Nursing Administration Assignment on Time Management and Staffing

This nursing administration assignment solution addresses key concepts in healthcare management and leadership. The first question identifies common time-wasters, such as lack of goals, self-discipline, and meetings, and proposes solutions like setting priorities, improving self-control, and setting time limits. The second question explores the benefits and drawbacks of cross-training as a recruitment strategy, including improved employee morale and reduced hiring costs, alongside potential job dissatisfaction and unhealthy competition. The final question advocates for self-scheduling as the preferred scheduling technique, highlighting its positive impact on job satisfaction and reduced absenteeism. The solution includes references to support the arguments presented, adhering to APA style guidelines.

Running head: NURSING ADMINISTRATION
1
Nursing Administration
Name
Institution

NURSING ADMINISTRATION 2
Question 1
Time is a very valuable asset but most people still do not use their time effectively. Several time-
wasters prevent individuals from appropriately managing their time. One of the most common
time-wasters is a lack of specific and straightforward goals and objectives. Lack of goals leads to
a lack of direction, thus leading to time wastage. The best solution for this time-waster is by
setting priorities. One needs to have something like a to-do list that defines the things they intend
to achieve within a specified period (Darden, 2015). Another time-waster is a lack of self-
discipline and personal organization. As a result, one lacks control of their choices and habits. A
perfect solution is by changing one’s perception of their willpower and believing more in their
abilities. The third time-waster is scheduled and unscheduled meetings. A perfect solution to this
time-waster is by setting specific time-lengths for any meeting (Darden, 2015). As a result, no
one will be extending the meetings beyond your time-lengths. Interruptions from people and
electronics is another time-waster. This can be solved by eliminating distractions through the use
of cubicles, to help one to focus on their work.
Question 2
Cross-training is a very important strategy in today’s world when it comes to employee
recruitment. It, however, has benefits and disadvantages. One of the benefits of cross-training is
an improvement in the morale of the employee. This is because employees are engaged in more
tasks, thus giving them a feeling of professional growth (Vasanthi & Basariya, 2017). Another
benefit is that cross-training reduces the cost of hiring new employees. Due to cross-training,
there is increased flexibility within the organization, thus giving room for internal promotion.
Cross-training also ensures that productivity is not massively affected even with a shortage of
manpower. This is because one can easily fill in a role that has a shortage (Vasanthi & Basariya,

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2017). There are, however, instances when cross-training can lead to job dissatisfaction. This is
because employees may feel that they are being given additional responsibilities with no
additional pay. Another downside of cross-training is that it can lead to unhealthy competition at
the workplace (Vasanthi & Basariya, 2017). This is because an employee may feel that their job
is being threatened and they may go to extreme ends to keep the job.
Question 3
As the head of the nurse unit, I would employ the self-scheduling technique. In this strategy, the
responsibility of the scheduling lies with the staff. My job as the head of the nurse unit is just to
evaluate the schedule and determine whether it will suit patient needs. This scheduling technique
is important because it allows the staff members to choose a time that they are comfortable with.
As a result, job satisfaction is realized (Russell, Hawkins & Arnold, 2012). If the nurses are
satisfied with their jobs, then delivery of care will be better, thus leading to better health
outcomes. Additionally, skiving is reduced because nurses have the freedom of choosing the
shifts they would love to work in based on their free time and other commitments.

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References
Darden, D. C. (2015). Time Wasting Activities within the Workplace (Don't Be Apart of
Them). Available at SSRN 2623378.
Russell, E., Hawkins, J., & Arnold, K. A. (2012). Guidelines for successful self-scheduling on
nursing units. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(9), 408-409.
Vasanthi, S., & Basariya, S. R. (2017). Cross Training Employees – A Conceptual Review.
Available at http://www.ijarset.com/upload/2017/march/19_IJARSET_VASANTHI.pdf