NBBS1104V2: SWOT Analysis and Planning for a Geriatric Ward

This report discusses the importance of setting up a geriatric ward in response to the increasing elderly population and their healthcare needs. It emphasizes the role of SWOT analysis in planning the implementation of such a ward, detailing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that a healthcare organization might face. Strengths include a suitable physical environment, while weaknesses encompass a lack of specialized geriatric nursing skills and staff shortages. Opportunities involve leveraging healthcare innovations and technologies to improve care quality, whereas threats include potential financial constraints and regulatory hurdles. The report highlights the necessity for strategic planning and resource allocation to ensure the successful establishment and operation of a geriatric ward that provides person-centered care to elderly patients. Desklib provides access to solved assignments and past papers for students.

Running head: SETTING UP A GERIATRIC WARD
SETTING UP A GERIATRIC WARD
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Introduction:
Malaysia is facing a concern in the healthcare industry. At present, the number of the
aged people who are 60 or above 60 is estimated to be 1.4 million and that is projected to
increase to 3.3 million in the year 2020. The healthcare centers are facing more and more service
and care demands of the older cohorts of people as they are found to be suffering from huge
number of chronic ailments (Pilotto et al., 2017). Such ailments require long term care as well as
specialized services from the nursing professionals who need to be competent in meeting the
physical, emotional, mental as well as psychological needs of the people. Therefore, the
importance of setting up a separate geriatric ward had become extremely important in the
healthcare center to provide veterans with the person-centered care they require (De Bock et al.,
2018). In order to do so, it has become important for the nursing professionals to take upon the
responsibility of planning the implementation of the geriatric ward in ways by which patients can
be provided special care. However, in order to start with the planning process, nurse-managers
first need to conduct SWOT analysis as it would help them in getting a detailed idea about the
internal and internal condition of the healthcare system (Villumsen et al., 2015). This
information would help the nurses to plan the entire implementation of the geriatric ward in ways
so that success can be achieved. The assignment would be mainly describing the importance of
SWOT analysis and would then be followed by a detailed discussion of the strength, weakness,
threats and opportunities that are faced by the healthcare organization which when handled can
help in success of the plan of implementation of the geriatric ward.

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Importance of SWOT analysis in planning:
The famous quote of Oliver Wendell Homes goes like this “the greatest thing in the
world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving”. This states the
importance of effective planning procedures in order to establish and implement new services or
set-ups in an organization. Nursing professionals are provided the opportunities in making a
difference by the planning of newer strategies for the future and also by influencing the direction
of the healthcare (Ellis et al., 2017). These planning procedures are seen to be encompassing
forecasting, devising of the strategies after establishing objectives along with development of
policies and setting of appropriate goals. Every nurses need to engage in strategic planning
which can be explained as the effective selection and organization of the institution for keeping it
healthy and helping it to achieve success (Verhofstede et al., 2016). Nursing professionals in the
healthcare organization have the responsibility in employing a strategic planning procedure in
establishing a long-range plan or that of the budget by appropriately deciding the direction that
the organization should be following over the next 3 or 5 or 10 years. Two types of
organizational planning might be implemented by the managers and leaders of the organization.
One of them is the long range planning or the strategic planning and the other is the short range
or operational planning.
One of the most important steps in the planning procedure in the long term planning or
the strategic planning process is the SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis also called the analysis
worksheet can be found to be extremely helpful for situation audit as well as for environmental
assessment. This is done for analyzing the past, current as well as future forces that are seen to
affect the organization. analysis is mainly done on the basis of four important segments which
are strengths and weakness that the organization would face while implementing the proposed

