CONTROLLING

Controlling has been a great part in every management process especially in the nursing field. This uses formal authority to assure the achievement of goals and objectives. It is an important function because it helps to check the errors and to take the corrective action so that deviation from standards is minimized. From the different levels of the organization, they are asked to evaluate the realization of their Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives (VMGO) by rating it on a scale of one (1) to ten (10), (10 being the highest), all of them answered 7. They said that they are not yet on the state of being on the perfect 10 because there are still some things to be improve, nonetheless each of them reasoned out that they are still on the process of improvement in achieving their VMGO. According to the chief nurse, they are still on quest of improving services as being a referral hospital/ tertiary hospital. This is supported by the statement of the head nurse that there are still facilities and equipments which is not yet available to the institution which contradicts one of their mission which is to have a state of the art facilities and equipment. According to the staff nurse, as to being competent which is fully emphasized on their mission, he said that the each of the members of the health team is competent, however there are still things to be improved, yet he believes that they are showing and doing their own roles and responsibilities in order for them achieved their mission in the institution. All levels of management make an emphasis on making sure that each of them actively participates in achieving their VMGO as possible as they can by caring patients in the highest possible care to be given. As what the chief nurse says that they might not be as perfect as they wanted, he thinks that it is better because there is a still space for improvement and yet they are ready to adjust. Evaluation will never be absent when you talk about controlling. According to Carter McNamara, evaluation is carefully collecting and analyzing information in order to make decisions. It is the most valuable tool in controlling human resources and productivity. This is an assessment on how well employees perform the duties of their job as delineated by their job description. In the institution, they are using the clinical performance rating scale and the employees evaluation form (please see the next pages for attachment) in evaluating their staff. The clinical performance rating scale aims to evaluate the behavior and the skills of the staff. This specifically includes establishing a nurse-client relationship, and the application of the nursing process on the care of patient with problems of nutrition and metabolism, perception and coordination, alteration in immune response and infection, cellular aberration and rehabilitation. Employees evaluation form is a tool where employees are being evaluated as to the following criteria: Workmanship, attendance, punctuality, communicability, neatness/ cleanliness, creativity/ resourceful, judgment / decision making, leadership, planning, and organization of work, problem solving ability, compliance tor rules and regulations, concern to the entity, cooperativeness and participations, dedication and commitment work, dependability, disposition, interpersonal relationship, team playing ability, manners/ courtesies attendance to hospital function, dressing/ grooming, loyalty to the employer, compliance to who by laws and

institution. These checklists are to be answered by their fellow staff/ coworkers and it is given once a year. The head nurse and the staff nurse added that they are also given an open forum for them to voice out their concerns to their fellow staff. In cases of big problems/rivalry between employees those people involve will be called to the management and they will let the problem solve. The staff nurse added that CCTV camera is everywhere and he sees it as a good help in dealing with other people in a sense that the medical director/the higher authority sees them anytime. Nursing audit is a systematic and official examination of records, process, structure, environment, or account to evaluate performance. This is important to an institution since it is used to control the cause of nursing services or nursing care. In the institution, nursing audit is done in every unit/ area that includes unit management, patient care, infection control, waste management, facilities and equipments. As claimed by the chief nurse of hospital they have different committees which are responsible to each of these areas. Each area has their own committee and they usually perform this once in two months Under unit management, as claimed by the staff nurse, wards were evaluated by the head nurse and they, as staff nurses are making sure that they come in on time, and giving the right care to the patient. . While on rounds he said that they are acting as the first line of care givers, since they are the once communicating with the patient. They are making sure that all medications are given. He also said that they are the once responsible in the mentoring for the volunteers; they are the teachers in the wards. Also, for the head nurse she claimed that she is the once responsible in making schedules on duties in wards. She is the tasked to assign the staff nurse, nursing assistants, and volunteers on what area will be there designation. Patient care is concern also in the institution, all of the staff of the institution make sure that they are giving their best care, ensure that they help the patient to recover by giving them the quality patient care. According to the staff nurse, patient care is made per unit. He said that the head nurse has the biggest responsible for this area. The head nurse is the one who assigns nurses in each of the units. He further explained that they go/manage it using a team approach, where the staffs and the volunteers are subdivided into the different areas on wards. Infection is one of the greatest fear to develop in every institution, according to the staff nurse the infection control measures they used at the Operating room is that, as the OR nurses they make sure that all equipments are being sterilized, they are the once responsible on making sure that all equipments are clean enough. They are also making sure that they hand washing as needed. As claimed also by the head nurse, he makes sure that all the rooms and wards are disinfect, as what also the staff nurse told us, the patient who resides or stayed in this area, after discharged the area will be immediately sterilized. As to waste management, every unit or wards have assigned janitor, they are segregating as to the DOH policy. He said that they strictly follow segregation policy and they are making sure that the patients as well as the watcher are following it. They are also segregating needles, syringes, ampules and vials. They also said that they are making sure that they have proper labeling. As to facilities and equipments, they have made a logbook which when this will be used they will be written in this book. The head nurse is responsible in telling to the billing section the facilities and equipments that lacks in the OR as well as in the wards. Healthcare organizations use various types of budgets to monitor the financial status of their organization, such as operating, program, product line, cash, or capital. A budget is a plan, roadmap, or a tool used by managers to ensure that quality and cost-effective services are provided to patients. In particular, nurse managers use budgets to monitor personnel and supply

costs. It is important that nurse managers are familiar with the different types of budgets, specifically the operating budget, because it is the nurse manager who is closest to the patient and knows exactly what is needed to provide care and services. (Finkler, 2001). According to the chief nurse, budgeting is prepared by the head nurse and submit it to him then he will be the one who will send it to business office who now conduct budgeting. Whoever it was contradictory to the statement of the head nurse which says that they dont participate in every budget and the business office are only those who make the budget plan. It is important to note that nursing services are included in the overall charges of room and board and nursing costs are not considered revenue producing (Graf, 2001).