Introduction
In one of his famous quotes, Benjamin Franklin asserts, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. Implies that failure to create a plan before the execution of an activity may be a foundation for doom or failure. Planning is essential in every endeavor because it provides a sense of direction. Planning involves deciding what to do, how to do it, and who to accomplish it within a specified period. It helps eliminate the barrier between our current and future place. In a school or a department, the success of its operations heavily relies on the nature of its internal culture, mission, and vision, the engagements with stakeholders, and the need to uphold the set standards of accreditation. A review of prior evaluations has been instrumental in propelling the efforts toward the school or the department’s success. It has helped determine the most appropriate strategic interventions that pave the way for excellence (Sanfilippo et al., 2023). This paper aims to design a plan for success in a nursing school/department.
School/Department’s Internal Culture
Learners, the administrative staff, and faculty significantly shape the Internal culture of the nursing school/ department. For instance, the development of teaching techniques and the structure of the curriculum is made possible by the faculty members within the internal culture of the nursing institution (Schipper et al., 2020). The learners play a pivotal role in shaping the learning practices in the institution, while the administrative staff spearhead these processes. Nevertheless, the evaluation has demonstrated specific gaps in the institution’s internal culture. They need better innovation and collaboration. To address these areas of concern and improve efficiency in the institution’s internal culture, there is a need to implement a transformative change (Sanfilippo et al., 2023). This change incorporates vital actions including but not limited to the development of student encouragement programs that allow learners to be part of the decision-makers. Furthermore, creating a cross-sectional team can be essential in developing a suitable curriculum that drives academic success in the institution.
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders, which incorporate a team of healthcare affiliations, alumni, and the Board of Directors, significantly affect the institution’s internal culture. For instance, the creation and enforcement of academic policies relies on the Board of Directors. Nevertheless, based on the assessment, it is clear that there needs to be more effective stakeholder engagement, thus negatively affecting stakeholder engagement (Pedrosa et al., 2021). This calls for interventions that can aid change and encourage active stakeholder engagements. Some interventions may include ensuring effective communication between departmental stakeholders (Schipper et al., 2020). Besides, it would be essential to establish an alumni advisory board that can facilitate decision-making processes. The stakeholders must be involved in the vital decision-making process. They should be part of this process, and their efforts should be acknowledged. Furthermore, the stakeholders should be kept updated with the changes administered on the curriculum for the best interest of learners and the institution at large.
Mission and Vision Awareness
For any institution or organization that strives to thrive, mission and vision awareness serve as the bedrock. The operations and activities of an organization are defined in its mission and vision statement. The objectives stipulated in the mission and vision guide an entire institution. The awareness around the institution’s mission and vision must be created through sensitization. Communicating key objectives is vital in giving a sense of direction to all stakeholders in the institution’s setup. The nursing school/ department is well-guided by its mission and vision, thus providing a sense of unity and purpose in its activities (Pohan et al., 2023). However, having reviewed the assessment, it is noted that there are areas for improvement in the institution’s mission and vision awareness, creating avenues for low motivation and misalignment. Therefore, the action plan for addressing these gaps would include encouraging activities that align with the institution’s mission and vision.
Assessment and Accreditation
The relevance of the nursing learning process is dictated by the institution’s ability to abide by the accreditation policies. Despite the nursing institution having abided by the set accreditation standards, the review and assessment suggest the need for improvement (Pohan et al., 2023). The kind of improvement to be tailored mainly targets the standards around the clinical practices. The purpose of enhancing the clinical practice standards is to promote an environment for graduates and practitioners to fulfill the requirements of the healthcare sector. Significantly, this is expected to improve the quality of service delivery and the general skills and expertise of the clinicians in their practice areas. The action would include changing the curriculum by incorporating advanced clinical practices that can be implemented in the institution and help address these shortcomings. Besides, the execution of frequent internal audits and assessments would help track the success of the changes made to the curriculum.
