Influenza OH Case Study
Here at Quailed Consulting Inc. We strive to provide organizations such as London Health Science Centre (LASH) the best possible solutions for all dilemmas companies may encounter. The risk of an Influenza pandemic Is seen as an external risk, meaning It Is a risk that will arise from events outside of the company and are beyond Its Influence or control. The management that must be taken towards such a risk must focus on the identification but also the mitigation of their impact.
Although risk identification and mitigation are key, we will also see that effective communication to all parties is equally significant.
In this report, our team of experts have dissected and outlined all issues for influenza planning with the best possible resolutions to follow. Such resolutions will cover: what ethical concerns LASH could encounter and how to handle them, what general plan we propose and how to address problematic behaviors, how to properly implement the suggested plan and finally, we will provide an overview of all other contingencies one might encounter. The major Issues that we have identified will arise for the London Health Science Centre In the event of an Influenza Pandemic are as follows: 1 .
The hospital Is already working at capacity but with a pandemic the hospital will experience an influx of patients than normally expected.
One issue will be how to handle all of the new patients and their families visiting 2. What are the responsibilities of the employer towards their employees 3. How to deal with staff not showing up to work during the pandemic 4. How to handle work refusals during this pandemic 5. Should the hospital have witnesses to ensure that health-care workers took the medications given to them, considering the possibility that the person may take the medication and give It to family members 6.
What shall be done with the doctors, nurses, and other staff whose duties will be Impacted, changed, or eliminated during pandemic (I. E. Surgeries) Solutions: The issues presented at LASH due to the influenza pandemic are substantial, but through the use of our conjoined wealth of knowledge and expertise and the plan provided, the hospital can limit the negative impacts of the pandemic on its strategic operations. The solutions will be listed in respect to the major issues faced by LASH, listed above. Issue #1 : Capacity Planning There are multiple potential solutions to this particular Issue.
LASH should plan for 50% capacity of the hospital being reserved for Influenza patients in order to avoid spreading the virus to the other patients throughout.
The hospital should consider scaling back certain services to address only the most urgent cased and to keep as much space available for influenza patients. Another option would be to develop a valuation policy Tanat restricts ten under AT violators In order to decrease ten probability of spreading the virus as well as reduce the amount of people in the hospital. This could be arranged through an agreement with the local clinics, hereby they agree to take mild cases (I. . Non life threatening, non influenza) if the hospital is reaching capacity. Issue #2: Employer Responsibilities To resolve this issue, referring to 25 (1) and (2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act would be a viable solution.
The employer could also make any relevant changes that would more accurately comply with the work being done at LASH. Issue #3 and 4: Pandemic Absenteeism and Work Refusal Potential solutions to deal with this issue would be to discuss the hospital pandemic plan with employees in a proactive manner prior to the event taking place.
This would allow for concerns to be discussed and would reduce the likeliness of disputes taking place later on. Also, the work refusal policy and the consequences for unjustified refusal should be discussed with all employees. Lastly, through employee recognition and other methods of intrinsic motivation, employees would be reminded of their task significance and would therefore be more motivated to work during pandemic.
Issue #5: Protection of Employees from Influenza This ethical issue can be addressed through setting up nursing stations on the premises, where the administering of the vaccinations would take place.
Nurses at he stations would ensure that every employee takes the medication. LASH could also set up security at these stations to support the nurses and to protect the vaccinations in a case of public panic. Issues #6: Displacement of Employees In consideration of the fact that roles and duties will be shifted for various employees during the pandemic, the hospital should put in the place a general plan of where they can be relocated. Due to the fact that there will be overcapacity of patients during the time of influenza, the hospital will be in need of all scheduled employees.
Therefore, through developing a plan for relocating employees as may be accessory, as well as communicating this plan to employees, the effective use of labor during pandemic can be ensured. Communication Plan In order to implement the plan, it is important that management is aware of the steps to take in communicating it to the rest of the staff members. The purpose of communicating the plan to all stakeholders is to – dispel speculation or incorrect assumptions that could lead to anxiety or confusion of operation; outline the impact of the plan on various staff and other stakeholders; and demonstrate the hospital’s due diligence.
The way we recommend carrying out the communications of the plan loud be to split it up into three time-frames: the pre-pandemic period; pandemic period; and post-pandemic period. 1) Pre-pandemic Period Before a pandemic occurs, there should be communication to promote awareness about the threat of a pandemic as well as to make everyone aware of what the plan is in case it does occur.
The point of this communication is to give staff a basic understanding of what should take place in the event of a pandemic, essentially to rid them of any misconceptions they may have, while the team that is put in place to handle the communications during a pandemic can provide more detailed guidance hen needed. Information discussed at this point should include: the plan’s impact on staff, patients, and others; changes to human resources policies and programs/ services Ana toner relevant International.
I en communication snout a De an ongoing process and should not all occur at one time, but rather in increments so that staff members are not overloaded with information all at once. In addition, it should be done through a range of communication methods, and not only through one channel. These channels should include face-to-face, articles in newsletters, and sections on he organization’s intranet, while two-way channels should also be encouraged so that people can participate in the discussion and ask questions when needed. At this time, it is important for staff to know who they can turn to when they need additional information.
) Pandemic Period This is the point where the plans will need to be put into action. In order to do this, the team that was put in place will need to effectively react to the situation and guide staff members as issues arise. Daily updates to staff members will be required to ensure that the appropriate information is being passed onto them in terms of operational decisions, new directives and protocols, and supports for stakeholders. There should also be some recognition of staff commitment, in keeping with the goal of maintaining high motivation levels.
The organization will be required to deal with many calls from media and others who may be concerned in these times, and it is important to have the right group deal with these communications to ensure everyone at the organization is in control of the situation. 3) Post-pandemic Period This stage is primarily about supporting all those affected by the pandemic in recovering from the situation.
The organization may need to explain its decisions in how it dealt with the pandemic, as well as set up any kind of support systems that may be needed for staff.
Once again, there should be some element of recognition and appreciation for the staff, volunteers, students, and anyone else who was involved in mitigating the situation. LASH should also evaluate its communication from beginning to end and consider any adjustments or improvements that should be made in case of another pandemic. Conclusions Through the outlining of the major issues that the hospital will face during situations f pandemic, the hospital can take the necessary steps to develop a strategic plan to limit the negative impacts of such an occurrence.
Through the recommendations provided above, LASH can effectively put in place a strategy that will standardize procedures across the hospital to ensure that they are in compliance with all health and safety legislation, are respecting the rights of their employees to ensure their maintained loyalty to patient care, and are limiting the impact of pandemic on the operational effectiveness of the hospital.
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