Implementing change
In today’s ever-growing society, change is inevitable and necessary. Grossman and Valiga (2013) emphasized by stating that the only permanent thing is change. According to Hewitt-Taylor (2013) change is “observable things that happen or are done differently” (p. 35). Change allows for growth and accomplishment of goals and it can be planned or unexpected (Grossman & Valiga, 2013). Nursing has recently undergone different changes due to improved healthcare and the rise of technology used in healthcare settings. In many organizations, leaders are responsible for implementing change. Therefore, they should recognize how pivotal their role is when implementing change. In order for nursing leaders to be successful in implementing
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In every organization, change occurs often to improve nursing care and patient outcomes. Implementing change can be a stressful process for the leaders and staff because it changes how they always do things. Therefore, it is the responsibility for all involved in the change to work together to ensure the change is smooth. It is important for nurse leaders to know that when implementing change there will be some resistance to the change. A leader should be able to assess the effects change has on the team and provide support. According to Hewitt-Taylor (2013), change without resistance is no change at all. Resistance can slow down a change process or prevent the change for happening. A leader implementing change should identify what the various barriers to change are and find ways to manage them. Followers may resist change due to lack of knowledge about the change, anxiety about the change, decreased resources, and pressure to get their duties done while implementing the change (Grossman & Valiga, 2013). If barriers to change are not managed well, they can affect the outcome of the change, the morale of the followers, increase turnover rates, and affect the work …show more content…
It is important for the leader to ensure that the staff understands the change because they are the ones who will be implementing the change. This is a vital step for change to occur; people who the change will affect have to believe that the change is important. The leader has to build trust, respect, and motivate the team. Motivating the team is important because it creates a drive to implement the change. The leader should identify the resisting forces that attempt to maintain the status quo. It is important to overcome resistance because if it is stronger than the force to implement change, then no change will occur. Ways to reduce resistance include announcing in advance what the change is, giving staff time to adjust to the idea of change, educating staff of the change, and providing evidence based information on the
Stichler, J. F., (2011). Leading Change. One of a Leader's Most Important Roles. Nursing for Women's Health, 15(2),, 166–170.
Resistance to change must be overcome before moving to the second stage. The second stage is the change stage. A change in feelings, behavior, thoughts or all three (Nursing Theory, 2015). This stage includes the “movement”. For this stage to be effective staff must be “on board”. The staff have to be involved and understand the benefits to themselves and patients in order to make the change. Nurse J. can lead staff and support changes to ensure better care for the patients. The staff behavior and thoughts regarding asking for help need to become a necessity, part of everyday practice. The third stage of Lewin’s change theory is refreezing (Nursing Theory, 2015). This step includes the staff using the implemented changes without deviation. The education regarding the new changes must be followed by practicing the new changes and applying the new changes with every patient, every time, until the new changes are “second nature”. The implementation of new staffing criteria and education of sedation policy are needed in this scenario. Every staff member, new and old, must be educated on the policy and updated every time when there is a change if applicable. Staffing grid should be implemented and staff need to
The authors in this article aimed to discover nurse manager leadership styles and their outcomes. Nurses from hospitals in the Northeastern part of the United States were asked questions. The data was collected in a locked room, alone, so no one would influence the answers of someone else. The results were put into a software program and displayed for analysis. Results showed when choosing a nurse for a managerial leadership role, one should choose someone if they have the basic components of transformational leadership, not transactional leadership. The authors show that transformational leadership had revealed positive patient outcomes, retention, and satisfaction in the nursing staff. Those nurse leaders who have qualities of transformational leadership are encouraged to build on those skills constantly.
Cronenwett et al emphasises the key competencies for nursing are not only providing patient centred care, ensuring safety, team work but also quality improvement, suggesting all nurses must embrace change. However embracing change can be difficult due to many barriers. Brown et al and Gerrish identify some of these barriers such as time constraints, communication issues and differences professional issues.
The article I chose to discuss for this week’s discussion is by Doody, C. & Doody, O. (2012). This article focuses on transformational leadership and its use in nursing/health care. This article draws attention to the many changes that have taken place in nursing/healthcare and how nursing theories and nursing frameworks must continue to evolve as changes are made. As nursing theories and nursing frameworks continue to advance and change, leadership styles must also continue to evolve as time progresses and as changes are made in the healthcare field. This article points out current healthcare issues and the need for strong leaders to overcome obstacles and challenges. Also, background information and a definition of transformational leadership
Change is a double-edged sword (Fullan, 2001). Change is a word that might inspire or put fear into people. Leadership is challenging when it comes to dealing with change and how individuals react within the organization to the change. Marzano, McNulty, and Waters (2005) discuss two orders of change in their book School Leadership that Works; first and second. Fullan (2001) also adds to the discussion in his book Leading in a Culture of Change, with regard to understanding change. In Change Leadership, Keagan and Wagner (2006) discuss many factors of change and the systematic approach to change. Change affects people in different ways. Leaders need to be able to respond to the individuals throughout the change process.
Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2011). Leading Change. Leading and managing in nursing (5th ed., pp. 327-
Health care organizations and the way patient care is delivered is rapidly changing. The ability to manage, promote, and facilitate change is one of the most important skills that nursing leaders need to be successful. Influencing change requires effective communication skills, and the ability to help others see the vision (Curtis, De Vries, & Sheerin, 2011). Nursing leadership can no longer take a top down approach when leading change. During periods of organizational change there is great uncertainty. Nurse leaders are responsible for influencing change by creating an atmosphere where information is shared, there is a reshaping of ideas, and a vision is created (Samela, Eriksson, & Fagerstrom, 2011). Effective communication is an essential
A solid theoretical foundation is required to lead and manage change. For efficient and effective change to take place it must be intentional. Leadership set the tone and the direction of an organization allowing it or hindering it to change and adapt. Leader can use tactics and skills to create an organic change environment with the right change models and interventions when the organization is most ready for change.
Doody, O., & Doody, C. (2012). Transformational leadership in nursing practice. British Journal of Nursing, 21(20). Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.ohiou.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3655bc92-b9ec-4a08-84d8-f5d3098ddfdf%40sessionmgr120&vid=17&hid=116
In healthcare it is very important to have strong leaders, especially in the nursing profession. A nurse leader typically uses several styles of leadership depending on the situation presented; this is known as situational leadership. It is important that the professional nurse choose the right style of leadership for any given situation to ensure their employees are performing at their highest potential. Depending on which leadership style a nurse leader uses, it can affect staff retention and the morale of the employees as well as nurse job satisfaction (Azaare & Gross, 2011.) “Nursing leaders have the responsibility to create and maintain a work environment which not only promotes positive patient outcomes but also positively influences teams and individual nurses” (Malloy & Penprase, 2010.) Let’s explore two different leadership styles and discuss how they can enhance or diminish the nursing process.
Nurses are uniquely qualified to fill a demand for change through leadership. Unlike business minded individuals whose primary outcome concern is monetary, a nurses’ primary concern is organic: a living, breathing, tangible being. In a leadership role, a nurse might consider an organization as if it were a grouping of patients, or perhaps an individual patient, each limb with its own characteristics and distinct concerns. They can effectively categorize and prioritize important personal and professional matters and are therefore ideally positioned to lead change efforts. Perhaps most importantly, effective nurse leaders can provide clarity to the common goal and empower others to see their self-interests served by a better common good (Yancer, 2012).
Managing resistance starts with dialogue that engages and reveals the underlying reasons for resistance (A. Gilley, J. Gilley, & Godek, & 2009). Resistance to change is a complex issue and managers and leaders need to take the time to understand why and where the resistance is coming from if they have any chance of being successful. There are numerous reasons why an employee might be resisting the change and there are lots of approaches to address resistance, but without understanding why there is resistance, leaders are unprepared to deal with the issue. Therefore, leaders need to make the time to involve employees in the process, understand and respect their concerns, and work towards clear and focused goals.
Prevention of resistance is most effective when implementing change. Preventing the weight of inertia in a workplace allows the change to happen in a timely manner with minimal problems. As Lee (2004) emphasizes, leaders have the ability to effect change and performance. If someone is accountable for outcomes and poor habits, outcomes will improve. The manager must show a caring attitude over the process of change and welcome any positive innovation. This caring attitude will become contagious to the employees working under him and become a priority to them as well. Approaching the change in an accepting, open-minded manner can decrease the vulnerability and frustration associated with change. How the change is presented can make the biggest difference in the outcome of the change. The manager must show that blaming will be avoided at all costs. One will only ask why, not who, to avoid the feeling of belittlement. This can allow employees to become comfortable with voicing their opinions and mistakes, which can allow an even greater range of improvement. The manager must also encourage...
The employee reflects change in an organization as a shift of role, responsibilities and skill. However, in an organizational level its refers change as a framework structure around the changing needs and capability of an organization to perform. Both employee and organization’s perception of change are needed to ensure the change is successful. Brown (2011) reported that “the role of change as a corrective action often affect patterns of work or values, and in consequence meet with resistance” (p. 144). Once an organization and its member decide to conduct a change program, they intensify the forces that driving the change. The life cycle of employee’s resistance is necessary in accomplishing change in an organization. There are five important phases in a life cycle of employee resistance to change in an organization, namely introduce the change, forces of change emerge, direct conflict happens in an organization, residual resistance appear in an organization and lastly, establish the change. (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).