Discussion: Addressing an Unmet Need Through Strategic Planning

Challenges can seem ever present in the health care field. Problems related to the quality of patient care, financial matters, technology, and interdisciplinary collaboration, for example, are often evident in organizations and professional groups.

In your role as a nurse leader-manager, it is important to consider challenges and how these translate into unmet needs. You can then create valuable change by addressing these unmet needs through strategic planning.

Through this Discussion, you may distinguish the focus for your Course Project. Your instructor and colleagues will provide feedback to help you refine your idea as you move forward.

To prepare:

Consider the information presented by Dr. Carol Huston in this week’s media program. Think about the process of moving from the identification of an unmet need through the development, implementation, and evaluation of a strategic plan.

Reflect on the initial thinking about trends and unmet needs in nursing and health care that you addressed in Week 5.

Consider how the information in this week’s Learning Resources deepens and expands your understanding of these trends and unmet needs in relation to the strategic planning process.

Proceed with planning for your Course Project as follows:

Select an unmet need that affects a specific group, unit, or organization. 

Deepen your understanding of this group, unit, or organization by examining the stated mission, vision, and values, if possible.

Analyze historical data related to the unmet need, and review the evidence in the literature. Use this information to engage in forecasting.

Consider which stakeholders should be included in the strategic planning process.

Begin to formulate a vision for addressing this need at the organizational or systems level. (Note: Although not required for this Discussion, you will need to develop a strategic goal for your Course Project.)

Post an explanation of the unmet need that affects a specific group, unit, or organization that you would like to focus on for your Course Project. Share data from your historical analysis and forecasting, and identify stakeholders who should be included in the strategic planning process. Explain your vision for addressing this need at the organizational or systems level.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information or research.

Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.

Validate an idea with your own experience and additional resources.

Required Readings

Balicer, R. D., Shadmi, E., Lieberman, N., Greenberg-Dotan, S., Goldfracht, M., Jana, L., . . . Jacobson, O. (2011). Reducing health disparities: Strategy planning and implementation in Israel’s largest health care organization. Health Services Research, 46(4), 1281–1299.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The authors examine the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an organization-wide strategy to address the need to reduce health care inequalities and improve quality in Israel.

Schaffner, J. (2009). Roadmap for success: The 10-step nursing strategic plan. Journal of Nursing Administration, 39(4), 152–155.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The author outlines a 10-step strategic planning process for nursing.

Strubhar, A. J. (2011). The application of an environmental scanning and strategic planning framework in an academic department of physical therapy. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 25(3), 53–59.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The author examines strategic planning, including environmental scanning, within a physical therapy department in an academic institution.

 Authenticity Consulting. (n.d.b). Basic description of strategic planning. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/basics.htm

This online article provides an overview of the strategic planning.

 Authenticity Consulting. (n.d.c). Basic overview of various strategic planning models. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/models.htm

This online article describes different models of strategic planning, including issues-based planning.

 PlanWare. (n.d.). Business planning papers: Developing a strategic plan. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from http://www.planware.org/strategicplan.htm

View the strategic planning information on this website.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Elements of a strategic plan model [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

Dr. Carol Huston describes elements common to strategic planning models and discusses ways to approach the development of a strategic plan.

Optional Resources

 Authenticity Consulting. (n.d.a). All about strategic planning. Retrieved March 13, 2013, fromhttp://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/index.htm