Nursing Management Topic- Planning according to the B.Sc. Nursing IVth year Syllabus

1. UNIT- II
PLANNING- MISSION,
PHILOSOPHY, PRINCIPLES,
ETC.
PREPARED BY-
DR. RAHUL SHARMA
B.Sc. (N), M.Sc. (N), PH.D (N)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR,
JAIPUR NATIONAL UNIVERSITY,
SEEDLING SCHOOL OF NURSING, JAIPUR

2. Mission of planning
The mission of the organization is to provide benefits to its
customers. Since the customer exists outside the organization,
the mission must be defined from an external point of view.
Mission always implies concern with the future and with this in
mind, planning:
1. Leads to success in achieving goals;
2. Provides meaning to effective use of available resources
such as personnel and facilities in the organization;
3. Helps to cope with situational crises;
4. Ensures effective control leading to cost effectiveness and
5. Helps to discover the need for change.

3. Philosophy of planning
1. Planning sets guidelines and constraints for the behaviour of
the firm.
2. Planning requires flexibility, energy and specificity. It should
be simple, realistic, a guide for action in reaching the goal, and
must allow for adjustment as expected and unexpected events
occur.
3. Planning is essential; a manager must be able to overcome
barriers that impede planning.
4. Planning must be done by hierarchical order and must be
congruent in its flow.

4. Principles of planning
1. Contribution to objectives: Every major and derivative plan should
contribute positively towards the accomplishment of the enterprise’s
objectives.
2. Efficiency of plans: The efficiency of a plan is measured by the
amount it contributes to desired objectives minus the costs and other
undesirable consequences involved in the formulation and operation of
the plans. This principle stresses the economical use of individual efforts
to achieve group goals.
3. Primacy of planning: This principle emphasizes that a manager can
hardly perform other managerial functions without a road map of plans
to guide him .
4. Planning premises: A coordinated structure of plans can be
developed only when managers throughout the organization understand
and agree to utilize consistent planning premises. Perhaps the main
deficiency of planning arises from poorly structured plans.

5. Principles of planning
5. Policy framework: A consistent and effective framework of plans
can be developed only if the basic policies that guide decisions are
expressed clearly and are understood by the manager who prepares the
plans.
6. Timing: When the plans are structured in a time frame to provide an
appropriately limited, network of derivative and supporting programmes,
these plans can contribute effectively and efficiently towards the
attainment of the enterprise objectives. Both premises and policies are
useless without proper timing.
7. Alternatives: In choosing from alternatives, the planner should focus
primarily on those factors that are critical to the attainment of the desired
goal. This will help in selecting the most favourable alternative.
8. Commitment: Logical planning should cover a time period that can
ensure that the commitment involved in a decision can be fulfilled. This
is necessary to make reasonably sure that commitments are met.

6. Principles of planning
9. Flexibility: This principle deals with the ability to change
what is built into the plans and reduce the risk of loss due to
unexpected events. However, the cost of flexibility should be
weighed against the dangers of future commitments made.
10. Navigational change: The manager should periodically
check on events and expectations and redraw plans to
maintain a course towards the desired goal. Unless plans have
in-built flexibility, navigational change is difficult or costly. But
in-built flexibility should not be an excuse to refrain from
periodic revision of plans, if circumstances so warrant.
11. Competitive strategies: While formulating plans, a
manager should take into account the plans of rivals or
competitors, and what they would do in a similar situation.

7. Objectives of planning
Objectives are framed to ensure the success of an
organization. Planning is not possible in the absence of
objectives. Following are the objectives for management
planning:
1.To bring about unity and uniformity in the working of an
organization.
2.To achieve coordination in power and efforts of the
employees working in an organization.
3.To direct human power towards collective interest.
4.To curtail the cost/expenses of an organization.
5.To bring about a certainty in the functions by formulating
plans

8. Importance of planning
1. Planning is an important function of management; therefore,
an organization’s success depends on good planning.
2. Planning eliminates or reduces the chances of uncertainty.
3. Planning avoids overlapping of activities.
4. Planning helps to set standards and targets.
5. Planning helps in coordinating activities.
6. Planning gives direction to an organization.
7. Planning eliminates duplication of efforts.
8. Planning concentrates resources on important services.
9. Planning improves communication and inter-personal
relationships.

