Health Care Organizational Change Plan - Research Paper Example

Introduction: Change, in simple terms, could be defined a human enterprise; it implies the how and why of things in general. Change management refersto the set of measures that are useful for the proper implementation of valuable resources such as work force, organization of teams and innovative technologies to harvest the fruits of success. Change management is closely dependent on the attitude of the people in an organization. Organizational change refers to the set of structured facts, procedures and tools that are to be implemented in the organization to initiate the process of change from the existing situation to the future situation in accordance with the emerging trends and facilities. Organizational change is a vital aspect of every business. It comprises the various factors which need to be taken into consideration before analysis and implementation. Change may arise partly due to the agonies prevailing in the existing situation in the sector or owing to the various advancements in technology. Aim of the study: To identify and analyze the various issues involved in the healthcare sector, and to resolve the issues with immediate effect. To chart out a comprehensive plan to implement organizational change.  Purpose of Study: The purpose of the study is to develop a performance management system based on services, employees and resources. Stronger emphasis has been given to alleviation and proper treatment of contaminated water which had caused health hazards and claimed several lives. Statement of Problem: Certain standards and regulations are very essential for the functioning of an organization. In this case, the overall activity in the health care centre will be based on the standards that are framed within it. These standards are mainly implemented in hospitals or health care centers in order to enhance or improve their quality of services. The standards implemented in the health care sector will be entirely different from the standards employed in other industrial sectors. A patient will not be satisfied only by appropriate treatment; in addition he/she should also be provided long-term care that would set him/her on the path to faster recovery. This kind of additional facility will surely increase the reputation of the health care centre in the concerned places. The main problem associated with the study is how to develop a set of well-organized standards that are best-suited for the hospital and fulfils its long-term objectives or organizational goals. “Quality improvement (QI) in public health needs a deliberate and defined process, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. Ongoing efforts like this need to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, quality, outcomes, or performance of services or processes”. (Duffy, 2010, para.1). The general populations proposed for the study are Nursing Care, Staffing, Training, Physical facility, Management of Patient Care, Psychological Comfort, Administration, Finance, Use of family members and resources and the Role of legislators in implementing new quality standards in the hospital. “Recognizing quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive”. (Johnson, Pitcher & Denney, 2010, para.2). Let’s take a local problem appropriate to the unaccountability of people in Public Utilities Commission. Water contamination has claimed the lives of several people and has turned out to be uncontrollable. The problem, if contained in its earlier stages, would have proved to be significant in completely eliminating the contamination of water and helped in the proper, uninterrupted flow of resources. Review of Literature: “Organizational changes mainly occur due to various transformations that are taking place in the processes within an organization in terms of quality, people behavior, effectiveness exhibited in designing a new strategy and capital investment. The most important tasks in an organization are the human tasks. Organizational changes are inevitable and expensive, yet very much integral for change management in an organization.” (Thomas Stewart, 1998). There are three different theories based on organizational change. The theories emphasize the various change attributes and place greater stress on the human behavioral theory that has been conceived, based on the observations and leanings in the emerging technology. The second attribute is what needs to be changed because of the current dissatisfied condition of the changes. The final emphasis is on making the changes permanent, identifying the new changes that helps in creating a new self-concept and in establishing inter-personal relationships. (Ross A. Wirth, 2004) The implementation of organizational change involves various procedures which are not triggered by the evolutionary principles. The organizational change constitutes only 95% of the whole and there are chances of resistance to change occurring within and outside of the organization. Here, it is to be noted that resistance to change has quite often proved to be successful, with regard to the various aspects of the organization. Organizational change helps in the efficient management of organization by consistently ensuring its proper functioning and eliminating the use of outdated technologies. (Burke, 2002) The Need Assessment: Organizational change plays a significant role in understanding the different approaches and change processes that are helpful in driving a firm’s success, in terms of its profitability, productivity and various other developments within the organization. The importance of the assessment is to improve quality standards for the healthcare domain with a view to deliver long-term health care in the organization. While the major objective is to develop and ensure high quality standards, the second most important purpose is to implement best practices for long-term care of patients. A benchmarking code of conduct needs to be framed and based on it; a checklist has to be prepared to understand and analyze the various factors that affect the objective of the study. The study is mainly carried out with the purpose of understanding the different kinds of activities that are undertaken by the healthcare sector to deliver quality treatment and services to those who visit the hospitals frequently. From this study; we will be able to gain a great deal of information about the various quality standards implemented in the organization. The numerous resources required for implementing the services in an efficient manner and the various components that are directly or indirectly involved in the process of service delivery, could be analyzed and understood very clearly. This study will be really helpful in future too as the set of standards developed for the study can be effectively implemented in all hospitals that are keen on providing long-term care for patients. A proper performance management system should be developed for the sector to be error free in the conduct of various operations. It should help in eliminating the contamination of water resources and support organizational changes with various kinds of quality attributes. The plan should be implemented by taking into account the various constraints of the organizations. “Implementation Plan builds a BRIDGE FROM the current way things are