Essay Sample on Implementation of an Action Plan

There are many reasons why developing plans is significantly essential in nursing. Planning helps stakeholders to think of intended actions in advance (Naidu & Rao, 2010). Thus, developing methods helps nurses and other health practitioners minimize the occurrence of errors in providing care (Delamont, 2013). According to Delamont (2013), 42 percent of all life-threatening errors in healthcare are preventable. Also, developing plans help realize the gap between the present and the desired future. These plans act as the blueprint for moving from unpleasant scenarios in the present to a better future. Even further, developing plans aid in the identification and mobilization of all resources needed in addressing a current issue. Against this backdrop, the current paper provides an action plan for dealing with sleep problems at Montefiore St. Luke.

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A Summary of the Proposed Plan for Implementation

To improve the sleeping experience of patients at the institution as measured using the HCAHPS scores, this plan proposes three actions. One of these is to provide each patient with an extra blanket and pillow. The other one is to provide the patients with sleep mask, ear plugs, and a notebook to help deal with distracting noises. Lastly, this plan proposes that patient's door remain closed to keep off noise outside their rooms. This will be contingent on the recommendations of the patients care assistants.

Three Outcomes for the Proposed Plan

Improved HCAHPS scores is one of the intended outcomes for the plan. As evident in the section above, this plan aims at improving patients' sleeping experience by minimizing movements in their rooms, shielding them from outside noise, and helping them focus on sleep. Another outcome is to improve patients' experience at the facility. An empirical study conducted by Farrehi et al. (2016), showed that the quality of sleep has positive impact on the experience of patients. More specifically, this study found out that the use of sleep-enhancing tools in hospitals help reduce patient fatigue and severity of pain. The third outcome for this plan is to reduce the time patients stay at the hospital. Research shows that the quality of sleep is negatively related with the time patients stay at hospital (Thomas, 2012).

Benefits of the Plan to the Institution

This plan will help improve the reputation of the institution considerably. Improvement in the experience of the patients at the hospital will prompt family members and friends to relay positive word-of-mouth communication to others in their spheres. Better reputation will lead to more patients and more business. Moreover, improved reputation will help the institution have an upper hand in attracting top-notch talent. Thus, the plan will aid in enhancing the quality of the institutions workforce.

Resources needed to Implement the Plan

As already pointed, this plan will need the institution to procure an array of sleep-enhancing tools. These include sleep mask and ear plugs. Also, the hospital will have to provide notebooks and pens for all target patients. In addition, the institution will have to provide training to all care assistants on how to approach the patients as well as on how to use the sleep-enhancing tools. In total, the institution will need to set aside about $100, 000 for the initiative. Four Specific Measures Used in Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Plan

The HCAHPS score is one of the measures that will be used and relied upon greatly in evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed plan. The other measure will be the length of stay at the hospital. In accordance with empirical findings, it is expected that the time patients stay at the hospital will assume a falling curve as the quality of sleep improves. In addition, patient satisfaction ratings will be used to evaluate the success of the initiative. It is projected that improved sleeping experience will result in patients showing more satisfaction with the services offered at the hospital. Lastly, reports from the care assistants will be used to determine whether the initiative had a positive or negative impact on the wellbeing of the patients.

Conclusion

Planning is key to realizing desired changes. In order to improve the sleeping experience of patients at Montefiore St. Luke, an action plan has been proposed. Majorly, this plan aims at shielding patients from external noise, provide them with sleep-enhancing tools, and encourage them to focus on sleeping when it is time. This plan will have positive outcomes for the patients, their families and friends, and the institution. While the patients will have a better experience at the hospital, the burden of the disease or infection will reduce on the part of the family and friends. A shorter hospital stay will reduce the financial burden. In the part of the hospital, the reputation will improve significantly. In order to improve the plan, evaluations will be conducted on its effectiveness. The evaluation will entail using the HCAHPS score, patient satisfaction ratings, care assistants' records, and length of stay at the hospital. These measures will help not only determine whether the plan worked or failed, but also help in pointing the stakeholders to the right direction.

References

Delamont, A. (2013). How to avoid the top seven nursing errors. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, 11(2), 8-10. doi:10.1097/01.nme.0000426302.88109.4e

Farrehi, P. M., Clore, K. R., Scott, J. R., Vanini, G., & Clauw, D. J. (2016). Efficacy of Sleep Tool Education During Hospitalization: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(12), 1329.e9-1329.e17. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.001

Naidu, N. V. R., & Rao, T. K. (2010). Management and entrepreneurship. New Dehli: I. K. Internat. Publ. Pvt.

Thomas, K. P., Salas, R. E., Gamaldo, C., Chik, Y., Huffman, L., Rasquinha, R., & Hoesch, R.E. (2012). Improving Sleep in Hospitalized Patients. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 6, 508-512. doi:10.1378/chest.12-0465