9. Importance of planning
10. Planning is looking ahead; determining goals, objectives,
policies, procedures and methods and considering various
other activities
11. Planning ensures the best utilization of resources and
economy of performance.
12. Planning is a continuous process, affecting improvement
in services and solving problems.
13. Planning ensures order and control.
14. Planning leads to effectiveness and efficiency.
15. Planning provides flexibility and makes provision for
further growth and development.
16. Planning helps in decision making.
17. Planning reduces the cost of performance.

10. Components of planning
1. Objectives: Objectives comprise a basic plan, which
determines the goals or end results of the projected action of
an enterprise. By setting goals, objectives provide the
foundation upon which the structure of a plan can be built.
2. Policies: Policies are written statements or oral
understanding. Sometimes, they are general terms for
governing actions in repetitive situations. Realization of
objectives is made easy with the help of policies, as policies
provide practical solutions to problem.
3. Procedures: Procedures indicate the specific manner in
which a certain activity is to be performed. They are more
definite and specific guides to action, but only for the fulfilment
of objectives.

11. Components of planning
4. Programmes: Programmes join together different plans for
implementing them in a complete and orderly course of action.
Programmes are necessary for both repetitive (routine
planning) and non-repetitive (creative planning) course of
action.
5. Budgets: Budgets are plans continuing statements of
expected results in numerical terms, that is, rupees, man-
hours, product units and so forth.

12. Planning levels in management
Planning may be classified into directional planning, administrative
planning and operational planning.
Directional planning
It is often called policy planning and is concerned with the broad
general direction of the programme, that is, setting the framework of
intent and philosophy within which the programme will proceed, and
relating the programme to the broad planning of the community in
which the programme will function, e.g. the state level planning at
the directorate or secretariat of states or union (centre).
Administrative planning
It is concerned with the overall implementation of the policies
developed and mobilization and coordination of the personnel and
material available in the administrative unit for the effectuation of the
service. For example, the medical superintendents in major hospitals
or district surgeons in district hospitals or medical superintendents in
primary health centres are responsible for administrative planning.

13. Planning levels in management
Operational planning
It is concerned with the actual delivery of the service to the community. For
example, nursing personnel of all levels plan to deliver proper service to the
community either in hospital or community. Planning may be classified as
long range and short range and also as strategic and operational. There are
similar activities involved in long- and short-range planning and also in
strategic and operational planning.
Strategic planning
Usually the strategic and long-range planning is undertaken by the top
level, which involves following activities:
1. Providing detailed analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats (SWOT) of an organization’s both internal and external
environments.
2. Developing philosophy and formulation of objectives.
3. Allocating resources on the basis of priority.
4. Evaluating activities to increase efficiency.
5. Providing proper direction to avoid duplication of services.

14. Planning levels in management
Operational planning
Usually this operational and short-range planning is
undertaken by middle or supervisory level personnel. This
involves:
1. Planning for a few months to a financial year.
2. Planning on budgeting details and provision of short-range
goods; this should be achieved within the given period.
3. Extensional aspect of long-range plan can sometimes apply
to our nursing situation. The need arises to budget time and
related provisions for providing nursing care in accordance to
the events and situation.

15. Characteristics and nature of planning
The following are the important characteristics of planning
1. It focuses on objectives: A plan starts with the setting of
objectives and then makes efforts to realize them by developing
policies, procedures, strategies, etc.
2. It is an intellectual process: According to Koontz and O’Donnell,
planning is an intellectual process involving mental exercise,
foreseeing future developments, making forecasts and determining
the best course of action.
3. It is a selective process: It involves the selection of the best
course of action after making a careful analysis of various
alternatives. It is concerned with decision making relating to (1) what
is to be done, (2) how it is to be done, (3) when it is to be done and
(4) by whom it is to be done.
4. It is pervasive: Planning covers all levels of an enterprise. While
the top management is concerned with strategic planning, the middle
and lower management are concerned with administrative planning
and operational planning, respectively.

