Major Issues in Healthcare

WHY A BOOK ON HEALTHCARE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

As the authors of this textbook, we have long recognized the unique aspects of healthcare human resource management (HRM) and the need for a textbook specifically focused on this area. Collectively, we have experience in healthcare HRM as practitioners, consultants, and professors. In this book, we provide both the HRM student and the practitioner a comprehensive, focused source of information on this important body of knowledge and specialized field of practice.

PRIMARY AUDIENCES FOR THIS BOOK

There are several audiences that will find this book to be a useful resource, including college and university students and faculty members, various HR practitioners in healthcare organizations, and healthcare professionals and managers in numerous fields where HRM issues affect organizational and individual performance.

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS

The importance of human relations skills and HRM knowledge for application in the healthcare industry has grown due to the significant recruitment and retention issues that exist for healthcare workers. Graduates of healthcare-related administration/management degree programs must have a solid knowledge base of HRM topics to be successful in their careers. The types of courses that are well suited for this text include:

• • Undergraduate courses in human resource management offered to healthcare administration majors.
• • Undergraduate human resource management courses that emphasize the healthcare industry.
• • Graduate-level human resource management courses offered in healthcare administration programs.
• • College curriculums for management tracks for degrees in:
  • ○ Nursing
  • ○ Respiratory Care
  • ○ Radiological Technology
  • ○ Allied Health
  • ○ Public Health
  • ○ Health Promotion
• • Distance learning programs containing the courses and related to the degrees described above.

HEALTHCARE HR PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT PRACTITIONERS

HR management issues will continue to be a major focus for all individuals with management responsibilities in healthcare organizations. Both the academic and practical experiences of the authors have contributed to the book’s balance between the theoretical and the practical aspects of healthcare HR. This balance makes the textbook not only useful for the academic setting, but equally useful as a reference for healthcare leaders and professionals with HR responsibilities. Even highly experienced healthcare HR professionals will find the presentations of both theory and actual healthcare organizational HR practices insightful and informative.

ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK

The textbook includes 14 chapters; each chapter discusses a particular HRM topic. Each chapter can be used in instruction as a stand-alone presentation, or in conjunction with the other chapters. Regardless of the approach, this book provides a comprehensive source of information on both theory and practice in healthcare HRM.

Chapter 1 discusses the nature and challenges of healthcare HR management through an overview of the current and future states of the healthcare industry. The chapter also describes the various types of organizations that make up the healthcare industry.

Chapter 2 presents a unique review of the competencies that are important for healthcare HR professionals. The chapter discusses healthcare organizational structures and the placement of HR departments within the organizational structure, and HR budgets and staffing. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is also described along with the key quality standards that impact healthcare HRM.

Chapter 3 describes the importance of strategic HRM. The chapter discusses the process and relevance of effective HR planning against the backdrop of the most challenging HRM issues that confront healthcare organizations.

Chapter 4 discusses the legal issues affecting the healthcare workplace, with particular focus on equal employment opportunity regulations and issues. Chapter 5 reviews the importance of job design and analysis as it affects all aspects of HRM in healthcare organizations.

Chapter 6 presents a comprehensive discussion on the critical topics for healthcare organizations of recruitment and selection. The chapter includes a discussion on strategic recruiting and an overview of various recruitment methods that are successful in the healthcare industry.

Chapter 7 explores employee retention, presenting many of the acknowledged “best practices” that are achieving retention results in healthcare organizations. Given both the current state and the anticipated shortage of healthcare workers, employee retention is one of the most important responsibilities that healthcare HR professionals and healthcare managers have.

Chapter 8 provides a comprehensive discussion on training and development in healthcare organizations. The JCAHO standards dealing with orientation and training also are highlighted in the chapter, as they relate to the verification and development of healthcare worker competencies.

Chapter 9 focuses on the topic of performance management. This chapter includes a review of both the theoretical and practical aspects of establishing performance criteria and developing and conducting performance appraisals for healthcare workers.

Chapters 10 and 11 deal with the interrelated healthcare HR management topics of employee and labor relations. Chapter 10 focuses on a variety of concerns that affect how healthcare organizations manage their workers. Chapter 11 deals specifically with the complexities of managing healthcare workers who are covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Chapters 12 and 13 present healthcare compensation, benefits, and variable pay practices. Chapter 12 details the various compensation programs and processes, including executive pay plans, utilized in healthcare organizations. Chapter 13 discusses the benefits and variable pay programs that make up the total compensation provided to healthcare workers.

Chapter 14 describes the safety, health, and security issues in healthcare organizations and how they affect HRM. The safety, health, and security concerns present in healthcare environments are emphasized as part of healthcare HRM.