to the place you want the organization to be. Building toward it is the only way to get to the desired future. E-mailing change or verbally ordering things to change wont make a new idea happen permanently, Failed implementations can be avoided in your organizations by expert construction and maintenance of your implementation planning”. (Implementation of organization change, 2005, para.3). Methodology: The term ‘Methodology’ could be defined as the way to systematically identify and resolve the problems that are in involved in research. The term has various dimensions and broadly encompasses research methods and data analysis methods. Methodology plays a prominent part in analysis of research problems, by giving due consideration to logic; the logic that is used in the context of the study and is explained in the specific methods. For outstanding research, the methodology should be systematic, logical, empirical and replicable. Different types of methodologies are used in the study to make an assessment of the issues in the organization. Surveys and interviews were conducted among selected groups in order to identify the actual problem. To identify the core issues, the focus group selected here, were my co-workers or employees in the organization itself. The employees in the organization were selected for the purpose because they have a fairly good knowledge of the problems that they are facing within the organization. This helps to identify the existing issues which require the Health Care Organizational Change Plan. The Need assessment incorporated the opinions of the employees with a view to lessen the impact of the issue and to devise steps by which the issues could be resolved. Surveys and interviews revealed that the organization had to confront several bottle-necks in its functioning and its troubles were two-fold. The first issue related to the supply of contaminated drinking water within the organization and the second issue was the lack of proper nursing diagnosis provided to patients in our health care organization. Survey: The survey revealed that the first and the foremost problem was the supply of contaminated drinking water within the health care organization. In order to understand the gravity of the problem related to supply of contaminated water in the organization, several surveys were conducted. Certain groups were strongly focused in the survey, which was conducted among two sets of people. This helped in a clearer analysis of the problem and yielded better results. The survey closely examined the opinions of employees regarding the provision of contaminated drinking water within the organization and how the employees raised their voice against this concern. The survey proved to be an important or, rather, an effective measure for data collection. Survey was also conducted on patients and their relatives and an opinion-poll was taken regarding the hazardous effect of contaminated water on the total population and the disastrous impact of such a severe problem on the integrity and reputation of the hospital. The survey of patients and visitors also revealed that the drinking water supply in the organization was stinking and it is difficult to utilize contaminated water for drinking purposes. Interviews: The interviews revealed the second problem in our health care organization, which is lack of quality health care. Interviews were conducted to get to the truth behind the problem. Interviews were conducted with ex-patients of the hospital in order to identify what was lacking in the quality of health care service being offered to them. People selected for the interview provided a great deal of information which demonstrated the lack of quality health care service in the organization’s nursing sector. The problems mainly included nurses not appropriately attending to patients after operations as well as improper nursing in the maternity sector that resulted in numerous complications for new-borns and mothers. We also involved a few doctors in our interview process. The doctors were not willing to agree that the health care supplied to patients lacked quality. They argued that they had an expert panel of doctors and a caring team but admitted that the nursing sector was a little problematic and nurses were not willing to work in shifts. Hence, only the nursing department in the hospital was the default part. It was, later, identified that the nursing department in the organization lacked the authority to make significant decisions and were highly dependent on the authoritative decisions of the doctors and the senior management staff. Therefore, they lacked the motivation to work and did not appropriately attend to the concerns of patients. Issues Identification (Synopsis findings through Surveys and interviews): Issues identified in our health care organization were of two-fold. The first issue was the supply of contaminated drinking water supply in the organization. The second identified issue was the lack of appropriate nursing in the organization which hindered the quality of healthcare service provided by the organization. Plan to resolve issues: It was identified that the two issues confronted by the organization were of two types. First one is the supply of contaminated water in the organization and the second one is the lack of quality health care in the organization. The decline in the quality of water or water contamination reduces the usability of water and instead of water becoming life saver; contaminated water becomes a life taker. It was, later, understood that the organization’s underground pipe, which supplied water, was full of blocks due to which the water got compressed and stagnant and this ultimately, resulted in bacterial infection. Thus, the water supply in the entire organization got contaminated or infected. The mechanic, who cleaned the blocks, only repaired it partly. Although this resulted in a continuous flow of water within the organization, the water ,which was supplied, had a stinking smell and was severely contaminated, causing half of the employees to fall sick with water-borne diseases such as jaundice, cold and flu and stomach disorders. It was later learnt that the water was severely infected with microbes. The employees of the organization should understand the importance of a proper water management system. The research emphasizes the importance of public awareness as a tool to mobilize sustainable water management and for inducing changes in behavior and action to achieve the objective of healthy and pure drinking water in the organization. To avoid such an issue in future, some action plan must be implemented. One of the best methods is to employ a highly-skilled personnel who is in charge of monitoring the water supply in the organization. “The most effective way to ensure safety of drinking water is through adoption of quality assurance schemes that ensure that water supplies are designed, operated and maintained properly to avoid contamination from occurring”. (Davison, et al, 2002, p.93). The person must have precise knowledge about water contamination, its impacts and the methods to ensure proper treatment of water. A machine should be used in the organization which shows the correct amount of water contamination. The personnel should be trained to operate the machine correctly. He must also supply