HC002 Strategic Planning Needs Analysis

Grace J.
November 28, 2025January 9, 2026
MSN, NURS6053, Walden University

Student Name

Walden University

NURS 6053 – Interprofessional Organizational and Systems Leadership

Prof. Name

Date

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is a core organizational process that enables leaders to define long-term objectives and determine the best pathways to achieve them. This forward-focused approach assists organizations in identifying internal strengths, uncovering operational weaknesses, and anticipating environmental uncertainties. As noted by Martin (2018), strategic planning is inherently proactive, helping decision-makers stay aligned on strategic priorities and prepare for emerging challenges before they escalate. In this discussion, special attention is given to a significant and persistent strategic concern—labor shortages—and how this issue affects healthcare organizations, particularly Hackensack Meridian Health.

What Is the Strategic Planning Issue?

Labor shortages represent one of the most pressing strategic issues in healthcare today. Many organizations are struggling to maintain sufficient staffing levels, and this challenge is especially evident within Hackensack Meridian Health. Workforce shortages are being intensified by post-pandemic exhaustion, an aging labor force, and ongoing workforce attrition. According to The University of Southern California (2022), healthcare staffing levels have been declining steadily, a trend further intensified by burnout, retirement, and shifting workforce expectations.

Additionally, Gardner (2022) highlights that vaccine hesitancy among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic created additional staffing pressures by limiting the pool of eligible workers. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2022) also reports a decline in the supply of registered nurses, particularly among younger hospital-based staff—an alarming trend that compounds the severity of the shortage. As a result, organizations like Hackensack Meridian Health are experiencing challenges in sustaining high-quality care delivery.

What Are Hackensack Meridian Health’s Mission, Vision, and Values?

Hackensack Meridian Health’s mission is centered on transforming healthcare to serve as a catalyst for positive change within the community. Its vision emphasizes delivering compassionate, accessible, affordable, and high-quality care to all patients. The organization values excellence, patient-centered service, and clinical innovation.

However, ongoing labor shortages make it increasingly difficult to uphold these commitments. When insufficient staffing undermines the capacity to deliver timely, patient-centered services, the organization’s mission and vision risk being compromised. Therefore, addressing workforce shortages is essential for sustaining the integrity of Hackensack Meridian Health’s foundational values.

How Can Labor Shortages Be Addressed?

Mitigating labor shortages requires a multi-layered strategy targeting both short-term stabilization and long-term workforce development. Research demonstrates that inadequate staffing correlates with medication errors, elevated patient-to-nurse ratios, increased burnout, and higher mortality rates (Haddad et al., 2022). These consequences underscore the urgency of implementing effective workforce solutions.

Potential strategies include:

Redesigning staffing models to reduce workload strain and improve shift balance.
Investing in professional well-being programs to combat burnout and support staff resilience.
Creating structured mentorship initiatives to encourage retention among newly licensed nurses.
Periodically evaluating assignments and unit demands to ensure equitable distribution of responsibilities.
Building partnerships with academic nursing programs to strengthen future workforce pipelines.

Together, these efforts can help create a safer, more sustainable work environment that enhances both staff satisfaction and patient outcomes.

What Previous Efforts Have Been Made?

Previous attempts to address labor shortages have involved a mix of regulatory, educational, and financial interventions. The National Conference of State Legislators (2022) explains that states have eased licensing requirements, increased training program support, and offered bonuses or tuition reimbursement. While beneficial, these solutions have not fully resolved long-standing staffing deficits.

Many healthcare organizations—including Hackensack Meridian Health—have relied heavily on travel or contract nurses to address gaps. Although this approach offers temporary relief, it is costly and unsustainable, and it may affect consistency in patient care. Long-term success will require more enduring strategies that reduce dependency on temporary labor.

What Are the Strengths of Hackensack Meridian Health?

Hackensack Meridian Health is widely recognized for its commitment to personalized and culturally responsive care. This strength is supported by the organization’s ability to adjust treatment services to meet the diverse needs of its patient population. The organization also maintains high clinical performance ratings across several specialties, as evidenced by its numerous Healthgrades Excellence Awards (Hackensack Meridian Health, 2022). These achievements underscore the organization’s dedication to exemplary care and evidence-based practice.

What Are the Weaknesses Within the Organization?

Despite its strengths, Hackensack Meridian Health faces challenges that hinder operational efficiency. Prolonged patient wait times, compounded by staff turnover, represent ongoing weaknesses. High turnover disrupts care continuity and intensifies wait times, ultimately impacting both patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Alrasheedi et al. (2019) found that extended wait times are associated with diminished patient experiences and potentially poorer health results. Addressing these weaknesses will require improvements in workforce stability and process efficiency.

What Market Opportunities Exist?

Hackensack Meridian Health has several opportunities to strengthen its market position and improve recruitment and retention. Offering sign-on bonuses, competitive salaries, and expanded employee benefits can help attract qualified candidates in a competitive labor environment. Furthermore, investing in efficiency-driven care models can reduce unnecessary costs and improve the patient experience. By prioritizing employee well-being and optimizing care delivery, the organization can enhance its appeal to prospective staff while maintaining affordability for patients.

What Environmental Threats Affect the Organization?

Several external threats influence Hackensack Meridian Health’s strategic environment. Negative patient perceptions, especially those related to delays in care or communication issues, can harm the organization’s reputation and erode trust. Additionally, intense competition for skilled healthcare professionals creates a risk of losing talent to other organizations offering more attractive incentives. To counter these threats, Hackensack Meridian Health must strengthen patient engagement efforts and develop retention-focused strategies that encourage long-term employee commitment.

Conclusion

Strategic planning provides organizations with the tools needed to identify key challenges, set priorities, and pursue meaningful improvement. Labor shortages remain a critical issue within the healthcare sector, particularly for organizations such as Hackensack Meridian Health. Addressing these shortages requires proactive planning, creative workforce development strategies, and continuous improvement efforts. By adopting sustainable staffing solutions, the organization can protect the quality of patient care and reinforce its mission, vision, and values.

Summary Table: Key Elements of Hackensack Meridian Health’s Strategic Planning Issue

Category	Details
Strategic Issue	Labor shortages affecting service delivery, caused by burnout, aging workforce, and post-pandemic impacts
Mission	Advance healthcare transformation and serve as a force for community health improvement
Vision	Deliver accessible, affordable, high-quality, patient-centered care
Values	Commitment to excellence, compassion, and patient-first service
Impact of Shortages	Medication errors, burnout, increased patient-to-staff ratios, and greater mortality risk
Previous Solutions	Licensing flexibility, educational incentives, financial bonuses, and reliance on contract nurses
Strengths	Individualized care, strong specialty outcomes, national recognition
Weaknesses	Long wait times and elevated staff turnover
Opportunities	Sign-on bonuses, strengthened benefits, and improved cost-efficient care models
Environmental Threats	Negative patient experiences and ongoing competition for skilled healthcare workers

References

Alrasheedi, K., Al-Mohaithef, M., Edrees, H., & Chandramohan, S. (2019). The association between wait times and patient outcomes: A systematic literature review. Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392819861246

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2022). Nursing shortage. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/factsheets/nursing-shortage