Written review of Nurse-Up!
Proposal provided by group 12
Name Joyce Rommens
Student number 464481
Course Health Services Innovation
Master program Healthcare Management
Word count 1000
, Criteria based on the literature
An innovation should be built upon a proper problem formulation. The problem formulation is crucial
to form a basis on which the tasks of forming an innovation follow (van de Ven, 2007). To formulate a
research problem, the following activities should be done: (1) acknowledge and situate a problem,
(2) collect information to ground the setting of the problem, (3) determine the characteristics of the
problem by analysing the information, and (4) determine the actions or questions that should be
pursued to resolve the problem (van de Ven, 2007). This criterion is based on a general innovators
perspective.
Furthermore, from a design thinking perspective, when finding an innovation to solve the
problem, the more rational approach of coming up with an innovation is valuable but insufficient.
With a design thinking approach, the adaptive reasoning is more stimulated. Imaginative insights are
used together with learning from practical experiences (Glen & Suciu, 2014). Therefore, an
innovation should be less rationally based, and more creative design based. However, there is no
need to invent something new. Many innovations involve creatively applying something that has
already proved successful in another situation (Huizingh, 2011).
Lastly, from a stakeholder perspective, the business model plays an important role, involving
the various stakeholders (Christensen et al., 2009). The innovation should therefore have an
implementation framework which provides a systematic and multidisciplinary perspective on the
innovation and could be of value to the involved stakeholders (Wensing et al., 2020).
In the following section, the problem formulation of the proposed innovation will be
discussed. Also, the creativity of the innovation is addressed. Lastly, the implementation plan and the
involvement of the various stakeholders will be evaluated.
Critical discussion of three key issues
The first issue of the innovation proposal is the insufficient problem formulation. According to the
authors of the innovation proposal, the identified problem is the shortage of health care
professionals. They state: ‘the recent COVID-19 pandemic unveiled a problem in the nurse workforce
both in hospitals and long-term care.’ With this statement they acknowledge the problem, which is,
according to van de Ven (2007), the first activity of a proper problem formulation. However, the
second activity, collecting information to ground the problem and its setting, is insufficiently
explained before presenting the solution. After acknowledging that there is a shortage of care staff,
the authors immediately make a statement that attracting male staff is the solution: ‘Attracting men
to the nursing profession, thus decreasing the shortage…’
Proposal provided by group 12
Name Joyce Rommens
Student number 464481
Course Health Services Innovation
Master program Healthcare Management
Word count 1000
, Criteria based on the literature
An innovation should be built upon a proper problem formulation. The problem formulation is crucial
to form a basis on which the tasks of forming an innovation follow (van de Ven, 2007). To formulate a
research problem, the following activities should be done: (1) acknowledge and situate a problem,
(2) collect information to ground the setting of the problem, (3) determine the characteristics of the
problem by analysing the information, and (4) determine the actions or questions that should be
pursued to resolve the problem (van de Ven, 2007). This criterion is based on a general innovators
perspective.
Furthermore, from a design thinking perspective, when finding an innovation to solve the
problem, the more rational approach of coming up with an innovation is valuable but insufficient.
With a design thinking approach, the adaptive reasoning is more stimulated. Imaginative insights are
used together with learning from practical experiences (Glen & Suciu, 2014). Therefore, an
innovation should be less rationally based, and more creative design based. However, there is no
need to invent something new. Many innovations involve creatively applying something that has
already proved successful in another situation (Huizingh, 2011).
Lastly, from a stakeholder perspective, the business model plays an important role, involving
the various stakeholders (Christensen et al., 2009). The innovation should therefore have an
implementation framework which provides a systematic and multidisciplinary perspective on the
innovation and could be of value to the involved stakeholders (Wensing et al., 2020).
In the following section, the problem formulation of the proposed innovation will be
discussed. Also, the creativity of the innovation is addressed. Lastly, the implementation plan and the
involvement of the various stakeholders will be evaluated.
Critical discussion of three key issues
The first issue of the innovation proposal is the insufficient problem formulation. According to the
authors of the innovation proposal, the identified problem is the shortage of health care
professionals. They state: ‘the recent COVID-19 pandemic unveiled a problem in the nurse workforce
both in hospitals and long-term care.’ With this statement they acknowledge the problem, which is,
according to van de Ven (2007), the first activity of a proper problem formulation. However, the
second activity, collecting information to ground the problem and its setting, is insufficiently
explained before presenting the solution. After acknowledging that there is a shortage of care staff,
the authors immediately make a statement that attracting male staff is the solution: ‘Attracting men
to the nursing profession, thus decreasing the shortage…’
