Interviewer: Hi, I’m Bard, and I’m interviewing you today to explore the external factors that influence your decision making as a nurse manager. Can you start by telling me a little bit about your role?

Nurse Manager: Sure. I’m the nurse manager of the inpatient medical unit at a large hospital. I’m responsible for the overall management of the unit, including staffing, patient care, and quality improvement.

Interviewer: What are some of the external factors that influence your decision making?

Nurse Manager: There are many, but some of the most important include:

• Health policy: Federal, state, and local laws and regulations that govern health care delivery. These policies can have a significant impact on how we provide care, such as what services we can offer and how we can bill for them.
• Regulatory requirements: The standards set by accrediting bodies, such as the Joint Commission, that we must meet in order to provide safe and high-quality care.
• Accreditation: The process of being evaluated against a set of standards to ensure that we are meeting the highest quality standards.
• Health care financing: The way that health care is paid for, which can affect the availability of services and the amount of resources that we have to work with.

Interviewer: How do these external factors impact your decision making?

Nurse Manager: They impact my decision making in a number of ways. For example, if there is a new health policy that requires us to provide a new service, I need to make sure that we have the staff and resources to do so. If there are new regulatory requirements, I need to make sure that we are compliant. And if there are changes in health care financing, I need to make sure that we are able to continue to provide care to our patients.

Interviewer: Can you give me an example of a time when an external factor influenced your decision making?

Nurse Manager: Sure. A few years ago, there was a new law passed that required hospitals to provide same-day mental health evaluations for patients who were experiencing a mental health crisis. This law had a significant impact on our unit, as we had to make sure that we had the staff and resources to provide these evaluations. We also had to make sure that we were familiar with the new law and how it applied to our practice.

Interviewer: How do you stay up-to-date on the latest external factors that could impact your decision making?

Nurse Manager: I stay up-to-date on the latest external factors by reading professional journals, attending conferences, and networking with other nurse managers. I also subscribe to email alerts from organizations such as the American Nurses Association and the Joint Commission.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time. This has been very informative.

Nurse Manager: You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.

I hope this interview has given you a better understanding of the external factors that influence decision making for nurse managers. These factors can be complex and ever-changing, but it is important for nurse managers to be aware of them in order to make the best decisions for their patients and their organizations.