LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR ORIENTATION 1.

Meet with the Hospital Administrator/College of Nursing Dean/RHU Head and be introduced to the key personnel including your preceptor/resource person/facilitator and other personnel who will assist you in achieving the objectives of this course. 2. Have an orientation to the facilitys organizational vision/mission, goals and philosophy. Ask/Request for a staff who will give you the orientation. 3. Examine and comment on the vision, mission statements as well as the goals and philosophy. 4. Make a diagram of the institutions table of organization. Include the names and their respective positions. 5. If assigned in an educational institution, interview faculty members and discuss with them their own beliefs and values about nursing and nursing education. 6. If assigned in a nursing service facility, interview staff nurses and nurse managers and discuss with them their institution/departments philosophy of service. 7. Know the names and qualifications (educational, professional and personal) of the facility administrators/managers/heads. 8. Have a tour of the facility and be oriented to the institutions physical facility. 9. Be aware of and observe the institutions organizational climate and observe the channel of communication. 10. Request all appropriate documents that you will include in your documentation and take pictures of your activities with various personnel.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR PLANNING 1. Observe and Interview Nurse Administrators/Chief Nurses or Deans/Directors of Nursing to determine what the institutions long range strategic plans are in connection with physical resources, clientele and service development. 2. Interview and observe nursing service director/chief nurse, supervisors and staff as well as the dean, coordinators and faculty to determine the following: 2.1. Time set aside for planning(for regular activities, for emergencies and crises) 2.2. How time is managed both by him/her and staff; 2.3. In planning, how he/she considers priorities, deadlines, organizational goals, characteristic of work; 2.4. How plan and programs are developed and approved; 2.5. How plans and programs are implemented and monitored. 3. Observe and document the budgeting process: 3.1. Determine the approaches used in planning the budget; 3.2. Determine staff/faculty participation in planning the budget; 3.3. Identify the individuals within the organization who have responsibility for budget preparation, approval and monitoring; 3.4. Make or request for a sample budget report for a nursing unit/college of nursing; 3.5. Determine the main sources of revenue as well as the major expense; 3.6. Examine the budget worksheet used and note its components; 3.7. Determine how the budget is allocated, e.g., what % of the budget are allocated for personnel, equipment and supplies, physical resources, etc. 4. Read the institutions Administrative and Policy Manuals and determine the following: 4.1. The role of the head in formulating administrative orders/policies and procedures, rules and regulations;

4.2.

The process and steps involved in writing them, e.g., how employees are recruited, selected, evaluated, retained and terminated, etc.

2. Get a copy of application form and note the information needed. 3. Get a copy of a job description of staff nurse/faculty, nurse supervisor/college coordinator, and chief nurse/dean. Write long as well as short range plans and objectives for each position. 4. Attend an orientation program for new employees. 5. What are the components of an orientation program? 6. Attend a staff development class. Determine what continuing education programs are available to staff/faculty. 7. Interview staff/faculty. Ask them about their professional and educational needs. 8. Attend committee meetings and obtain copies of minutes of meetings and determine the following: 8.1. What are the standing committees? 8.2. What are their compositions and functions? 8.3. How does the curriculum committee organize learning activities of students in order to achieve the goals and mission of the school? 8.4. How does the hospitals various committees organize learning activities of the staff in order to achieve the goals and mission of the agency? 9. Submit a report and evaluation of your learning activities including suggestions and recommendations for the institution. Specifics for the NURSING SERVICE 1. Interview the Nurse Supervisor/Chief Nurse who is in charge of staffing. Determine and document the following: 1.1. Patient care delivery modes or assignment system 1.2. Policies on nurse staffing 1.3. Staffing system to determine the number of full-time staff needed for vacation/sickness, holiday, emergency and absentee coverage per year.

5. With your preceptor, sit in with Committee meetings as for example, Administrative Committee, Committee on Standards, Nurse Managers Committee, and Faculty meetings. 6. While attending any of the meetings, observe the following processes and make a brief report of your observation and analysis. 6.1. Decision making process; How problems are identified, alternatives explored, choosing and applying the most desirable alternatives, monitoring and evaluating the solution; 6.2. Values, attitudes and personality of participants; 6.3. Group dynamics and group processes; 6.4. Time management; 6.5. Leadership styles. 7. Request for samples of the following: 7.1. Strategic plans and programs 7.2. Agenda and Minutes of meeting; 7.3. Budgets; 7.4. Committee manuals and policies; 7.5. Accomplishments plans and programs. 8. Document all your activities and take pictures on the various activities and personnel involved. LEARNING ACTIVITES FOR ORGANIZING AND DIRECTING 1. Read the Administrative Employee Manuals. Determine the following: 1.1. Activities and policies related to recruitment and selection; 1.2. Activities and policies related to hiring and interviewing; 1.3. Activities and policies related to retention and termination; 1.4. Activities and policies related to job analysis and evaluation; 1.5. Activities and policies related to rewards and discipline;