16. Characteristics and nature of planning
5. It is an integrated process: Planning involves not only the
determination of objectives but also the formulation of sound
policies, programmes, procedures and strategies for the
accomplishment of these objectives. It is the first of the managerial
functions and facilitates other managerial functions like organizing,
staffing, directing and controlling.
6. It is directed towards efficiency: The guiding principles of a
good plan are maximum output and profit at minimum cost. George
Terry has aptly stated that ‘planning is the foundation of the most
successful action of an enterprise.’
7. It is flexible: The process of planning should be adaptable to the
changes taking place in the environment. Koontz and O’Donnell
emphasize that ‘effective planning requires continual checking on
events and forecasts and the redrawing of plans to maintain a
course towards a designed goal.’
8. It is the first function in the process of management: A
manager must plan before he can possibly organize, staff, direct or
control. Because planning sets all other functions into action, it can
be seen as the most basic function of management. Without
planning, other functions become a meaningless activity producing
nothing but chaos.

17. Characteristics and nature of planning
9. It is a decision-making process: Decision making occurs
at many points in the planning process. Therefore, planning
features an important aspect called decision making. It can be
defined as the process of picking out between different
choices. This can be exemplified by giving an example: in the
planning process for their organization, managers decide
which goals to follow up on; whether they need to manufacture
all parts in-house or buy some parts from outside ?
10. It is a continuous process: Koontz and O’Donnell
appropriately observe this fact. Like a navigator constantly
checks where his ship is smoothly sailing in the vast ocean, in
the same way a manager should also constantly ascertain the
progress of his plans. He must constantly keep tabs on the
conditions, both within and outside the organization, to find out
if changes are necessary in his plans.

18. Essentials of a good plan
According to Urwick, the essentials of a good plan are as follows:
1. It should be based on a clearly defined objective.
2. It must be simple.
3. It should be rational and appropriate.
4. It should be comprehensive.
5. It should provide for a proper analysis and classification of
actions.
6. It must be flexible.
7. It must be balanced.
8. It must use all available resources and opportunities to the utmost
(maximum or extreme) before creating new authorities and new
resources.
9. It should be free from social and psychological biases of the
planners as well as of subordinates.
10. There should be proper coordination among short- and long-term
plans.

19. Advantages of planning
The following points emphasize the benefits of planning:
1. Offsets future uncertainty and change: A business
concern has to work in an environment which is uncertain and
ever changing. Planning helps the manager carve out the
future course of action and this brings a higher degree of
certainty and order into the organization, than would be
present without planning.
2. Tackles increasing complexity in modern business: To
run a modern business undertaking, there is need for a large
number of people with different specializations and complex
machines. This makes it necessary for the management to
depend on planning to get a clear idea of what is to be done,
when it is to be done, where it is to be done and how it is to be
done.

20. Advantages of planning
3. Helps in coordination: Planning, through its defined
objectives, well-publicized policies, programmes and
procedures, helps the management in the coordination
process. According to Koontz and O’Donnell, ‘plans are
selected courses along which the management desires to
coordinate group action.’
4. Helps in exercising effective control: Planning involves
determining in advance the work to be done, the person
responsible for doing it, the time to be taken to do that work
and the costs to be incurred. This makes it easy to compare
the actual performance with the planned one. In case of
deviations, steps may be taken to find out the reasons for such
deviations. Thus, planning helps in exercising effective control.

21. Advantages of planning
5. Helps in the proper utilization of the company’s
resources: As planning involves deciding in advance what is
to be done, when, where, by whom it is to be done, etc., it is
possible to properly utilize the company’s resources and to
achieve its objectives in the best and most cost-effective
manner.
6. Facilitates unity of action: When properly planned,
policies, procedures and programmes are predetermined, and
every decision and action should be within the framework of
such policies, procedures and programmes. This facilitates
unity of action and also avoids confusion or misunderstanding
at any level.

22. Advantages of planning
7. Helps in avoiding business failures: As planning involves the
selection of best objectives, unity of action, coordination of activities,
economy in operation and offsetting of future uncertainty and
change, there is a great possibility of avoiding business failures.
8. Focuses attention on the organization’s goals: Planning
facilitates a manager to concentrate his attention on the
organizational goals and activities. This makes it easier to enforce
and align the resources of the organization in an efficient manner.
The organization as a whole then becomes able to embrace similar
goals and collaborates in accomplishing them.
9. Improves competitive strength: The enterprises that adopt
planning will have a competitive edge over other enterprises which
do not. This is because planning enables such enterprises to
discover new opportunities and thereby shape their own future.

