Assignment 1: Conducting an Environmental Analysis
Due Week 4 and worth 300 points
For all assignments assume that you are the administrator of a fictitious organization of your choice. The organization can be any type of health care organization such as a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, clinic, etc. As the administrator, you are faced with the challenges of declining reimbursements from insurance providers and increasing demands for patient services due to dramatic changes in the external environment. Such changes include those imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Your first step in evaluating the position of your organization will be conducting an environmental analysis. The purpose of this is to determine your organization’s ability to continue to provide quality care and remain financially solvent in the face of these challenges.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
Determine two (2) specific forces in the external environment that will have the most impact on your organization. Provide a rationale for your decision. Determine two (2) specific internal factors that the organization’s leaders need to consider in preparing for the future of health care and the future of the organization. Provide a rationale for your decision. Discuss the impact of both the identified internal and external forces on the organization’s ability to develop a competitive strategy. Recommend one (1) strategy that involves the organization’s managers in implementing and maintaining the momentum of the strategic plan. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites to not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Differentiate between strategic management, strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum. Analyze the significance of the external environment’s impact on health care organizations. Examine the purpose and importance of service area competitor analysis. Examine the role of internal environmental analysis in identifying the basis for sustained competitive advantage. Use technology and information resources to research issues in the strategic management of health care organizations. Write clearly and concisely about strategic management of health care organizations using proper writing mechanics.

Health Policy Presentation
The purpose of this assignment is for you to identify an issue of concern for your role as an advanced practice nurse and to formulate a potential policy change to address that issue. There are many potential issues which can influence your practice setting or other issue which may negatively affect the patients with whom you work. All of the course reading will help you to identify a topic for this assignment. You can think about the issue as related to your health promotion project. The policy you consider may be in reaction to the health promotion issue or something larger that is still related to that issue. There are hundreds of possible issues, but here is a list of a few to consider:
• Child and elder care
• Civil rights
• Domestic violence
• Drug abuse/addiction
• HIV/AIDS
• Homelessness
• Native American and migrant workers’ health
• Long-term care
• Immigration/illegal aliens
• Legislative issues affecting advanced practice nursing
• Barriers to practice
• Access to care
As you begin to work on the possible policy change: the following ideas and steps should be considered:
• Definition and description of the issue
• Exploration of the background of the issue
• Stakeholders
• Issue statement or statement of clarity
• Possible methods of addressing the issue
• Goals and options for changes
• Risks and benefits of the changes
• Evaluation methodology
• Recommendation or solution
Be sure to use APA style and include all of your references.
Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Identify the type of legislation, such as state, federal, scope of practice, reimbursement, loan repayment, or others.
20
Review of the literature consists of a minimum of 3–4 peer-reviewed articles and 6–7 other outside sources.
30
Describe the current policy or health policy issue and specify how it would impact nursing or healthcare.
10
Describe the specific aspects of the proposed policy or policy change.
20
Identify the individuals who would benefit from the policy change and explain where support for the change would be found.
20
Describe the impact of the policy change on nursing practice and health care.
10
Provide an analysis of the policy from your point of view and how this will influence your practice.
20
Uses good writing skills, appropriate grammar, and application of APA formatting throughout paper, citations, and references.
10
Total:
140