Advocacy for Hospital Revitalisation Risk Management Policy

Advocacy for hospital revitalisation risk management policy

 

Building and renovating healthcare facilities is complex and the incorrect planning and implementation thereof can give rise to expensive mistakes ,which impact on patient and nursing staff safety. The voice of nursing is often muffled in hospital infrastructure projects.

A doctoral study was undertaken to critically evaluate the implementation of a hospital revitalization project in Paarl, South Africa.The project aimed to modernize and transform the infrastructure and health technology and improve the quality of care and access to public health care. The outcome of the study was the development of a framework for project implementation.This framework advocates for the quality of care of the patients as well as  nursing, clinical and support staff, and technical quality assurance during project implementation.  Research on quality of care in health fulfils a practical mandate to create information for use by nursing managers to improve and inform policy. 

A descriptive case study design, with qualitative research methodology was utilized for this study. The case study involved an intensive exploration of the circumstances, dynamics and complexities of this public hospital project.  A multi-method approach to data collection was taken which included focus group discussions; individual and pair interviews; as well as photographic and document review. Action research methodology, which is concerned with collaborative knowledge enquiry and sharing, was applied by means of an intervention. The findings which arose during the study were simultaneously used and actions were taken to improve project implementation in the Psychiatry clinical unit’s planning and decanting stage.

 

The study’s findings indicate that hospital revitalisation holds huge benefits for the community the relevant  hospital serves, but that risk management policy for client, staff and technical quality is limited to assure safety during implementation. This study,supported by literature,revealed that the role of nursing is often forgotten on such health facility upgrade projects and therefore nursing professionals need to be an integral part of planning. The proposed implementation framework serves to inform of the risk management strategies that can be taken for the infrastructure, health technology, and quality assurance deliverables of future hospital revitalisation projects.Implementation policy needs to include extensive risk management  guidelines.Nursing managers stand to benefit from the framework to enhance quality of care during healthcare building renovation  implementation, in the interest of economically effective and efficient allocation of public resources and quality health for all.

This research could contribute to advancing hospital revitalisation policy implementation in practice and advocacy for the staff and patients affected by renovation and re-enginering of operational health facilities. The findings provide nurse leaders with evidence to advocate for patient and staff safety; and risk management during health facility infrastructural upgrades.