Introduction - Nursing shortages are a world-wide problem that negatively impact many areas of the profession's goals, from level of job satisfaction to patient care, with an inverse proportional relationship between higher patient-nurse ratios, noted in much research. (Al-Kandari and Thomas, 2008; Newbold, 2008) This week the Canadian government just announced a freeze on expected hiring of nine thousand new nurses. What possible solutions are there to the erosion of job satisfaction and patient care outcomes in the institutional setting of our hospitals? What organizational change theory could help point the way towards finding solutions that will fit the current nursing culture, which may be resistant to the realization that some form of key, perhaps fundamental change is going to be required, given the climate of neo-liberalism, for-profit models in hospitals, and the approaching recession. This paper will propose that in times of change or transformation where rationalization is a key motivating force of organizations which are based in top-down management practices, which is the case in hospitals today, that there may be positive ways to improve nurse's satisfaction and patient care through the implementation of technology solutions.
Tags: Paper in nursing based on Lewins Change Theory, Change theory in nursing, Lewin's change theory
[...] Christensen and Chrstensen (2007) and Robert (1987) show how the Levin model can be applied to different problems, with similar outcomes shown, revealing the successful attributes of the theory to needed changes in nursing culture and hospital protocols, either in working directly with patients in introducing a cost-saving and time- saving technology (Christensen and Christensen, 2007) or dealing with leadership issues within the nursing team unit, notwithstanding the particular department of the hospital. (Robert, 1987) Key writers on the problem of nursing shortages have identified computer technologies as useful in helping deal with keeping the client-patient ratio intimate, improving the possibility for caring and all around satisfaction and conflict resolution as well as positive health care outcomes. [...]
[...] (Bozak, 2003; Davis, 1995; Baulcomb, 2003; Christensen and Chrstensen, 2007) Identifying Problems in Cultural Change in Nursing In nursing today, the serious problem is the shortage of nurses and the way that this impacts on patient culture, and on nurse-patient ratios; the way that shortages breed overwork, stress, burn-out, resistances, and conflict. Davis (1995) a director of nursing at an extended care facility at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, writes that there is a key link between the need for restructuring nurses roles, economic practices and delivery systems in hospital settings. [...]
[...] (2007) implementation of a guideline for care for patients with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in situ in a general intensive care unit using transitional change theory” Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, Vol pp 234-242 Courtney, K. and Alexander, G. (2005) ``Information Technologies: Changing Nursing Processes at the Point of Care`` Nursing Administration Quarterly, Vol no pp 315-322 Davis, J. (1995) “Factors Affecting the Delegation of Tasks by the Registered Nurse to Patient Care Assistants in Acute Care Settings: A Selective Review of the Literature” Journal of Nursing Staff Development, Vol no pp 301-306 George, L [...]
[...] (Bozak: 81) In fact, as George and Davidson (2005) identify, just as there was a problem in the 1980s because ideas for implementing change were not introduced at the nursing education phase, theorists believe that change and transformation are more likely to come about and be accepted if the PDA or other systems, are introduced at the school phase along with other technological teaching methods to help nurses to see how technology can aid rather than impede their careers. This is also a contention of Richard and her sense of the nurse of the future one steeped in technologies including wireless computer systems. [...]
[...] Does enabling a nursing staff to feel that they can brainstorm about the introduction of new technologies, learn how to use them, and then critique the use, as a means of bringing about acceptance of the change, in fact bring about deep changes, or on the contrary, could Lewin's approach fail, with authoritarian, propagandistic and manipulative claims of his change theory approach be proven to be unfortunately a theoretical drawback when put into practice in the institutional setting? Stages in Cultural Transformation All of these questions and concerns Lewin would integrate as possibilities for occurrence within his three step process. [...]
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