Health manpower management最新文献

Highlights recent dramatic changes in communications technologies, with an increase in the number of users, providers and applications. Explores the advantages to health-care professionals of various Internet services, both as a source of information and as a communications platform for management development. Warns that full integration of the Internet into health manpower management will involve radical organizational and process re-engineering.

Suggests that with the shortage of nursing personnel, hospital administrators have to pay more attention to the needs of nurses to retain and recruit them. Also asserts that improving nurses' schedules is one of the most economic ways for the hospital administration to create a better working environment for nurses. Develops an algorithm for scheduling nursing personnel. Contrary to the current hospital approach, which schedules nurses on a person-by-person basis, the proposed algorithm constructs schedules on a day-by-day basis. The algorithm has inherent flexibility in handling a variety of possible constraints and goals, similar to other non-cyclical approaches. But, unlike most other non-cyclical approaches, it can also generate a quality schedule in a short time on a microcomputer. The algorithm was coded in C language and run on a microcomputer. The developed software is currently implemented at a leading hospital in Taiwan. The response to the initial implementation is quite promising.

Examines some effects of NHS Trusts moving away at varying speeds from complex national arrangements for determining terms and conditions towards local bargaining. Notes that while there has been some research into the extent and nature of this decentralization, the impact on trade unions has largely been ignored. This research suggests that, far from marginalizing stewards, senior managers have involved them in joint discussions. Although there has not been a renewal of local trade unionism, there has not been a decline, as membership has held up. Moreover, stewards have coped remarkably well with their enhanced roles, even though faced with the increasing and conflicting demands of their work and their union duties, compounded by problems in obtaining time off work because of lack of cover.

Addresses the transfer of nurse education from schools of nursing, previously located within health authorities and, more recently, hospital and/or community trusts, to institutions of higher education. The pressures this has produced for both providers and participants in this relatively new educational initiative have had a direct effect on the levels of stress and anxiety that students feel both in their initial professional qualification programmes and in continuing their personal and academic development subsequently. There is a paucity of research into this area of stress and student Angst as a result of the new educational thrust. Suggests that the evidence from student evaluations has not been collated adequately and that the result is a burgeoning of anecdotal evidence which is being ignored by nursing's professional body. Higher education has encouraged and influenced an almost exponential growth in programmes of study, which the nursing profession has used to force its singular aim to create a degree-based profession.

Personnel costs comprise the largest clinical laboratory expense. Yet standards to judge the productivity of personnel have not been established. A survey of the authors' own personnel was conducted to derive productivity standards in the Clinical Hematology Laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Technologists were asked how many white blood cell differentials they could perform in an eight-hour shift. Differential productivity was tracked before and after the survey. Of the respondents, 100 per cent failed to meet their own expectations of productivity. Nine technologists were tracked both before and after the survey was mailed and manifested a significant increase in productivity. These results suggest that technologists are objective in their assessment of their own productivity, that their opinions might be a resource for establishing productivity standards within the laboratory, and that such surveys may serve as motivational tools to augment productivity.

Looks at human resources (HR) issues with regard to the health care system in Eritrea, the newest nation in Africa with a population of 3.5 million. Notes the problems of poor infrastructure, high mortality rates and poverty. Considers the present situation and future requirements in terms of HR. Features programmes being established aimed at bridging this gap and looks particularly at initiatives aimed at enabling ex-combatants who have wartime health care experience to train further as health workers.

Second in a series of articles looking at developments within the NHS. Looks at factors such as business process re-engineering and patient-focused care. Highlights the features of both and suggests that the latter is a healthcare variant of the former. Examines the educational implications of such developments, suggesting that they will present a major challenge in the next few years.

Presents a study of organizational culture in a community health-care Trust in the UK. The Trust has been involved in attempting to create what was described as an information-led culture and is concurrent with the implementation of a new information system. Describes some of the recent management initiatives which were intended to improve communications within the Trust and to provide employees with a better understanding of the changes which have been taking place. Identifies findings which suggest that there was some distance between the perceptions of management and those of employees. While the senior management team appear to have been in earnest in attempting to ensure that staff have the information and understanding they need, the results of an organizational culture survey suggest that these efforts may have been ineffective.

The Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) was used to investigate job stress in an ambulance service in the northwest of England. Seven different aspects of the stress-strain relationship were assessed and the findings compared with those from the fire service. Ambulance service employees were found to be experiencing major stress outcomes of low job satisfaction and poor mental and physical health. Fire service employees revealed significantly poorer physical health. Assesses the sources of job stress, type A behaviour, locus of control and coping styles and discusses them in the light of change in the public services.

Views the closure of a hospital in an unusual manner. Questions the role of health workers as "care in the community" comes to the fore. Raises questions about psychiatric hospitals, people with mental health problems and mental health workers.