quarterly reports to the managerial head about the degree of water contamination in the office pipeline which not only affects the employees of the organization but also the patients and their families who come to the organization for treatment. The second identified problem was to improve the nursing department in the hospital. A health care organization does not simply consist of medical equipments but also has human touch to it, in the form of doctors and nurses. It was identified that the nurses in the hospital did not have independent charge and there was a total lack of delegation of authority and responsibility, due to which the nurses were less motivated to work. Taking note of this problem, the management team decided to incorporate the theory of “Shared Governance” in the hospital in order to motivate the nurses to do their job more efficiently and thus, improve the treatment meted out to patients. Shared Governance In Nursing: The principle of ‘Shared Governance’ was introduced in the late 1970s. In the health care sector, ‘Shared Governance’ refers to a principle that aims to empower nurses by involving them in the process of decision-making, thus impacting the administrative practices in an organization ‘Shared Governance’ helps clinical nurses to practice and extend their influence into managerial areas which has hitherto been controlled only by managers. Shared governance arrangements are inclusive and absolute. It is a managerial innovation in nursing that legitimizes the authority of the nurses while extending their power in administrative areas. Shared governance gives a professional platform to nurses. Shared governance offers a whole horde of advantages for a health care organization such as it enhances and promotes innovation, minimizes the turnover of nurses, improves clinical decision- making capacity among nurses, and it helps to create an independent environment as per the expectation. “Advocates of shared governance argue that it is a strategy that empowers nurses and leads to accountability, improved quality of care, increased job satisfaction and commitment to the organization”. (Huber, 2006, p.259). The major objective of shared governance is to promote the nursing profession and to motivate nurses in their field of work. This helps to empower nurses as professionals and retains their passion and interest in their work. In the past few decades, around 1,000 hospitals have implemented some form of shared governance in the Unites States. Incorporating the principle of shared governance in hospitals leads to the better realization of goals, makes the nursing department extremely competent and motivates the staff members by diversifying responsibilities in decision-making to the employee level.  “Today’s professional nurse values competency. Included within this value is the desire to assume accountability to clearly articulate what nursing practice entails, define excellence in that practice, and determine, through evaluation, the quality of care provided, as well as the competence of the practitioner”. (Clinical governance and shared governance: Integrated models of service: A model of nursing and midwifery service, n.d., p.2). Plan implementation: Way to success: There are various changes in the organization that may lead to its success. Organizational change can be effectively incorporated in an organization by practicing the following steps: Implementation of system to follow organizational issue: This makes use of the different kinds of methods for implementing the system in the organization. The organizational system should be conceived according to the norms that are practiced within the organization. The system should clearly identify the various issues in the organization and methods to implement them. Make a plan for implementation changes: There should be a systematic and organized planning before the implementation phase. Implementation has to be done based on proper analysis and prototype evaluation. This, ultimately, decides whether the implementation would turn out to be a success or failure. Identifying resistance factors: The different factors which cause the resistance to change in an organization are identified. The resistance factors are merely temporary resistances and the different ways to discard them are analyzed. The implementation process: The implementation process is initiated after identifying the various resistance factors in the organization. The implementation process should be a step-by-step process and each stage has to planned and explained specifically. Celebrating the success: Celebrating the success in the organization after the change management process is very essential. The celebration of the change management process acts as a strong motivation for the employees in the organization and provides a feeling of oneness to the employees in the organization. Measurement of the result: The result is the ultimate tool which helps in the identifying those elements that contributed to the success and failure in the implementation. It is very important to measure and derive the final result of the implementation. Process practice: Change management in an organization is a dynamic process. Therefore, each and every stage in the implementation process will have to be carried out in accordance with the change in the organization. Conclusion: The health care issues in our organization were identified and analyzed using the appropriate methodology. After the identification of the issues, various plans were created to resolve them. The theory or principle of ‘Shared Governance’ was incorporated in our health care organization. Effective ways were suggested to improve the situation of contaminated water supply in the organization. Various steps to implement the solutions were charted out carefully after reviewing the existing situation of the organization. The scheme of implementation proved to be highly favorable for the organization. Reference List Clinical governance and shared governance: Integrated models of service: A model of nursing and midwifery service. (n.d.), p.2. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.nurseteacher.com/pdf/governance.pdf Davison, et al. (2002). Improving risk assessment and management in urban water supply. WEDC, p.93. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.cepis.ops-oms.org/bvsacg/red_lac_psa/casos/uganda/uganda4.pdf Duffy, G. L., (2010). Health care quality in focus: Basic quality improvement tools for public health. ASQ Store. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.asq.org/webinars/quality-tools-public-health.html Huber, D. (2006). Leadership and nursing management: Shared governance. Elsevier Health Sciences, p.259. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=MgSgz-qmlQEC&pg=PA259&dq=how+shared+governance+in+nursing+can+lead+to+Health+Care+Organizational+Change+Plan&as_brr=3&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false Implementation of organization change. (2005). Davis Wick Consulting, Inc. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.dwcinc.com/Services/organizational_implementation_an.htm Johnson, B., Pitcher, E., & Denney, W. (2010). Health quality in focus: Integrating magnet and baldrige. ASQ Store. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.asq.org/webinar/integrating-magnet-baldrige.html Read More