NUR/492: Leadership and Management
July 16, 2012
Instructor Janet Bailie Health Care Leadership Interview In 2007, Americans spent 2.2 trillion dollars equaling 16% of national gross domestic product on health care; that is a 14% increase since 2003 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.gov, 2001). As the cost of health care continues to increase, efforts to contain costs has transformed health care to include business strategies such as scrutinizing costs, marketing, and improving patient satisfaction. For a health care organization to withstand the evolving health care market effective leaders are crucial. Leaders who obtain a competitive advantage and recognize opportunities within the dynamic health care market while focusing on the organizational goals contribute to the success of the organization. Home health care has seen a significant increase in growth as a result of shorter hospital stays and Medicare reimbursement changes. Leaders in home health care have an unique opportunity to develop the direction of Home Care. To gain a better understanding of the leadership role and vision of Home Health Care I interviewed the Director of Bayhealth Home Care.
Background of a Health Care Leader Mrs. B, the Director of Home care plays a vital role in the leadership and management of Home Health Care at Bayhealth. Mrs. B started her health care career as a secretary in a medical office. It was not until she became a medical office assistant that she decide to pursue a nursing career. In the nursing Associate Degree Program at Delaware Technical Community College she learned to use the nursing process and critical thinking to manage patient care and integrate professional standards into nursing practice. After graduating from Del Tech, she worked as a medical-surgical nurse managing patient care of six patients, acting as a patient advocate, and putting patient safety first. Mrs. B continued her education
References: Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.gov. (2011) Workplace health promotion: Rising health care costs are unattainable. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/reasons/rising.html Cook, M. (2001). The renaissance of clinical leadership. International Nursing Review, 48(1), 38-46. Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P.J. (2009). Effective leadership and management in nursing (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Whitehead, D. K., Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2007). Essentials of nursing leadership and management (4th e.d.) Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company