LN002 Systems Thinking in Nursing Leadership

Student Name

Walden University

NURS 6053 – Interprofessional Organizational and Systems Leadership

Prof. Name

Date

Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking is defined as a system of thinking about systems (Arnold & Wade, 2015). Thoroughly examining how each department within our organizations affects the other is crucial. To provide high quality care, we have to consider all of our individual systems independently and as a whole. Systems Thinking will guide or inform our transition of care improvement plan by allowing us to look at a bigger picture. Every aspect of care will be considered and aligned with the next in order to ensure adequate and high quality care that also allows for high continuity of care amongst departments.

LN002 Systems Thinking in Nursing Leadership

Transition of Care: Acute Care to LTC

Approximately 22% of all transitions of care (TOC) from an acute care setting are to long term care (LTC) facilities (Cao et al., 2023). Transitioning to living in a LTC facility is a huge adjustment, one that is hard for the majority of residents. Ensuring continuity of care and high quality care upon arrival and throughout their stay in LTC is vital to aid in this transition.

Systems Thinking to Align with IHI Quadruple Aim

Working together as an interdisciplinary team is crucial to ensure success of all TOCs. Upon notification of TOC, a team meeting will be held to discuss the resident and their needs upon arrival. Ensuring that we have the capability to meet ALL resident care needs prior to arrival as a team is crucial. Team members will also prepare the resident’s room and do a thorough inspection prior to arrival. Upon arrival of the resident, a goals of care meeting will be held with the resident as well as the resident’s representative (if applicable).

Adding Joy to the Workplace

Employee burnout is real and it is increasing. Improving the joy within our workplace will in return increase our employee satisfaction. Employee Satisfaction Improvement equals better care of residents. Bringing joy to the workplace is a proactive approach compared to a reactive approach (Jalilianhasanpour et al., 2021).

Stakeholders in TOC to LTC

Nurses: Nurses play a crucial role in caring for residents who are transitioning into long term care.
MD/APRN/PA: Providers are crucial when it comes to caring for LTC residents. Ensuring that orders are appropriate and cover all needs of a resident is a huge responsibility.
LTC Administrator: Responsible for the smooth running of the LTC facility.
Resident: The resident is the most important stakeholder in a TOC. For our residents, our facility is their home.
Resident family/representative

References

Arnold, R. D., & Wade, J. P. (2015). A definition of systems thinking: A systems approach. Procedia Computer Science, 44, 669–678. doi:10.1016/j.procs.2015.03.050

Cao, Y. J., Wang, Y., Mullahy, J., Burns, M., Liu, Y., & Smith, M. (2023). The Relative Importance of Hospital Discharge and Patient Composition in Changing Post-Acute Care Utilization and Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries. Health services insights, 16, 11786329231166522. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329231166522

Jalilianhasanpour, R., Asadollahi, S., & Yousem, D. M. (2021). Creating joy in the workplace. European journal of radiology, 145, 110019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2021.110019