23. Advantages of planning
10. Improves adaptability: Planning helps the manager
to foresee the challenges that may crop up during the
process, and he/she may accordingly keep room for
adaptability.
11. Guides decision making: The success of an
organization depends to a great extent on the type of
decisions that are made at the various levels. Decision
making involves making a choice from various available
alternatives after evaluating each of them. Planning
targets, objectives and course of action provide managers
with guidelines and criteria against which to evaluate
alternatives and choose those which are the most
suitable.

24. Limitations or disadvantages of planning
1. Forecasts: Planning is based on forecasts and if
realizable data is not available for making forecasts,
planning is sure to lose much of its value.
2. Rigidity: Planning implies strict adherence to
predetermined policies, procedures and programmes.
This restricts individual freedom, initiative and desire for
creativity.
3. Time consuming: Planning is time consuming and
may delay action in certain cases. But to make plans
realistic, it is necessary that sufficient time be given to the
planning process.

25. Limitations or disadvantages of planning
4. Costly: Planning is an expensive exercise as a lot of money
has to be spent for preparing estimates, collecting information
and facts for analysis, etc.
5. Influence of external factors: Sometimes, because of the
influence of external factors like government control, natural
calamities, break-out of war, changes in political and economic
situations, etc., that are beyond the control of the planners, the
effectiveness of planning becomes limited.
6. Limited scope for specific organizations: With quickly
changing situations in organizations, the scope of planning is
said to be restricted. It is asserted that for industries engaged
in the publication of textbooks or producing fashionable
articles, working on a daily basis is more economical than on a
planned basis.

26. Limitations or disadvantages of planning
7. People’s resistance: Planning may sometimes
generate resistance. In old established organizations,
managers are often frustrated in instituting a new plan
simply by the unwillingness or inability of workers to
accept it.
8. Failure of planners: Sometimes, the persons involved
in the planning process fail to formulate correct plans.
Some of the reasons for this failure are lack of
commitment to planning, failure to formulate sound
strategies, lack of clearly defined objectives, tendency to
overlook planning premises, lack of clarity on the scope of
plans, lack of support from the top management, lack of
effective control techniques, lack of delegation of
authority, etc.

27. Classification of planning
Planning is basically classified on the basis of (1) time, (2)
managerial levels, (3) repetitiveness of the operations in
the firm and (4) scope.
1. Time: Long range, medium range and short range.
2. Managerial level : Strategic plans, administrative plans
and operational plans.
3. Repetitiveness of the operations: Standing plan and
single-use plan.
4. Scope : Company or master plan and functional or
departmental plan for each department, e.g. production,
finance, marketing, human resources, etc.

28. Planning methods
Depending on their nature and scope, plans can be
broadly classified as follows
A. Standing or repeated-use plans
1. Objectives
2. Policies
3. Procedures
4. Methods
5. Rules
6. Strategies
B. Single-use plans
1. Programmes
2. Budgets

29. Factors influencing planning
The following factors influence the planning.
On the basis of stated objectives, an organization develops
standing plans and single-use plans. Standing plans that are to
be used over and over again lead to the development of
policies, procedures, methods, rules and strategies. Single-use
plans that are to be used in specific situations only produce
programmes and budgets.
Objectives
Organizational objectives are the basis for developing a plan.
Planning dimensions include the relationship between
management and organizational objectives, individual versus
organizational objectives, operational objectives and
management objectives. This also throws light on strategic
planning, decision-making processes and various types of
plans and planning tools available to managers.

30. While laying down objectives, there are certain
requirements that managers should always keep in mind:
1. Objectives must support one another.
2. Objectives must be precise and measurable.
3. Objectives must be clear.
4. Objectives should always remain valid.
5. Objectives should be result centred.
6. Objectives should encourage higher performance, yet
be realistic.
7. Objectives must be balanced.

31. Advantages of objectives
1. Objectives are pathfinders for other types of plans such
as policies, procedures, rules and regulations.
2. Objectives are the pillars of strong planning of the
organization.
3. Objectives avoid haphazard actions and confusion in
the accomplishment of purpose.
4. Objectives help to build coordination and individual
development in the organization.
5. Objectives provide better controlling through standards
against performance.
6. Objectives develop better communication systems in
the organization.

