Nursing SWOT SWOT

SWOT analysis focuses on identifying the internal strengths and weaknesses, along with the external opportunities and threats, for an organization. In this case, the SWOT analysis will be done on a specific situation, with a large number of items under each. The initial SWOT analysis for the situation presented is as follows

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

The problem has been identified

Overburdened nurses

Restructure nursing management

Poor customer perceptions/negative publicity

Experienced staff

Financing issues

Gain more funding

Board could deny financing

New leaders (Dr. M and Chief of Staff

Union constrains solutions

Build more individual accountability

Unions/culture could present roadblocks to change

A new CEO can accelerate this process

Nurses lack independence

New leaders = new culture

Capacity issues make it tough to change how things are done

Dr. M is a pro

Modest level of education in the department

Increase the level of education

Physicians are another potential roadblock

Obviously, there are more weaknesses than strengths, as this organization if foundering. The weaknesses are myriad, but most seem to relate to the organizational culture and the systems for doing things. The results are clear, however. The time to move patients is excessive. One shift has the burden of most of the paperwork. Customer satisfaction is decreasing, to the point where the news media is getting involved, which only creates a further downward spiral. Internally, the organization is beset by people defending their ways of doing things, or their turf. A lot of the old guard in the institution has been there for decades and seems completely resistant to change, despite the obvious struggles. Further, there may or may not be funding available to address some of the critical capacity issues.

The strengths seem to be with the newer managers, such as Dr. M and the new Chief of Staff. There should be a new CEO on the way, too. With a change at the highest levels of leadership, new life has been breathed into the organization. Problems are beginning to be identified, which will help in finding the best solutions. As much as the organizational culture is a problem, the staff are experienced and competent, which is definitely better than the alternative.

The real opportunity here is to leverage new leadership and negative publicity to change the systems and processes within the facility. New leaders can bring about new culture. Organizational change typically requires motivators -- not only are new leaders motivators but negative publicity in…