Question

One of the key elements to organizational design is the establishment of an organization chart. Consequently, the organizational chart establishes the chain of command. Why is the chain of command so important in healthcare?

Answer 1

ANSWERS :-

* An organizational chart is a diagramatic representation of relative status and authority of each other, flow of communication, responsibility and relationship between each members of the oorganization.

* Chain of command shows the reporting relationship among the organization. Who must report to whom? Who is answerable and to whom? and how the communication flows from the top authority to the people at the bottom of the organizational chart.

* Chain of command is very important in health care because the ultimate purpose of health care organizations is to provide high quality health care.

*In hospitals and other healthcare settings there are diferrent groups of professionals work under single management and all their activities need to be coordinated and communicated with each other to achieve quality care and patient satisfaction. This can be achieved only through chain of commands.

* The management plans and implement by communicating to the lower levels following hierarchy.

* The top management in health care may not have direct contact with patients, but they get information from bottom level members who have close contact with patients through their superiors.

* Chain of command helps to establish accountability -( who is responsible and answerable for particular actions)

* It is important to maintain authority ( the power to give orders) and decision making.

* It helps in problem solving and decision making.

* Chain of command helps everyone in the organization to understand who will give them orders and guidance or whose orders must be followed and to whom they should report.

*Example - Hospital administration --> Floor managers---> Nursing administrator --> nursing supervisor -->nurse incharge--> staff nurse.

* It helps the top level or the management to identify and solve the problems of the bottom level by following ascending communication

*Example- patient's dissatisfaction related to facilities can be easily communicated with a staff nurse who is taking care of that patient, she communicates it with her head nurse--> nursing supervisor --> nurse manager--> hospital manager--> Administrator.

* Example- A head nurse has many registered nurses,and nursing assistants under her to whom she commands and get the work done, and she listen to them to know their problems and get feed backs and suggestions to make changes in care plans and improve quality of care. When a physiotherapist comes to give teach exercises to a patient, the head nurse can give instructions according to patient's needs and the physiotherapist follow it and vice versa the physiotherapist also communicates and report the noticed changes and improvement to the head nurse, which shows a chain of command.