School Plan of Success
| Stated Goal | Action Steps | Measurable data | Evaluation plan | Expected Outcomes |
| Internal culture | The first step will involve establishing a cross-sectional team.
The second step is establishing a regular interdisciplinary committee that will assess students ‘ behavior. The third step is establishing programs that are student-centered. These programs are meant to pay attention to the needs of students, and all of them actively take part in the decision-making process at the institutional level. |
Metrics to the collaboration of established teams, the effectiveness of interdisciplinary activities, and the level of student participation. | A progress review of the team’s collaboration is undertaken monthly.
Assessment of the interdisciplinary practices undertaken quarterly. Feedback related to student participation is undertaken after every semester. |
The expected outcomes of these action plans are an enhanced level of team collaboration and student engagement in the institution. |
| Engagement of stakeholders | The first action will foster open communication between stakeholders (learners, educational administrators, and the Board of Directors).
The second action will be establishing an advisory board to facilitate effective decision-making. Thirdly, embrace partnership that can spearhead unity in achieving a shared goal. |
The level of communication at the Board of Directors’ position.
The rate of participation by the alumni Lastly, the rate at which the institution is gaining partnerships. |
Updates on the Board’s communication are assessed every month.
The effectiveness of the alums’s participation will be assessed quarterly. The partnership of the institution in the industry will be assessed every year. |
The expected outcome is a strong relationship at the Board level, a high level of support from stakeholders, and the creation of learner opportunities. |
| Mission/ vision awareness | Creation of an effective communication plan.
Encourage activities that are in line with the set mission and vision. Carry out town hall meetings at regular intervals |
—the increase in percentages around mission and vision awareness.
The rate of attendance during orientations. The rate of participation amid town hall regular meetings. |
Conduct communication reviews on a monthly basis.
Conduct assessments on orientation at the very end of each semester. The evaluations on town hall meetings are to be conducted every year. |
The expected outcomes include but are not limited to enhanced alignment with the set institution’s mission and vision. |
| Assessment and accreditation | Make changes to the curriculum, introduce faculty training, and administer regular checks and audits internally. | The rates at which the faculty trainings are undertaken. | Review of the curriculum on an annual basis.
The evaluation of faculty training practices after every semester and internal audits are conducted quarterly. |
The expected outcomes involve enhanced standards of clinical practice as well as compliance with the set accreditation guidelines and policies. |
In conclusion, a nursing school or department and its success heavily relies on various aspects, including the internal culture, stakeholder engagements, adherence to accreditation standards, and the awareness of the mission and vision statement. These aspects are instrumental in guiding an institution towards achieving success. They provide a sense of direction. However, a critical review and assessment reveal potential setbacks, thus calling for fostering transformational change. The gaps in the institution’s internal culture can best be addressed by establishing cross-sectional teams working together to achieve overall success. This can be done to promote a sense of innovation and collaboration. Ensuring active stakeholder engagement can further create opportunities for learners and embrace healthy relationships at the Board level. The shortcomings in the mission and vision awareness can be addressed by ensuring the practices of the institution are aligned with the critical objectives. The mission and vision of the school should guide the activities.
References
Sanfilippo, F., Pomeroy, C., & Bailey, D. N. (2023). Strategic Planning. In Lead, Inspire, Thrive: A Handbook for Medical School Department Chairs (And Other Leaders) (pp. 73–79). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Schipper, T. M., de Vries, S., Goei, S. L., & van Veen, K. (2020). Promoting a professional school culture through lesson study? An examination of school culture, school conditions, and teacher self-efficacy. Professional development in education, 46(1), 112-129.
Pohan, N. F., Murniati, M., & Bahrun, B. (2023). Strategic Management of the Department of Education and Culture in Improving the Quality of Education in Banda Aceh City. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(3), 4080-4089.
Pedrosa, J., Sousa, L., Valentim, O., & Antunes, V. (2021). Organizational culture and nurse’s turnover: A systematic literature review. International journal of healthcare management, 14(4), 1542-1550.
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