Translating Theory Into Practice_ 4 of 4 Discussions

Thank you for sharing an excellent post. The organization you mentioned exhibited an effective shared governance. According to the article written by Mitchell (2013), reported a planned change in nursing practice is necessary for multiple reasons, but it can be challenging to implement. Also, the author discussed three different theories of change Lewin, Rogers and Lippitt with the primary focus on Lippitt.

The authored, stated Lippitt work is more detailed, and it provides a greater level of understanding of change theory (Mitchell, 2013). Whereas a nurse manager will more than likely use Lippitt’s theory to implement a planned changed because it provides a more detailed plan how to implement change within the work environment (Mitchell, 2013). The goal is to implement a timeline and the implementation of changes. Therefore, an effective timeline will allow key players to roll out the implementation process and continue to communicate, collaborate with the stakeholder who manages the process via shared governance. Have you been involved with implementing shared governance?

Lippitt’s Theory of Change is similar to Lewin reported improving the workplace requires staff to be involved and innovations to be maintained Has your organization been through a reorganization or redesign lately? If so, what were some of the lesson learned?

Response to Marcella _ Wk 3 Nurs 6053

Today, California is the currently the only state with mandated nurse-patient-ratios since 2005 (Nurse Together, 2015). Adequate nursing staff is a vital element in patient safety and effective quality care. Although there are nurses not favorable of mandated, fixed staffing ratios because it is looked up as and one-size –fits- approach (Nurse Together, 2015). Therefore the nurses are lobbying against inflexibility. I recalled in my early nursing career as a nurse manager, acuity –based staffing was conducted manually by the nurses manage via a checklist. Now, there are specialize software made available to process faster and more accurate. Based on the acuity (nurse-patient ratios), the nurse manger will assess if a “floater” is needed throughout the day/shift. Although research has demonstrated the poor outcomes including hospital infections are results in understaffing nurses.

Also, per the article The National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, published “The Effect of Hospital Nurse Staffing on Patient Health Outcomes,” in which they concluded “that patient outcomes did not disproportionately improve with the introduction of nurse-to-patient ratios.” (Nurse Together, 2015). Would you like to see mandated nurse-patient ratios in the state you work in?

Reference

Nurse Together (2015). Should U.S. states mandate nurse to patient staffing ratios Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/mandated-nurse-patient-ratios#sthash.ZfhoLIJe.dpuf

http://www.nursetogether.com/mandated-nurse-patient-ratios