Reflection 4827

Running Head: CHANGE AND INNOVATION IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 1

CHANGE AND INNOVATION IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Change and Innovation in the Health Care System

Mardesly Pozo

Svetlana Alpin

Laura Herrera

Broward College

Relevant and Meaningful Service within the Community

Our activity took place at the Holy Cross Hospital, on September 26th, 2019, located at 4725 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Presentation was held in the interactive manner with participation of the Critical Care nurses of that facility.

It included the discussion of the change theories and the examination of the strategies for effective change in health care system. These objectives are aimed for better understanding of the different change theories, as well as for recognition and being a part of the change in the health care industry. This activity was intended to provide the knowledge and information to the critical care nurses in order to be able to adjust changes positively and with maximum effect.

Enhanced Academic Learning

Through the discussion, the audience agreed that change is inevitable and has positive effect in every facility if followed through. In the health care industry, there have been many changes throughout history to accommodate for every season in time. The everyday change seemed to be more often and faster than before since technology is advancing rapidly. Change occurs for different reasons, mainly by force of change which works like a domino effect, everything else must change (language, interpretation, and perspectives) which bring new theories to practice. The change of theories functions to assist nurses in every professional level to personalize and organize care. Lewin Kurt was the initiator of change theories in three aspects of nursing (unfreezing, moving, and refreezing) to have a complete understanding of the impact of change in organizations to bring balance. The Lewin’s change process focusses on “planned change” comprises three stages. The unfreezing stage is the recognition of the need for change and the brainstorm of solutions. The moving stage describes the action of changing and the result of it. The refreezing stage demonstrates the establishment and enforcement of the change. In the last stage recognition of good change is crucial to motivate individuals, groups or organizations to maintain the changes or continue through the process of change. The different stages do not have an order and can be used as the situation required them. There is a similitude between the Lewin’s change process and other changes theories. For example, in the nursing process assessment correspond to the unfreezing stage. The planning and implementation corresponding to the moving process and evaluation correspond to the evaluation process. As the nursing process resemblances Lewin’s change, there are other changes of theories process such as are Rogers, Lippitt, Kotter change of theories that resembles Lewi’s theory of change (Huber, 2018, Chapter 2).

Besides these theories, critical care nurses of the Holy Cross Hospital advanced their knowledge about the strategies of effective change. The most effective change management strategies are those that focus on the behavior elements. The employees in the organization are the most impacted by the change because of their decision to become adopters or hold outs of change and have a tremendous impact on the short term and the long-term success within an organization improvement project. The first step is through the proposition of incentives.