Infection_Rates_in_Nursing_Homes

Scenario number 2 Infection Rates in Nursing Homes HCA/250 June 15, 2012 Robbie Johnson Scenario number 2 Infection Rates in Nursing Homes I have chosen scenario number two as follows: A group of Nursing Home administrators, which includes an infection control officer, has noticed increasing rates of infection at the nursing home. Infection rates must be kept as low as possible. High infection rates can result in serious complications for patients. A nursing home that continues to have high infection rates is subject to fines. The nursing home administrators are meeting to discuss possible ways to reduce infections at their facility. Choosing among alternatives is a very simple way of describing the decision making process. You must gather the best information possible and, to borrow a phrase from Nike, “Just do it”. Some decisions are easy others not so much. As our text tells us the decision making process is a set of eight steps. 1. Identify the problem. Defined as a discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs. 2. Identify decision criteria. Defined as factors that are relevant in a decision. 3. Allocation of weights to criteria. Defined as using personal or group preferences to each of the criteria. 4. Development of alternatives. Defined as a list of alternatives that could lead to the successful resolution of problem. 5. Analysis of alternatives. Defined as strengths and weaknesses are evaluated. 6. Selection of an alternative. Defined as the selection of the best alternative from among those assessed. 7. Implementation of the alternative. Defined as putting the decision into action. 8. Evaluation of the decision effectiveness. Defined as the assessment of the result of the decision. In other words did it solve the problem' Decisions made by groups are considered to be better than one individual making a decision on behalf of a group. This is common sense in my opinion due to the many differences among people. In the case of the nursing home problem, it is of a quality of life decision, and is not limited to just a cost decision. To be sure the cost involved does come into the process of decision making, but in this case the health and welfare of the patient must come first. Intuitive decision making is one of an individual decision making. It involves the making of decisions based on experiences, feelings and accumulated judgments. This is an extremely common way of many executives that regularly make important decisions. In fact a very recent survey concluded that almost half of executives use the intuitive method of decision making. Another method used by executives in the decision making process is that of bounded rationality. That is the method or process of making decisions that are rational within the limits of a manager’s ability to process information. Managers can not analyze all information on all alternatives, they are forced to satisfice, rather than maximize. That is they accept solutions that are “good enough”. That is being rational within the limits, or the bounds of their ability. Such decisions are not maximized because all alternatives were not considered and perhaps the best solution was not chosen.