Clinical Services Manager - Essay Example

Report: John needs to include in his proposal for his meeting with the accountant and the Clinical Services Manager 500 words) Introduction This report is a detailed discussion of the information and analysis needed by John to convince the Accountant and the Clinical Services Manager to approve for additional funds for the specific requirements of replacement of existing equipment, training needs as well as two new E grade nurses for the mental health unit where he is the charge nurse. Therefore, this report looks at the detailed strategy that John needs to adopt to fulfill the new requirements in terms of both costs and logistics. A. Costs and Timelines The first and foremost step that John needs to take is to do a detailed estimation of the costs involved in fulfilling the requirements. John has already identified the areas that need more funds. Therefore, the next approach would be to enquire the cost of the replacement of equipments, the cost of two day course of drug therapy, self-defense training for two members and the cost of hiring two E grade nurses. Rather than just enquiring a nearby medical equipment supplier for the cost of the new equipment, he should get quotations from at least 5 different suppliers so that he can ensure that the costs are reasonable. Furthermore, he should also consider the option of exchange policy with the existing equipment. The most important aspect to analyze is the possibility of additional expenses that the center may face in the eventuality of the equipments stop working. Such a situation may not just create financial issues, but can result in the patients suffering as well as bad reputation for the hospital. For training purposes, it is best to get in touch with the training institute that the mental health unit usually associates itself with. In addition, it would be a good preparation to considering house training, instead of sending the trainees to an institute. For the hiring purpose, a market analysis that estimates the cost-to-company for two E grades would be the right approach. Based on the inputs of all these exercises, a total cost plan should be submitted in front of the Accountant and the Clinical Services Manager. A clear break–up of the cost plan can help John convince them in the most effective manner. 2. Time needed for Implementation As much as the cost analysis is critical, it is also necessary to provide a reasonable estimate of timelines. Giving an action plan related to time line has many advantages (Kerzner, 2003). Firstly, it helps the stakeholders to understand the manner in which the funds allocated will be used at the different stages. For example, ensuring a timeline for the drug safety training will help the Accountant and the Clinical Services Manager that after this period, they would have staff that is trained in all the latest drug safety procedures and hence, it can prove to be a big advantage to the entire organization. Second advantage is that planning a specific timeline can be a great convincing tool. It helps the management to understand the seriousness of the given plan and also would make them feel that John is indeed focused about the plan that he is proposing. Hence, it acts as a supplemental way of convincing them about the feasibility as well as the necessity of the project. Furthermore, planning timelines and a proper schedule will also help John in implementing all the changes in a smooth manner. Once the funding is approved, John can use this plan to prioritize and schedule. The authorities can also use this plan and see if the implementation can go as per the timelines. One thing that John should keep in mind while making timelines is that accurate date ranges should be mentioned. Also, it would be good to keep an option of flexibility so that any changes due to unforeseen or unexpected circumstances can be accommodated into the plan. Therefore, instead of keeping a very tight schedule that can go awry in difficult situations, it is recommended that he creates a flexible dateline with some extra days accounted so that the implementation can happen within the schedule decided. 3. Any additional Resources needed In terms of additional resources that may be needed, John first needs to make a list of these additional resources and then find out the ways in which these resources can be sourced. One of the best approaches to adopt would be to use the available resources that are already available in the center. This is will not just reduce the costs, but it will also make the proposal much more sustainable than before. For example, one of the additional resources would be the need for man power for the transportation and installation of the new equipment. If this step is outsourced, then it is possible that the expenses may increase. Instead, if the regular vehicle used for the general purpose of the organization is used, then this expense can be done away with. Similarly, for the installation, instead of directly hiring an external machinist, John should first enquire within the center if any of the staff has the necessary skill or training to do the installation themselves. Such an analysis may seem to be trivial initially. However, when it comes to making sure that there is no excess expenditure and the given funds are being used rationally, such a detailed strategy would be necessary. In cases where the need of an external additional resource is required, then John again should get in touch with a few vendors and negotiate reasonable deals. Another strategy that John should definitely use in his approach is to provide alternative options so that the stakeholders have options in front of them (Lewis, 2010). For example, in the case of the medical equipments, John can consider some alterative options like different types of machines or medicinal/surgical alternatives that can serve the same purpose. Again, a good research effort is necessary to take this strategy. B. Benefits of new instruments, trainings and qualified staff As the Accountant and the Clinical Services Manager need to allocate the funds, it is also very important for John to educate them about the benefits of the new instruments, trainings and qualified staff. The benefits should be explained in such a manner so that they are convinced about the essentiality of the need of additional expenditure. John can convey the benefits from two different perspectives. One is that of the patients and second from that of the hospital. 1. Benefits for the patients In this stage again, a comprehensive research is required as John should be thorough about the various benefits the patients will get with the help of the new instruments, better trained staff and well qualified nurses. For example, John should understand all the features and criticality of the equipment. There should be a proper rationale provided about why the replacement is required. John can look at the present condition of the machines. If the condition of the equipment is bad, then John can mention the consequences that the patients have to face in the event of the equipment not working properly. He can also talk about the various advantages that qualified nurses can bring along for the patients. It is a given fact that these nurses are much more efficient and hence, the patients would be treated in a much better manner. John can also provide the rationale behind the choice of the number or nurses on why 2 nurses are accurate. Similarly, drug safety, self defense and safety courses are essential in a mental health center. Here, John can explore the various consequences that the entire center may have if there is absence of qualified staff. Therefore, highlighting the benefits that the patients would receive is very important. With the help of such examples, the benefits that the patients would receive can be highlighted in a convincing manner. 2. Benefits for the hospital John should also highlight some specific benefits from the perspective of the hospital also. These benefits should be highlighted in such a manner that it enhances the value of the hospital. For example, John can talk about how it is necessary to upgrade the instruments regularly because having state-of-the-art machines are imperative in any good medical institution. Furthermore, after a while, the availability of replacement parts would be difficult, hence the best option is to replace it. Similarly, well qualified staff is always a big advantage because that greatly determines the choice of the institution by the patients. Therefore, giving a detailed overview of the benefits of new instruments, trainings and qualified staff can be a great way to convince the decision makers about the necessity. A good combination of the rationale behind the cost estimation and the benefits that it can offer to the patients and the hospital is a good strategy to successfully convince fund allocation. The important aspect here is John has to be well-prepared and thorough with the research about all the aspects mentioned in the report. References Kerzner, H., 2003. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. London: Wiley Lewis, J.,2010 Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control. New York: McGraw-Hill Read More