32. Policies
Policies provide the framework within which the decision
makers are expected to operate. They are a guide to the
thinking and action of subordinates for the purpose of
achieving the objectives of the business successfully.
According to George R. Terry, ‘Policy is a verbal, written or
implied overall guide setting up boundaries that supply the
general limits and directions in which managerial action will
take place.’ Thus, policies are a guide to thinking and action of
those who have to make decisions.
Characteristics of a good policy
1. Policy should help in achieving the enterprise’s objectives.
2. It should provide only a broad outline and leave scope for
interpretation by subordinates so that their initiatives are not
hampered.
3. Policies should not be mutually contradictory and there
should not be inconsistency between any two policies that may
result in confusion and delay in action.

33. Characteristics of a good policy
4. Policies should be sound, logical and flexible, and
should provide a guide for thinking in future planning and
action. Further, they should provide limits within which
decisions have to be made.
5. Policies should reflect the internal and external
business environment.
6. Policies should be in writing and the language of the
policies should be intelligible to the persons who are
supposed to implement them and to those who are to be
affected by them.

34. Guidelines for effective policy making
1. Policies as far as possible should be in writing.
2. They should be clearly understood by those who are supposed to
implement them.
3. They should reflect the objectives of the organization.
4. Subordinates and top managers who are required to implement
policies must participate in the formulation of policies.
5. Conditions change and policies must also change accordingly.
Hence, a policy must strike a reasonable balance between stability
and flexibility.
6. Different policies in the organization should back up one another
and should not move in different directions.
7. Policies should not cause any kind of damage to the interests of
society.
8. At regular time intervals, policies should be reviewed to ascertain
if any modifications are necessary to change any aspect in it or
completely give up the policy.

35. Procedures
Objectives and policies do not state the ways and means through
which they are to be accomplished and put into effect. Hence, there
is a need for procedures. Procedures are clear-cut administrative
specifications prescribing the time sequence for work to be done.
They can be defined as plans ‘prescribing the exact chronological
sequence of specific tasks required to perform designated work.’
Thus, procedures tell how a particular activity is to be carried out.
Important features of procedures
1. They are a guide to action.
2. They are generally meant for repetitive work so that some steps
are followed every time that activity is accomplished. This is the
reason why ‘procedures’ are also called ‘repetitive use plans.
3. Procedures are established in keeping with the objectives, policies
and resources position.
4. They are concerned with establishing the time sequence for work
to be done

36. Methods
Method specifies the way in which a particular step is to
be performed. Procedure details the various steps to
be taken to perform a particular task. Method is more
detailed than procedure.
Rules
A rule specifies what is to be done and what may not be
done in a given situation. Rules do not leave any scope
for decision making or judgment. They are to be enforced
rigidly and a fine or penalty may be imposed for ignoring
them. ‘No smoking’ is an example of a rule.

37. Strategy
Strategy is a term which is normally used in the battlefield for
planning a military movement, handling of troops, etc.
In modern times, the word ‘strategy’ has found its way into the
management field. In the context of a business concern, strategy
indicates a specific program of action for achieving the organization’s
objectives by employing the firm’s resources efficiently and
economically. It involves preparing oneself for meeting unforeseen
factors. It is also concerned with meeting the challenges posed by
the policies and actions of other competitors in the market.
Definitions and characteristics of strategy
A.D. Chandler defines strategy as ‘the determination of the basic
long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of
courses of action and the allocation of resources to carry out
these goals.’
According to R.N. Anthony, “strategy is the process of defining the
objectives of the organization, changes in objectives, the resources
used to attain these objectives and the policies that are to govern the
acquisition, use and disposition of these resources.”

38. The above definitions reveal the following important
characteristics of strategy:
1. It provides guidelines to the enterprise for thinking and
action.
2. It involves finding out a judicious combination of human and
other resources to achieve the objectives of the organization.
3. Its formulation involves taking into consideration external
environment (opportunities and challenges) and internal
environment (the organization’s resources and capabilities).
4. As strategy depends on both external and internal
factors that are not static, it has to be adjusted to the changed
circumstances. Hence, strategy is not static but dynamic.
5. Because of the importance of strategy to the business
concern, it is formulated by the top management and not
delegated downward in the organization.

39. Conclusion
Planning is a familiar day-to-day activity. A plan is a
projected course of action. The planning process is a
critical element of management. It must be learned by the
nurse manager because it will not happen by accident.
Planning is that function of a manager in which he
decides in advance what he will do. It is a decision-
making process of a special kind; its essence is futurity.
The responsibility for overall planning is vested in the
highest level of administrative authority. Planning consists
of several individual plans or components and parts that
bind together the structure of operations.

40. THANK YOU