Exploring the planning practices of nurse managers in the unit: a study of nurse managers in the greater Accra region

Purpose: Nurse managers’ planning practices are essential to the practice of management in the unit, and the overall efficiency of the healthcare service delivery. This study aims to explore the planning practices of nurse managers in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive phenomenological design was employed to explore nurse managers' planning practices. In total, 15 nurse managers and 47 nurses from 19 primary and secondary hospitals of the Ghana Health Service and two specialized hospitals in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, were involved in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interview guides and probes. Findings: The findings suggested that plans were widely common to all the units of the hospitals and were considered satisfactory by nurse managers. However, most of these plans were not effectively utilized. Nurse managers had only fair knowledge about the planning process and were moderately involved and communicated ideas to colleagues in the process. Furthermore, nurse managers do not frequently share the vision neither do they even communicate expectations to achieve unit goals and objectives with subordinates. Originality/value: The research emphasizes the relevance of planning in healthcare management. It highlights the management practice of planning in the context of nurse managers and accentuates the values the healthcare system derives with effective planning practices.