Introduction
Managing human resource in health
organizations is increasingly getting attention just like in any other
industries investment in human resource management in health care organizations
is critical as it involves commitment of large amounts of resources. In health
care organizations, human resources refer to different staff including the
clinical and non-clinical staffs that contribute to the public and individual
health provision and intervention(Kabene, Orchard, Howard, Soriano, &
Leduc, 2006). The performance of a health care organization largely depends on
the skills and knowledge of the people that deliver services. This essay
evaluates the unique aspects of managing human resource in health care
organizations, employment laws that govern the management of human resources
and the different competencies that are needed for effective management of HR.
The unique aspects of
managing human resource in the health care organizations
When referring to health care
organizations, human resource refers to both the clinical and non-clinical
staff found in health care centers. In order to ensure the success of health
care organizations, there should be a balance between human and physical
resources as well as an appropriate mix between the health promoters and
caregivers. Due to the nature of the resources, it is important that human
resource is managed very different from other resources in health care
organizations. In both public and private institutions, human resource
management practices should be developed in order to create a healthy balance
between workforce supply and the ability of the employees to delivers services
effectively and efficiently. An employee without the needed skills is as
ineffective as having skills without the practitioner to deliver the skills(Kabene,
Orchard, Howard, Soriano, & Leduc, 2006).
When managing human resource in
health care institutions, several issues and questions may come up. Some of the
issues that are unique to the health care organizations include the size and
composition of the workforce, training and skills, cultural factors, among
other factors. The variation in size and
composition of the workforce in a health care organization is of great concern
as it dictates the ability of the organization to deliver services effectively.
Workforce training and development
of skills is another important aspect of human resource management in health
care organizations. It is the role of the HRM to consider the composition of
health care organization workforce in terms of skills and training needs.
Training is necessary as it will ensure that the workforce meet the needs of an
institution. Cultural factors influence the demand and supply of human resource
to health care institutions. Cultural factors also influence how the workforce
deliver health care services(Kabene, Orchard, Howard, Soriano, & Leduc,
2006).
Major employment laws
on HR functions in healthcare organizations
Health care industry employees are
always challenged to keep up with the new procedures that save lives.In order
to effectively manage HR in a health care organization, it is important for
managers to understand the basic legal principles including the major
employment laws it is the responsibility of the HR department to be
knowledgeable of the employment laws and equally inform their employees of the
laws. In the US, there are various
employment laws that affect the HR functions in healthcare organizations.
One of the major regulatory bodies
in the health care industry is the Joint Commission that affect the work of HR
in health care organizations. The Joint commission provide different
accreditation programs to health care organizations specifying standards for
different functional including HR. the head of human resources in health care
institutions is required to adhere to the Joint Commission standards especially
in hiring, developing job description and firing employees. The Joint
Commission requires the HR department to select and hire employees within the
legal and ethical standards set by the commission. The selected employees
should be able to help the organization to meet the desired vision and also
understand the needs of the patients. The employees should also be well suited
for the position and have the highest standard of and good personal conduct.
This is mainly because the role of the medical profession is to provide quality
and safe care to the public (Niles, 2013).
There are also other employment
laws that influence HR functions in health care organizations including the Equal
Pay Act that award fair pay to all employees regardless of gender, Pension
Protection Act that require employers to have a pension plan and insurance
system for employees, Civil Rights Act that enable employees to receive payment
for damages, among other employment acts. All these acts among other acts are
under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)as the regulatory
authority(Niles, 2013).
Competencies
necessary for effective health care HRM
Health care organizations require
effective management of resources particularly the management of nursing
resources. The human resource personnel need to pay more attention to
understanding the workforce because just like in treating ailments, diagnosis
is needed before implementing interventions. There is a need for human resource
managers to have skills in fiscal accountability and personnel management in
order to ensure the workforce function effectively and efficiently.
Effective leadership also involves
having genuine care for other people. In the health care setting, the workforce
mostly interacts with patients and colleagues and showing care provides
satisfaction to customers and provides safety for patients. Showing critical
care is therefore a core competency in in managing the human resource in health
care organizations (Contino, 2004).
The HR department and leaders as
well as health care organization policies provide guidance on decision making
for employees. The nature of the working relationship in health care
institutions requires a close working relationship between the human resource
professionals and the workforce. The HRM track reasons for appraisals, high
turnover and retention of health care nurses and so keeping a close working
relationship is important to ensure that there is proper management of human
resource. The future focus of HRM in health care organizations should be
central intelligence for the organization and
facilitation of organizational learning.
Health care organizations’ HRM
should also adopt the latest human resource practices ideal for the health care
industry including promoting diversity in the workplace, promotion of employee
within the organization and enabling cross-training of personnel. HRM leaders
should also be sensitive, considerate, approachable and non-judgmental. Reports
show that HRM leadership competencies influence the use of resources, patient
outcomes, relationship with customers and compliance(Contino, 2004).
Conclusion
Managing human resource in health
care organizations require special skills as health care organizations have
special aspects. Leaders in HRM should create a culture of understanding as the
performance of any organization depends on the skills and knowledge of the
workforce. Various employment laws including those under the Joint Commission
and the EEOC govern the management of human resources affect HR functions in
health care organizations. These enable the effective management of HR in
health organizations in the US. Different competencies are needed for the
effective management of human resource in health care organizations including
the understanding the workforce, providing leadership, among other values. With
proper HRM, health care organizations can be effective and efficient in
delivering services.
References
Contino, D. (2004). Leadership Competencies: Knowledge, Skills,
and Aptitudes Nurses Need to
Lead Organizations Effectively.Critical Care Nurse.24: 52-64
Kabene, S. Orchard, C.Howard, J.Soriano, M. &Leduc, R.
(2006). The importance of human
resources management in health
care: a global context. Human Resources for
Health, 4:20
Niles, N. (2013). Basic
concepts of health care human resource management. Jones & Bartlett
learning. Burlington.
