SWOT Analysis of the PICC Team Project

Introduction

In the field of nursing, a SWOT analysis plays a prominent role in assisting the nurse to conclusively identify the weaknesses, strengths, threats, and opportunities related to their projects and tasks within the healthcare environment. Broadly defined, SWOT analysis is an essential tool that allows the nurses to assess and recognize what is useful and less efficient throughout their projects in clinical systems while the information obtained is used in planning and making appropriate decisions concerning activities that could impact the future goals (DeSilets, 2018). In other words, a SWOT analysis identifies both the internal and external factors that would significantly affect the performance of an initiated project in healthcare. My course projects was primarily on the creation of a PICC team to help fight the ongoing crisis of the increase in Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) at the "500 Acute Care Bed Hospital" and thereby conducting a SWOT analysis on the same would be of importance to identify the sections of the projects that needs some improvement and the available opportunities to enhance the primary objectives of the project (Shinno, Yoshioka, Marpaung & Hachiga, 2016). The chief aim of this essay is to provide a critical overview of the external factors of my project consisting of threats and opportunities and the internal elements including the strengths and weakness, which are essential in highlighting the main goals as well as a comprehensive evaluation of my course project.

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Strengths

After conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis for my course project, I was able to identify some positive traits and viable benefits for creating a PICC team, and this would help in managing my team to ensure that we improve on our strengths and emerge as the best in offering effective CLABSI related healthcare amongst other providers. One strength that I identified is regarding the benefits that my PICC team will provide to the healthcare facility mainly by reducing the high rate of CLABSI cases. This is, however, a positive trait associated with the primary mission of my project, and this provides us with adequate motivation to affect our plans and perform better as compared to other competitors offering the same service. Another significant strength identified is on the primary role of the PICC team in helping the patient and the healthcare institution as well to reduce the ultimate costs charged in the treatment of CLBSIs, which would, in turn, allow them to save a significant amount that could have otherwise been used in the costly management of the infections (Guenezan, Drugeon, Marjanovic & Mimoz, 2018). In essence, the PICC team will significantly transform the patients care across the hospital by offering a safe and reliable alternative care to the patients through novel catheter devices and standardized care and maintenance protocol.

Weaknesses

Essentially, this section of the analysis constitutes of internal factors that can be controlled but at large can adversely affect the capacity of the project team in achieving the set goals (DeSilets, 2018). One of the apparent weaknesses is the lack of qualified nurses within the unit, implying that extra amount would be required to cater for the training the staff and hiring competent nurses to assist in the overall mission of the project. The second weakness identified is the absence of adequate resources to effectively carry out our life-saving mission by providing sufficient care to CLABSI patients. This typically embodies the negative internal facets of the project and can negatively influence the services offered by the PICC teams.

Opportunities

Opportunities comprise of the available incentives or market opportunities for the business or the project to thrive within the market place. A significant opportunity identified during the SWOT analysis is saving the patient and the hospital money used in the medication of the bloodstream related infections (McDiarmid et al., 2017). As a result, this would allow my team to provide a higher level of healthcare quality as compared to other PICC teams and probably be the most preferred team offering the PICC services. Another substantial opportunity is the determination among the team members to provide a higher level of service quality in contrast to our rivals.

Threats

Threats also known as risks are the external factors that could negatively affect the goals of the project and are beyond the control of the project management team. One significant difference between the threats and the weakness identified is that the project team has the power of their shortcomings and can substantially turn them into opportunities (Shinno et al., 2016). One considerable risk was the strict requirements by the joint commission of the healthcare sector to offer the PICC services while the second one was the unsustainable cost increments of the essential PICC devices. However, effective measures should be implemented to successfully address these threats and thus improve the services being offered by the PICC project team

References

DeSilets, L. D. (2018). SWOT is useful in your tool kit. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 39(5), 196-197.

Guenezan, J., Drugeon, B., Marjanovic, N., & Mimoz, O. (2018). Treatment of central line-associated bloodstream infections.McDiarmid, S., Scrivens, N., Carrier, M., Sabri, E., Toye, B., Huebsch, L., & Fergusson, D. (2017). Outcomes in a nurse-led peripherally inserted central catheter program: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ open, 5(3), E535.

Shinno, H., Yoshioka, H., Marpaung, S., & Hachiga, S. (2016). Quantitative SWOT analysis on global competitiveness of machine tool industry. Journal of engineering design, 17(03), 251-258.