2. Study and document the staffing schedules. 3. Determine the patient classification system used. 4. Determine an assignment system to be used in one of the units. Compute for the number and level of staff needed on an 8 hour shift depending on the level of hospital classification (Level 1,2,3,& 4) and level of health care system (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary). 5. Determine the applicable laws and DOH mandates and requirements for hospital licensing on staffing. 6. Ask for copies/samples of the documents and take pictures for your documentation. Specifics for the NURSING EDUCATION 1. Read the Faculty Manual. Interview a faculty, coordinator or dean. Determine the following: 1.1. Faculty load; 1.2. Basis of faculty assignment; 1.3. Faculty-student ratio in a)the classroom and b)the clinical area. 2. Observe and document how the process of organization works in the: 2.1. Clinical Teaching setting; 2.2. Classroom Teaching setting. 3. Attend a Curriculum Development and Faculty Meetings. Observe and document how a meeting is organized as well as the mechanics. 4. Study the BSN Curriculum. Write your comments on how the curriculum is organized. Take note of the learning resources. 5. Study the Student Manual. Take note of the learning resources. 6. Ask for copies/samples of the documents and take pictures for your documentation.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR CONTROLLING AND EVALUATION Read the following, study and analyze: 1. Accreditation Manual; 2. The Employee/Faculty/Student Manuals; 3. Administrative and Policy Manuals and study the institutions general policies and procedures, rules and regulations relating to personnel, resources, programs, standards, criteria for desired levels of performance. 4. Observe and interview the Chief Nurse and Staff/Dean and Clinical Instructor to determine the following: 4.1. How employees / students performance are evaluated and monitored. 4.2. Performance appraisal/grading techniques used: Examine and study the different methods used, such as anecdotal notes, rating scales, peer evaluation and interview. Study the grading system of the school. 4.3. How the Chief Nurse/Dean deal with employee problems, including substance abuser, those who are habitually late or absent, those whose performance are below par or below standards, those who are quarrelsome. In the same manner, how does the School Administrator deal with problem students? 4.4. Disciplinary measures used. Do employees/students have the right to appeal? 4.5. Measures resorted to or before suspending and/or terminating an employee/student. 4.6. How the use of resources are monitored. 4.7. Cost saving measures. How is the budget used as a control measure. 5. Study the Quality Assurance/Improvement Program of the Institution. How was it developed?

6. Study the institutions Planned Evaluation Program, if there is any. What is the institutions status in terms of being accredited? 7. Relate the process of managing in the institutions union environment, if there is any. Analyze the pros and cons of collective bargaining in your practicum area. 8. The nurse manager explains to you that the unit uses workplace advocacy. How will it affect your functioning as the nurse in the medical unit. Explain the workplace advocacy of the institution where you are having the practicum e.g. hospital, community health center, college of nursing. 9. The institution has a union. How does unionization differ from a workplace advocacy? Give 3 examples of how unionization differs from workplace advocacy. ACTIVITIES SPECIFIC FOR NURSING EDUCATION 1. Interview faculty members and ask them about their views regarding education, nursing and the schools responsibility to the student. 2. Analyze minutes of meetings of the standing committees and faculty organizations if important issues are being addressed properly. 3. Examine school organizational charts for relationships. 4. Confer with members of the Evaluation Committee to determine their evaluation system. Review the committees annual report. 5. Speak to one or two faculty members to determine their professional and educational needs. 6. Speak to faculty members to determine how they evaluate current forms and processes used in evaluating them. 7. Read the student manual and interview students if necessary to determine how policies are implemented. 8. Examine the counseling program, health program, and financial assistance program. 9. Interview the dean and faculty members and ask about students performance in the Board Examination and in the job market.

10. Study the student curriculum. Compare the curriculum objectives to the philosophy and goals of the school. Analyze course content in relation to the course objectives. 11. Attend a class/clinical laboratory. Note adequacy of facilities and resources. 12. Study the faculty and student evaluation tools. 13. Visit the school library. Note the adequacy of current/learning materials. 14. Visit the administrative office to determine the recording system as to: 14.1. Faculty records; 14.2. Student records; 14.3. Graduate records. ACTIVITIES SPECIFIC TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 1. Orient yourself to the following: 1.1. The community health care concepts, philosophy and objectives, programs, resources; 1.2. Organizational structure, communication network, community it serves; 1.3. Administrators and personnel. 2. In the clinical health area/health centers, you should observe the following: 2.1. Observe the administrators/managers while the latter are performing the tasks and functions of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling; 2.2. Work with administrators, managers, personnel in the delivery of health care services; 2.3. Interact with clients and assist staff in the delivery of health services; 2.4. Observe and ask how the agency is adapting to the change brought about by the Department of Health programs.

Sir Jay Galeon