Competing needs arise within any organization as employees seek to meet their targets and leaders seek to meet company goals. As a leader, successful management of these goals requires establishing priorities and allocating resources accordingly.
Within a healthcare setting, the needs of the workforce, resources, and patients are often in conflict. Mandatory overtime, implementation of staffing ratios, use of unlicensed assisting personnel, and employer reductions of education benefits are examples of practices that might lead to conflicting needs in practice.
Leaders can contribute to both the problem and the solution through policies, action, and inaction. In this Assignment, you will further develop the white paper you began work on in Module 1 by addressing competing needs within your organization

• Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
• Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Competing Needs in Healthcare: A Case Study of Staffing Shortages

Identifying Competing Needs

In the complex landscape of healthcare, staffing shortages have emerged as a significant challenge, creating a tension between competing needs. Two primary competing needs that arise in this context are:

  1. Patient Care Quality and Safety:

    • Need: Delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
    • Conflict: Inadequate staffing levels can compromise patient safety, increase the risk of medical errors, and negatively impact patient outcomes.
  2. Employee Well-being and Job Satisfaction:

    • Need: Supporting employee well-being and job satisfaction.
    • Conflict: Excessive workloads, mandatory overtime, and burnout can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased turnover, and compromised patient care.

Competing Needs in Healthcare: A Case Study of Staffing Shortages

Identifying Competing Needs

In the complex landscape of healthcare, staffing shortages have emerged as a significant challenge, creating a tension between competing needs. Two primary competing needs that arise in this context are:

  1. Patient Care Quality and Safety:

    • Need: Delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
    • Conflict: Inadequate staffing levels can compromise patient safety, increase the risk of medical errors, and negatively impact patient outcomes.
  2. Employee Well-being and Job Satisfaction:

    • Need: Supporting employee well-being and job satisfaction.
    • Conflict: Excessive workloads, mandatory overtime, and burnout can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased turnover, and compromised patient care.

Impact of Policies and Practices

Several policies and practices can exacerbate or mitigate these competing needs:

  • Mandatory Overtime: While mandatory overtime can address immediate staffing shortages, it can also lead to employee fatigue, burnout, and decreased job satisfaction.
  • Staffing Ratios: Implementing mandated staffing ratios can improve patient safety but may increase labor costs and strain organizational resources.
  • Use of Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAPs): Utilizing UAPs can alleviate the workload of registered nurses, but it can also raise concerns about patient safety if UAPs are not adequately trained or supervised.
  • Reduction of Education Benefits: Limiting educational opportunities can hinder professional growth and reduce employee satisfaction, potentially leading to increased turnover and difficulty in recruiting qualified staff.

Addressing the Competing Needs

To effectively manage these competing needs, healthcare leaders must adopt a balanced approach that prioritizes both patient care and employee well-being. Some strategies include:

  • Strategic Staffing: Implement evidence-based staffing models to optimize staffing levels and minimize the need for excessive overtime.
  • Employee Retention Strategies: Invest in employee retention initiatives, such as competitive compensation, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for professional development.
  • Effective Workforce Planning: Use data-driven forecasting to anticipate future staffing needs and develop proactive strategies.
  • Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals: Foster open communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals to identify and address staffing challenges.
  • Advocacy for Adequate Resources: Advocate for increased funding and support to address staffing shortages and improve patient care.

By carefully considering these factors and implementing effective strategies, healthcare organizations can strive to balance the competing needs of patient care and employee well-being.

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