Healthcare organization X is committed to improving patient outcomes and, as part of the QI process, examines its executive structure and organizational design. This approach recognizes:

Question

a. The importance of decentralized structure in QA.
b. That structure influences nurse burnout and participation in quality improvement initiatives.
c. The need to ensure sufficient supervisory staff to respond in a corrective manner when mistakes occur.
d. That a narrow hierarchy ensures accountability for errors and outcomes.

Answer 1

ANS: B
Common organizational characteristics of Magnet™ hospitals include structure factors (e.g., decentralized organizational structure, participative management style, and influential nurse executives) and process factors (e.g., professional autonomy and decision making, ongoing professional development/education, active quality improvement initiatives). ANCC Magnet™ designated hospitals and other high-reliability organizations in the United States and Europe generally have lower burnout rates, higher levels of job satisfaction, and provide higher levels of quality care resulting in greater levels of patient satisfaction (Aiken et al., 2012; Kelly, McHugh, & Aiken, 2011).