Change Management - Initiating Change in a Healthcare Organization - Research Paper Example

? Change Management This research paper intends to analyze problems in a particular healthcare organization and suggest appropriate changes to be implemented on the basis of the same. It has been noted that the analyzed healthcare unit was lacking in the aspect of maintaining hand hygiene and following certain specific standards set by concerned authorities for the overall industry. Hence, the paper suggested proper implementation of NAHQ Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and also discussed the strategies to be framed for the same to ensure maximum effectiveness of the entire process. Change Management It is a universal fact that change is one of the most constant aspects in lives of people. It has its extensive presence in every domain of the society. In the context of modern day business scenario, change is an important part of operational process of the companies irrespective of the industry that they are operating in. In the healthcare sector, with the increased level of business market competition and altering nature of customer demands, change has become quite crucial by a certain degree. However, it cannot be ignored that there exist a proper process of change management, which helps in building a systematic framework and enabling proper implementation of the change proposed (Reiss, 2012). Contextually, this paper will work towards initiating change in a particular healthcare organization, which will comprise analyzing the need for change and the strategies for making that change successful. Identification of Change and Why Identifying the change, which is to be undertaken, is quite vital with regard to build a systematic process for the same. It can be stated that the change will be suggested with analyzing the clinical environment of a particular healthcare unit. Analysis has been conducted considering the operational process of the healthcare unit, which included the adherence of code of ethics along with standards, relationship of employees amid themselves and the working process of the unit among others. As a result of the analysis, it has been depicted that the operational process of a healthcare unit has an urgent requirement for making certain changes within the unit. This can be owing to the reason that the healthcare unit is observed to be below standards in conducting their certain operational activities in accordance with the norms along with the standards set for the overall industry. Observably, the healthcare unit is seen to be lacking in the practice of hand hygiene. According to the report of CHICA (2013), there are millions of people who often get infected from nosocomial infection due to having deficiency in this particular practice. Hand hygiene, in the healthcare sector provides certain guidelines to both healthcare patients and the professionals in the workplace, so that they mitigate with the rising problems arising from non-adherence to the same (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). In this regard, change such as implementation of Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines will be initiated in the healthcare unit. It provides certain strict guidelines with regard to maintain hand hygiene in the unit to ensure enhancement in the performance of the organization (CHICA, 2013). The healthcare unit is also seen to be lacking in providing quality services to the patients. It has been apparently observed that the healthcare organization possesses the responsibility to serve people with utmost integrity and responsibility. However, in analyzing the particular healthcare unit, it has been noted that the satisfaction level of the customers acquiring services from this unit is quite low, which further is a serious threat for the well being of the patients and the performance of the unit altogether. Hence, in this regard, proper implementation of NAHQ based Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice will be initiated as a change in the operation of the healthcare unit, further making sure that the healthcare unit work totally in compliance with the operational standards and norms set for the overall healthcare industry. In precise, it can be depicted that the problems identified in the healthcare organization are mainly related to non-compliance of hand hygiene and other standards set for the entire industry. Contextually, the change of proper implementation of Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines along with NAHQ Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice will be executed in this case (Minnesota Department of Health, n.d.; National Association for Healthcare Quality, n.d.). In order to successfully implement the change, the notion of Lewin's Change Management Model can be taken into concern. In relation to this model, the change required will be first unfreeze (emphasizing on what, when, how and why to change), then initiate the change and refreeze the change (review and monitoring the change to ensure its sustainability) in the last step (Web Books, n.d.). Source: (Web Books, n.d.). Change Readiness It is evident that while initiating any change in an organization, certain imperative factors require to be considered. Amongst the major factors to be considered for change, the aspect of reluctance to change is quite significant. It can be stated in this regard that employees are regarded as one of the key assets of an organization, as they are involved in conducting various important activities of a business. Contextually, effectiveness of any change initiated in the operations of an organization is directly dependent upon the approach of receptive or reluctant towards accepting the change. Analysis of the healthcare unit suggests that the staffs in the workplace are having a mixed approach towards accepting any sort of change. In this regard, a few of them believe change to be good for them and the organization as it is intended to enhance their overall performances. On the contrary, certain other staffs hold the perception that these changes will impact them unfavorably and it will also be hard to comply with the same. However, owing to effective communication and team bonding amid the employees, it can be assumed that the perception of the employees might influence each other’s thought and steer all the staffs either towards accepting the change or towards reluctant to accept the same altogether. Hence, proper strategies will need to be implemented in order to control this scenario and assuring proper implementation of the change suggested. It is also quite crucial to discuss that the suggested change for the healthcare unit will impact the associated stakeholders in one way or the other but in an unfavorable manner. Apart from the stakeholders, the change will also enable the top-level management of the organization towards gaining or assuring better performance with adherence to all the legal standards that are set in this particular industry. Most vitally, the employees will be able to enhance their performance through following the codes of standards suggested and will also be able gain appreciation for the same. It is the customers (i.e. patients) who will be able to gain quality services from the healthcare unit and assure maximum welfare. Change Strategies The change management team for implementation of the changes suggested will include a project leader, senior co-coordinators and managers belonging to the unit. In this context, the project leader will be responsible for the overall execution of the process and monitoring the activities of the subordinate members. The coordinators will have the responsibility to convey the information about the change to the staffs and other healthcare professionals along with depicting the need for the same. This is quite important as it will assure the approach of the staffs towards the change. The managers will be responsible to provide training to the staffs and ensure that they are ready with the implemented change. The communication needs of the project will be fulfilled with the help of accessing emails and conducting periodic meetings. In the meetings, ongoing change implementation process and the effectiveness of the same will be discussed and communicated with the organizational members in order to comprehend or predict the result of the change implemented. In relation to the timeline, this can be done in every five days in a routine manner, resulting in developing the procedure of change management by a certain degree. The success or the failure of the change implemented will be analyzed with the help of a post implementation review process. Initially, the review will ensure that the change has actually occurred in the workplace. This can be done through analyzing post implementation report and analyzing the feedback of the customers among others. In the subsequent stages, through the review conducted, the project manager will analyze the feedback of the patients and depict their change of satisfaction level from the services of the unit. Furthermore, the project head will interact with the employees along with other non-medical staffs and depict their response on the effectiveness of the change implemented. The process of implementing the change will try to include others in the process, especially the staffs who are reluctant towards the change. In-fact, the employees should be conveyed about how the effectiveness of the change implemented is directly related to their approach. This will make sure that they are aware of their value for the project. It is expected that there would be resistance amid most of the employees towards the change in the organization. In this regard, the project team will conduct meetings in order to deal with this particular aspect. Through conducting meetings, the project team will convey about how the change would deliver greater benefits to the organization and the employees altogether. Moreover, they would also need to be assured that the change will not be a complex one rather it will be quite simple with various favorable outcomes. In order to ensure sustainability of the change, the change management team will constantly monitor the work place and make sure that the change had embedded to the culture of the organization. Moreover, through constant feedback of the patients along with workplace managers, the effectiveness of the change made will be analyzed regularly. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/ CHICA. (2013). Hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings. Retrieved from http://www.chica.org/pdf/2013_PHAC_Hand%20Hygiene-EN.pdf Minnesota Department of Health. (n.d.). Infection prevention and control guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/infectioncontrol/guidelines.html National Association for Healthcare Quality. (n.d.). NAHQ code of ethics and standards of practice. Retrieved from http://www.nahq.org/Quality-Community/content/codeethicspractice.html#1 Reiss, M. (2012). Change management. Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand. Web Books. (n.d.). Planning and executing change effectively. Retrieved from http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B58/047MB58.html Read More