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plan as well as the opportunities and the threats that the organization are facing that can
encourage or affect the implementation of the proposed plan. This situation analysis framework
forms an important step in planning as it has number of benefits (Zeckey et al., 2017). It helps in
identifying the different external as well as internal factors that affect the future performance of
the organization. The four factors mainly aim in evaluating the balance between the different
internal resources and capabilities of the organization as well as the external possibilities and
threats that can impeded the implementing of the new service or the new product. SWOT
analysis help in identifying the different strategies that can be utilized for the creation of a
specific business model as per the available resources of the capabilities of the company. It helps
in reviewing the positive and negative factors that are present both outside and inside the
organization that can affect the success of the proposed motive (Nordstorm et al., 2016). This is
often an important part of the planning process of a new service of product or infrastructural
changes as it helps the company in forecasting and predicting various changing trends. This
helps in benefitting the decision-making procedure of any organization.
As per the trend noticed in the healthcare industry, healthcare innovation and
technologies and advancement of the medical science have helped in increasing the life
expectancy of people. Life expectancy of the Malaysian males had increased from 72.2 years in
2012 to 72.7 years in 2018 while that of the females had increased from 76.9 years to that of 77.4
months. Hence, people are living for longer days but they are not experiencing quality of lives.
Most of them are seen to suffer from more than one chronic disorder (Karlson et al., 2016).
Diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, osteoarthritis, fall issues and even obesity
issues, dementia, Parkinson disorders, Alzheimer’s disorder. Most of the disorders require longer
care periods in order to help them overcome the symptoms and make the symptoms come under

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control. More and more old cohorts of people are now seeking services from the healthcare
members which require varied treatments and interventions from not only nurses but from
various experts of the healthcare teams. They not only require supports for their physical
symptoms, but nurses also need to provide emotional and mental supports to the older people.
The older people, as a consequence of aging, require additional support like with their activities
of daily living, development of their self-confidence and self-esteem and many others for better
quality living. Hence, all these factors have raised the needs of the healthcare organization to
establish a separate geriatric ward for them where they would be getting specialized support and
services that align with their requirements.
Therefore, the nursing managers need to undertake effective planning procedures where
they need to assess whether the present internal and external conditions of the healthcare system
would be able to support a new geriatric ward. They need to assess the strength and weakness of
the present conditions of the healthcare system in order to analyze whether it would be able to
manage the setting and working of the geriatric ward and also the different initiatives that need to
be taken to establishing the ward successfully (Bieniek et al., 2016). The nursing managers also
need to be well aware of the opportunities and the threats that the organization might face when
such new set-up would be established. Hence, undertaking of the SWOT analysis would help in
creating the ground for set-up of the ward after auditing the situation and gaining knowledge
about the alternations and additions that need to be conducted.

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Strengths and weakness of the system:
Effective analysis of the strengths and weakness of the healthcare organization regarding
the implementation of geriatric ward services have provided many important details that need to
be taken in consideration while planning for the process.
 At the individual level, it has been found that the nursing professionals are well educated
and groomed for managing various patients with different disorders but they are not
specialized in the care services that are required for handling the geriatric cohorts.
Changes occurring as a result of ageing imply that older people have different patterns of
disease presentation when compared with that of the younger adults and that they are also
seen to respond to treatments as well as therapies in various ways. Geriatric nurses are
found to be specialized in understanding the needs and requirements that older people
have which are very different from young people (Destegeche et al., 2016). Hence, a
nurse who has not been trained and those who are not specifically aware of the extra
needs of old patients would never be able to ensure high quality and safe care to such
patients. Studies are of the opinion that older patients are seen to suffer from power
difference issues where they feel helpless thinking of the fact that they are dependent on
their family members or healthcare professionals for leading their lives. Such complexes
are much lower in the younger cohorts. Depression and anxiety are found to be higher in
older cohorts. In addition to the stress and anxiety faced due to multi-morbid health
conditions, loss of independence to conduct their own activities often make them
emotionally weak as well. Such emotional turmoil is not easy to handle if the nurses are
not trained with the special skills required for geriatric nursing. Therefore, lack of such
knowledge and skills for handling geriatric patients among the normal registered nurses

