● Innovative ● Creative ● Analytical ● Communicator ● Assertive ● Persistent ● Caring ● Energetic ● Risk taker ● Knowledgeable ● Resourceful ● Observant ● Intuitive ● “Out of the box” thinker From Ignatavicius, D.D.

What are the possible alternative perspectives? Using different basic assumptions and paradigms can help the critical thinker develop several different views of an issue. Com- pare how a nurse manager who assumes that more RNs equal better care will deal with a budget cut with a manager who is committed to adding assistive personnel instead.

How are the arguments to be evaluated? Is there objective evidence to support the arguments? Have all value preferences been determined? Is there a good chance that the arguments will be accepted? Are there enough people to support decisions? Health care organizations were able to change to smoke-free environments once societal values favored nonsmokers, and