Nursing Consulting Partners Consultants use an inclusive, interactive approach to guide nurse leaders through the strategic planning process. Consultants focus on realistic, relevant, and measurable goal setting. We assist them in developing an action plan that addresses Magnet® expectations, aligns the work of the governance councils, and supports the organization’s priorities. Consultants guide nurse leaders in assigning accountabilities and timelines and on disseminating the plan as a road map for action throughout the nursing division.
Strategic Planning Workshop: A four-hour interactive session that engages the CNO, nurse leaders, nurse specialists, clinical nurses in the design and implementation of a Nursing Strategic Plan that reflects nursing’s commitment to creating/sustaining a culture of professional excellence.
Our success lies in our
Progressive Steps
Step 1
Prepare
Consultants review the organization’s strategic priorities to ensure alignment of a new Nursing Strategic Plan. Interactions with nurse leaders and governance clinical nurses are an opportunity to educate and engage nurses at all levels in the strategic planning process. Pre-work by nurse leaders: complete the Goals Grid and submit.
Step 2
Critique
We work with the nursing leadership team to assess internal and external forces that will influence design of the Nursing Strategic Plan. Forces within the organization are derived from clinical and satisfaction data, nursing workforce demographics, potential risks, changing patient populations, and service line projections. Current and predicted changes in health care delivery, reimbursement, regulatory demands and accreditation standards, including Magnet® Program expectations, help shape strategic priorities for the Nursing division.
Step 3
Prioritize
NCP consultants work with nurse leaders to prioritize strategic needs and formulate relevant and measurable goals. We use the Goals Grid exercise adapted from Nickols & Ledgerwood
(https://www.nickols.us/strategic_planning_tool.pdf. 2005) as an interactive exercise to gain their input and perspective. The Nursing Strategic Action Plan identifies strategies and improvement activities to address each goal and assigns accountabilities and timelines to responsible individuals, teams, and/or councils.
Step 4
Integrate
A critical step in the strategic planning process is disseminating the plan and expectations of accountabilities throughout the Nursing division. Consultants help nurse leaders create an educational roll out plan that ensures nurses across roles and settings acknowledge and endorse the goals and priorities that will focus their work into the future.
Step 5
Frame
The Nursing Strategic Plan becomes the beacon guiding nurses toward achieving strategic goals. Consultants prompt nurse leaders to pre-determine expected outcomes and rely on the Strategic Plan to frame discussions and monitor progress on achieving milestones defined along the way.