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might act as a weakness of the system to provide quality care to patients. Hence, steps
need to be taken to ensure effective training and skill development of the nurses who
would be allocated to the geriatric ward (Boltz et al., 2016). Lack of knowledge and skills
on geriatric treatment among individual nurses is weakness that needs to be overcome.
The organization is also lacking sufficient amount of nurses that could maintain the safe
patient-nurse ratio. In such instances, opening of another ward would result in further
pressure on the existing nurse professionals. Hence, new recruitment of nurses is also
required.
 At the unit level, it can be found that the physical environment which is required for
effective geriatric treatment service provisions are highly developed. Studies are of the
opinion that the environment where geriatric evaluation would operate should be
designed in ways which encourage independence as well as promotion of the
interdisciplinary team approach. The physical environment of the unit needs to possess
some important characteristics for providing effective acre told old people. The needs of
the older patients like their abilities as well as their strengths need to be fostered while
protecting them against any form of harms (Catteau et al., 2016). The environment
should be such that it would help in effective interactions between family and caregivers
like that of private spaces and different communal areas need to be available. The unit
should be such that it would help in promoting independence with the different
communal areas for dining and leisure. The interiors should be brightly lighted as older
people have vision issues and this would help them to prevent any accidents. The
physical environment should be also free from any form of clutters or light furniture as
older people have mobility issues and these would increase chances of fall. It has been

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found after analysis, that the physical environment of the unit is highly suitable for
setting of the geriatric ward and in turn acts a as a strength of the organization. Therefore,
the appropriate physical environment of the unit would ensure safety and promotion of
the independence of the older people.
 At the departmental level, one of the strength that had been identified is the successful
collaborative working approach conducted by members of different departments while
they have to care for a particular patient with many care needs. One of the most common
aspect of care of geriatric department is the frequent need of rehabilitation services
required by older people. Older people are seen to suffer from higher rates of strokes and
cardiovascular disorders, fall issues and similar others (Tokushige et al., 2017). Often
they require the treatment of multidisciplinary approach where physiotherapists,
occupational therapists, dieticians, heart specialists, podiatrists and several other
therapists including counselors, psychotherapists and others. In the healthcare
organizations, members of different departments are seen to enjoy working in a
collaborative manner and often participate in feedback exchange sessions. They share
vary good rapport with each other and share strong bonds based on trust and respect.
Hence, this inter-departmental collaboration would help in maintaining the needs of the
old patients who would be requiring rehabilitation services in the geriatric ward.
Therefore, this aspect acts as strength of the organization and this would help in
providing quality and safe care to patient ensuring their satisfaction.
 At the organizational level, it has been found that the organization is not yet been able to
embrace enough healthcare technologies required for providing safe and quality care to
the patients. Though the organization has accepted the importance of electronic health

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records, it had not been able to implement electronic health records and electronic
medical records. These services help in storing medical records, patient histories, test
results, diagnoses and relevant information that reduce communication errors, mediation
errors and also prevent other forms of errors, data theft and enhance patient treatment by
saving time to collect patient information again during follow-ups (Topor et al., 2018).
Moreover, telehealth and telemedicine are important for older couples who cannot travel
for follow ups or require constant monitoring throughout the days and subsequent
guidance regarding their healthcare. Systems of mobility and mobile apps helps older
people to be in constant touch with professionals and seek service and guidance from
them as well as from peers. Complete absence of such technological innovations is a
weakness and these needs to be advocated by the nursing managers to the higher
authorities. This would help in establishing a geriatric ward that would provide high
quality modern care to old patients.
Threats and opportunities:
 The different healthcare organizations in the locality as well as the adjacent locality do
not have any specialized aged care centers. The other healthcare organizations usually
admit old age patients in their general wards where they are treated along with other
patients of different age cohorts. Therefore, they are not able to get specialized care that
older cohorts of people require in order to develop better quality lives and to help them
develop self-coping abilities as well (Norwood et al., 2017). Hence, it would be an
opportunity for this healthcare organization if they can successfully plan and implement
the geriatric ward. When this organization would be having the geriatric ward, the older
patients of not only this community but also the adjacent communities would prefer to

