Discussion Posts

                                                   Part 1

All areas of nursing have staffing challenges.  For this discussion, pick one nursing staff problem.  Below are a few examples that you may relate to currently or in a previous position. Examples could include:

• overtime – should it be mandated 
• nurse patient ratios 
• 12 hours vs 8 hour shifts 
• field trip coverage (school nurses) 
• staff turnover 
• offering bonuses to nurses who pick up extra shifts or hiring travel nurses  
• should nurses be salary or hourly?   

Once you have identified a problem, create a potential solution that is fiscal savvy that increases staff satisfaction and maintains high quality patient/student outcomes.  

There is not wrong answers to this – just provide a rationale to support your thoughts along with a reference.  

                                                           Part 2

Facility = Assisted Living

Discuss the potential pros and cons of having a shared governance model.  

Is your facility guided by this model? YES, THROUGH DIRECT CARE NURSES 

Do you serve on a nurse practice council? NO 

Competitive Advantage

A competitive advantage is what makes you better than the competition in your customers’ minds. The term was first applied to businesses, but it works for anyone, from employees to countries.  

Before describing your competitive advantage, you’ve got to know these three determinants.

1. Benefit – Whether it’s a good or service, you must be clear on the benefit your product provides. It must be something that your customers truly need and that offers real value. You must know not only your product’s features, but also its advantages how they benefit your customers. That means being constantly aware of new trends that affect your product, especially new technology. For example, newspapers were slow to respond to the availability of free news on the internet 
2. Target market – Who are your customers? You’ve got to know exactly who buys from you, and how you can make their life better. That’s how you create demand, the driver of all economic growth. Newspapers’ target market drifted to older people who weren’t comfortable getting their news online. 
3. Competition – That’s more than just similar companies or products. It includes anything else your customer could do to meet the need you can fulfill. Newspapers thought their competition was other newspapers until they realized it was the internet. They fought to compete with a news provider that was instant and free. 

To be successful, you need to be able to articulate the benefit you provide to your target market that’s better than the competition. That’s your competitive advantage.

You must reinforce that message in every communication to your customers. That includes advertising, public relations, and sales aids.

Just because a company is the market leader now, doesn’t mean it will be forever. A company must create clear goals, strategies, and operations to build sustainable competitive advantage. The corporate culture and values of the employees must be in alignment with those goals. It’s difficult to do all those things well. That’s why few companies can create a sustainable competitive advantage.

Cost leadership means you provide reasonable value at a lower price. Companies do this by continuously improving operational efficiency. That usually means paying their workers less. Some compensate by offering intangible benefits such as stock options, benefits or promotional opportunities. Others take advantage of unskilled labor surpluses. As these businesses grow, they can use economies of scale and buy in bulk.  Walmart and Costco are good examples of cost leadership. 

Differentiation means you deliver better benefits than anyone else. A company can achieve differentiation by providing a unique or high-quality product. Another method is to deliver it faster. A third is to market in a way that reaches customers better. A company with a differentiation strategy can charge a premium price. That means it usually has a higher profit margin.

Companies typically achieve differentiation with innovation, quality or customer service. Innovation means you meet the same needs in a new way. An excellent example of this is Apple. The iPod was innovative because it allowed you to play whatever music you want, in any order.

Quality means you provide the best product or service. Tiffany’s can charge more because patrons see it as the best. Customer service means going out of the way to delight shoppers. Nordstrom’s was the first to allow returns with no questions asked.

Focus means you understand and service your target market better than anyone else. You can use either cost leadership or differentiation to do that. The key to focusing is to choose one specific target market. Often it’s a tiny niche that larger companies don’t serve. For example, community banks use a focus strategy to gain sustainable competitive advantage. They target local small businesses or high net worth individuals. Their target audience enjoys the personal touch that big banks may not be able to give. They are willing to pay a little more in fees for this service. These banks are using a differentiation form of the focus strategy.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Discussion Posts
Working in shifts has always been one of the most reliable mechanisms for the delivery of quality care. The debate, however, has always been which shift is more efficient. This essay compares the efficiency of an 8-hour shift and a 12-hour shift. The essay will also evaluate the utility of a shared governance model.
Part 1
Assisted living facilities can be challenging to work in. Such facilities are for seniors who may not necessarily require constant care, but instead, they have to be supported with activities for better living. Some of the activities, including easting, bathing, or help them with medication management. Such a setting is, therefore…