Question

You are the project director responsible for creating an implementation timeline that addresses the training and go-live activities for a nursing documentation system that will be implemented on 20 units and involve 350 users. Determine whether the implementation will be staggered or occur simultaneously on all units and provide your rationale.

Answer 1

Implementation will be staggered.

rationale-

The healthcare environment is continuously changing and evolving. Nurses are making great strides to adapt to these changes in an attempt to meet complex health care demands. Kurt Lewin’s Change Management Theory offers a strategic approach that can assist nurses in planning, implementing, and evaluating the proposed change.

Kurt Lewin’s model of change offers a structured approach that can help nurses identify the need for change, navigate through the change process, and achieve a desired goal or outcome .Lewin’s approach to change management can be very useful for health care organizations that strategically plan changes in an attempt to meet ongoing health care demands. Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model can also assist nurses in analyzing the change process and in identifying forces that support or resist the change .Lewin identified these forces as driving forces and restraining forces, respectively. driving forces initiate change and assist organizations in reaching their desired goals. Restraining forces, on the other hand, are static forces that counteract the driving force and prevent the change from occurring .When the driving forces and restraining forces are equivalent, a state of equilibrium is reached. In order for change to transpire, this state of equilibrium must be disrupted. This occurs when the driving force is more powerful than the restraining force, or conversely, when the restraining force is weaker than the driving force.

Lewin’s theory of change consists of three stages: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. Unfreezing is the initial stage of the change management process. In this stage, individuals recognize the need for change and prepare for the change to occur. This step often evokes a change in the behaviors among individuals, feelings of discomfort, apprehension, and distress might be experienced during this period. In order to progress to the next phase. Nurse informaticists must recognize and adequately address these behaviors, as well as other resistive forces. Additionally, the nurse informaticist needs to analyze the driving forces to determine if they are more powerful than the restraining forces. Educating individuals regarding the motives for change can enhance the strength of driving forces and facilitate the transition from the first to second stage of Lewin’s model.

The second step of the change process is known as moving. At this point, change management strategies must be geared towards strengthening driving forces or weakening restraining forces that are encountered by the organization. Additionally, initiatives need to be implemented to encourage individuals that the desired state will bring about positive organizational change. Individuals who understand these benefits are more likely to support the proposed change and actively engage in activities that drive the change forward and actually cause the change to occur.

The third, and final, step of Lewin’s process is refreezing. In this step, equilibrium has been successfully reached. As a result, change is incorporated into routine procedures and practices within the organization. To prevent individuals from regressing to their previous state, it is vital to continuously maintain and reevaluate the change that has been established. This can be accomplished through the use of supportive mechanisms such as policies, rewards, education sessions, and champion leadership .

Adhering to Lewin’s model, the first step of the change process involves “unfreezing” the change. To accomplish this step it is necessary for the nurse informaticist to identify and prioritize driving and restraining forces in the practice setting . The nurse informaticist can generate this information by brainstorming and collaborating with administrative staff and nursing colleagues. Other potential driving forces include: adequate training, supportive management, desire to expand personal knowledge, sufficient financial resources, and positive organizational culture.The second step of Lewin’s model involves perusing the plan that was proposed in step one, and actually implementing the change. As with the previous step, the nurse informaticist should continue to communicate with the nursing staff and acknowledge their suggestions and opinions.

The refreezing stage is a time for stabilizing and reevaluating the change .