Prepare a 4–5 page capital budget for a major capital acquisition.
You are the unit manager of a 50-bed, step-down unit, and it is time for you to prepare your annual capital budget. You have seen a significant turnover in your nursing staff in the past three years; a review of exit interviews and patient surveys indicates low nurse satisfaction, poor morale, and complaints of an antiquated and depressing work environment. You have researched the impact of a positive working environment on staff productivity and morale and decided to request a renovation of the nurses’ lounge as the main purchase in your capital budget. You will present your request as a quality improvement investment.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
How would you approach the process of designing a capital budget? For example:
What steps would you need to take?
What resources would you access?
Will you collaborate with other executives or staff?
How will you tie the vision for the capital expenditure to the organization’s mission and goals?
What challenges do you anticipate in justifying a capital budget to administrative leaders in an organization?
What criteria might a particular health care organization or service provider apply to evaluate the return on a capital investment?
The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the assessment scoring guide. Be sure that your budget addresses each point, at a minimum. You may also want to read the f Download fto better understand how each criterion will be assessed.
Prepare a capital budget for a facility renovation. Assemble your budget figures in a table, using a format of your choice. You may use either Microsoft Word or Excel to create your budget table.
Note: You may use the budget in the Vila Health: Preparing a Capital Budget multimedia exercise as an example of how you might format your table. You may also use a budget format used in your organization or a format you find in any of the course resources or on the Internet.
Describe the capital acquisition.
Justify the need for the capital acquisition.
Prepare the capital budget.
Describe the process for calculating costs.
Present a plan for budget management.
Explain how the capital acquisition will affect the financial health of the organization.
Present budget data and information clearly and accurately.
Integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to support your budget data and information, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.
you used Microsoft Excel to create your budget table, submit the Excel file along with your budget narrative. You may also add the Excel file to your Word document as an embedded object.
Format your budget using APA style.
Use the APA Style Paper Template, linked above, to help you in writing and formatting your budget. Be sure to include:
An APA-formatted title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
A minimum of five properly formatted citations and references.
Your budget should be 4–5 pages in length, not including the title page and reference page.