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come to this healthcare organization with the hope of getting specialized services. In this
way, this would be helping these healthcare organizations to develop a competitive
advantage over the other healthcare organizations. It would help in increasing the profit
margin of the healthcare organization and would also earn greater reputation as the only
healthcare organizations with specialized units for older people
 Another important opportunity is that the healthcare organization harbors internal as well
as external physical environment that might enhance the development and regaining of
the independence among the older people. One of the most important treatment priorities
for the older people is not only to develop their physical health but also enhance their
emotional and psychological health and help them to feel empowered. Since, the
organization is spread over a huge area of about 100 acres; it has ample space that helps
in strengthening the abilities of the older patients to live fully functional lives 9Sarfo et
al., 2017). The lush green laws, parks and the garden seating areas of the organization can
act as a suitable areas where older patients who are recovering gradually from their
ailments as well as from their rehabilitation can regain their mobility. Walking among the
greeneries would also help them to cut out the monotony of being within the four walls
among the inside of the departments. Studies also opine that lush greeneries also have
soothing effects on the vision of the older people helping them to feel better when among
the greens (Moro Visconti, 2016). Nurses can help patients mobilize in these areas,
encourage them to have free hand exercises and similar others that would help them to
develop better physical health. Moreover, the inner environment is brightly lit, with
soothingly colored walls that have positive impact on the health outcomes of people.
Absence of clutters and light furniture, presence of hand rails, bed rails and similar others

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would reduce chances of fall. All these would accept as best opportunities of establishing
geriatric wards.
 One of the most important threats that had been identified is the shortage of the nurses in
the healthcare organizations. The healthcare organization is already facing huge number
of issues because of the lesser number of nurses who are not able to meet up the demands
and requirements of the healthcare services of the patients. In such case, establishment of
an entirely new ward would result in addition of further pressure on the nursing
professionals who are working now. This would expose the present nurses to a number of
threatening situations. Huge work burden would result in burnouts of the patients. The
physical health of nurses would be compromised where they might suffer from headache,
backache, spondylitis, body pain and many others (Dame et al., 2018). Loss of work-life
balance might also take place and this would affect their emotional and psychological
health as well. These might affect their care services leading to various kinds of errors in
treatments and interventions. These again would affect patient health and safety and also
impact on the patient satisfaction. Poor communication and absence of therapeutic
relationship would affect the autonomy and dignity of patients. Hence, shortage of nurses
might result in threatening situation and establishment of the new geriatric ward would
fail inevitably.
 Another important threatening situation is the restricted funds and the healthcare resource
deprivation that the healthcare organization is facing. Presently, the healthcare
organization is facing funding issues and lack if healthcare resources. The demands of the
patients and care services have increased but the funding received by healthcare
organization from the government is not sufficient to meet the needs (Ahmadi et al.,

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2016). These might result in threatening situations where the nursing professionals might
not be able to allocate enough resources to patients and these might lead to poor care
services that makes the patients disappointed and unsatisfied.
Conclusion:
From the above situation, it can be understood that SWOT analysis can help healthcare
managers to audit a present situation in order to plan and develop project initiatives that help in
meeting the goals. The increase of the geriatric patients had made the nursing managers to decide
opening a geriatric ward that would be treating the older patients with quality care services. The
analysis showed two weaknesses where it was found that the healthcare organization did not
have trained nurses in geriatric treatment procedures and that it had no technological innovations
required for geriatric practices. Two strengths identified are the inter-departmental
collaborations and multidisciplinary team working attributes of the organization which would be
helpful in the geriatric ward as such patients often require such care services from wide number
of specialists. Other strength is the wonderful physical environment that contributes to well-
being of patients. The opportunities are that the no healthcare organization in the localities has
aged care wards and hence, this organization would gain a competitive edge by implementing
geriatric ward. The physical environment is another good opportunity to contribute effective care
services to people. The threats are restricted funds and shortage of nurses both of which can
prevent nurses from providing effective and safe care to old patients. Nurse-managers should
focus on these aspects while planning the procedures so that implementation of the geriatric ward
does not face nay barriers and achieve success.