Complexity Theory In Nursing

Primary, I believe as individuals, we can become very set in our behaviors. Accepting the reality of change and unpredictability’s can be very intimidating in the work environment. I often hear my co-worker state “This is the way we’ve always done things”. I have accepted complex systems are changing the health care industry and we must learn to work differently. To alter negative perceptions of work flow changes it requires an open mind and learning to adapt to constant change.

Next, looking back at my previous journal written this week, my views on Complexity theories was slightly off track and my thoughts on personal being and self- awareness were correct. I stated Complexity Theory is embracing different concepts of practice within

the organization. Theories that change how we think, act and solve problems. I learned complexity system involve whole-systems thinking, rather than direct. Structures are about seeing the whole picture, not just its parts; work is valued for outcomes, not processes. According to Crowell (2011), complexity leadership is recognized by personal being, and awareness that employs self-reflective, self-care practices for mind, body, and spiritual health.

Additionally, I learned Chaos is the science of surprises, of the nonlinear and the unpredictable.

It teaches us to expect the unexpected. A famous example of chaos theory, referred to as the "butterfly effect, “postulates that the beat of a butterfly's wing could trigger a breath of breeze

that eventually, through a series of initially minute and unforeseeable changes, would become a tornado Crowell (2011). Chaos Theory is based on the unknown variables, the goal of nursing research is to study any possible variables that could negatively impact nursing care, and form plans and policies to remove those variables from the equation.

Last, The Magic of Chaos, that’s every as nurse. Around five am my phone rings, Good morning Ms. Bushnell, “I can’t work today”. That’s usually how my day begins eighty percent of the time. Those phone calls would not have been so bad, if I was working with a full deck of cards. My organization is not the only one with this dilemma of being short staffed, this has become the normal for healthcare. For nurses, this can have profound impact on day-to-day work causing burn out. As a leader, I had to accept the reality that being short staffed was not going to change and adapt accordingly. When leaders are innovative, empower others and promote shared decision, individuals are more likely to embrace the change. Keeping a positive attitude, recognizing others for their hard work and letting them know their valued can increase staff performance. The first thing that came to mind for me in this situation was how we can work smarter and not harder. With staff involvement, we re-evaluated our work flow and redefined some of the roles of nurses in our department for better utilization of time and nursing skills. The change was embraced and staff engagement in the new work flows have been

successful.