Comprehensive Essay on the Importance of Project Management for Nursing Students
Dr. Wyse and class,
Issues that occur during a project are frequently related to the scope of the project. A project’s scope outlines the outcomes to be achieved during implementation and by the project’s completion (Ajmal et al., 2020). It is the standard by which the project’s success will be measured. Straying from this scope can produce inferior outcomes concerning time, cost, and quality of a project’s results. These tangents cause issues that delay projects and do not allow them to achieve their full potential.
Poorly defined project scope statements are often linked to project problems or even to failed projects as they cause ambiguity over the project goals and outcomes. This causes the project participants to waste time and energy on details that do not pertain to the originally designed project. Projects have predetermined timelines and financial structures that need to be utilized efficiently and responsibly to reach their desired outcomes. If a project cannot be managed or completed successfully, the team may lose future funding and career opportunities due to a lack of faith in their ability to produce effective results. Those working on a project must remain focused on a specific project scope to successfully complete their mission.
Scope creep is the term that refers to expanding a project’s scope outside that which was originally planned (Ajmal et al., 2020). Several strategies can help manage scope creep. First, a written document containing the project’s scope, timeline, and the individual tasks to be completed needs to be visible to all project participants (Dawson, 2019). This will help communicate the project expectations and deadlines for the smaller goals necessary for the project to be completed successfully. Additionally, leaders must schedule intermittent update meetings with staff to discuss how the staff’s current activities align with the project’s scope (Schiff, 2017). These meetings will also provide an opportunity to discuss potentially tangential and unproductive tasks as well as areas to explore for future projects that don’t meet the current project’s timeline or financial resources. Creating a specific and unified scope for project implementation will help guide those implementing the project to successful completion.
References
Ajmal, M., Khan, M., & Al-Yafei, H. (2020). Exploring factors behind project scope creep – stakeholders’ perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 13(3), 483–504. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-10-2018-0228
Dawson, A. (2019). A practical guide to performance improvement: Beginning the process. AORN Journal, 109(3), 318-324. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.12614
Schiff, J. L. (2017, June 21). Eight common project management mistakes – and how to avoid them. CIO.
Comprehensive Essay on the Importance of Project Management for Nursing Students-Project Scope Responses
Response to Classmate 1
Hello,
Thank you for the educative and elaborative discussion. Indeed project management is crucial for an organization’s project development and implementation. It provides leadership and direction to projects. Defining the project scope is an integral part of project planning. Setting goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines rely on the project scope. It is why a change in project scope or scope creep impacts multiple project dimensions, including timelines, resources, and budgeting (Komal et al., 2020). Project scope issues can be anticipated or unwarranted, and it is difficult to control the changes when they are unexpected. I agree that poor project scope definition results from poor planning. Poor communication is one of the factors leading to poor scope definition. It is advisable that when planning or defining a scope, it is crucial to create a separate budget for any changes or emergencies. Indeed improving communication is one of the ways that can help prevent scope issues.
Reference
Komal, B., Janjua, U. I., Anwar, F., Madni, T. M., Cheema, M. F., Malik, M. N., & Shahid, A. R. (2020). The impact of scope creep on project success: An empirical investigation. IEEE Access, 8, 125755-125775.
Response to Classmate 2
Thank you for the great post. I concur that project scope issues significantly impact successful project completion. However, changes in the scope of any project are inevitable, and they occur for various reasons, including pressure from stakeholders such as financiers and clients (Ajmal et al., 2019). Some changes can be anticipated while others are unexpected, which makes it challenging to control scope changes entirely. Trends such as changing market needs or inflation, which can inflate the cost of project development, are hard to predict and might prompt emergency planning to address how they impact a project. Proper project scope definition can help eliminate issues that might arise later, including budget creep (Ajmal et al., 2019). For instance, a clear definition of tasks and associated resources can prevent problems with insufficient resources or restructuring the process implementation steps to accommodate more tasks. Adequate, timely, and continuous communication with stakeholders is vital in managing scope creep.
Reference
Ajmal, M., Khan, M., & Al-Yafei, H. (2019). Exploring factors behind project scope creep–stakeholders’ perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business.
FAQs
Why is project management important in nursing?
Effective coordination and organization play a critical role in nursing, optimizing patient care delivery. Structured project management streamlines healthcare procedures, allocates resources efficiently, and meets crucial deadlines, minimizing mistakes and elevating patient results. Skillful project management fosters seamless nurse collaboration, proficiently addresses diverse patient needs, and flexibly adjusts to evolving circumstances, all of which contribute to an enhanced healthcare provision quality.
What is the importance of project management as a student?
Proficiency in project management is highly advantageous for students as it imparts essential capabilities to proficiently strategize, implement, and finalize academic undertakings. This cultivates adeptness in time allocation, structured arrangement, and task prioritization, empowering students to adeptly manage intricate assignments and timelines. Moreover, project management nurtures adept teamwork and effective interaction, pivotal for collaborative assignments. These proficiencies are universally applicable and offer substantial merits in academic pursuits as well as prospective vocational pathways.
Why is project management important to a healthcare organization?
Effective project management holds significant importance within healthcare institutions due to the intricate and vital character of healthcare initiatives. Its role involves optimizing resource distribution, facilitating clear communication amidst medical personnel, administrators, and concerned parties, and ensuring the punctual realization of undertakings like integrating novel technologies, erecting facilities, or initiating medical services. Competent project management serves to mitigate potential hazards, manage expenses, and uphold unwavering attention to patient welfare and security throughout the project’s duration.
What is the main purpose of project management?
The primary objective of project management involves skillfully strategizing, coordinating, and supervising a range of tasks, assets, and undertakings necessary for the attainment of particular project objectives, all while adhering to established limitations like timeframe, financial resources, and extent. This practice guarantees the efficient and punctual completion of projects within designated financial and temporal boundaries, concurrently managing uncertainties and tackling potential complications that may emerge throughout the project’s duration. Effective project management necessitates adeptly orchestrating teams, defining precise targets, closely monitoring advancement, and making judicious choices to ensure prosperous project results.