Identify the problem or opportunity.
TABLE 5-2 Steps in the Change Process
1. Identify the problem or opportunity.
2. Collect necessary data and information.
3. Select and analyze data.
4. Develop a plan for change, including time frame and resources.
5. Identify supporters or opposers.
6. Build a coalition of supporters.
7. Help people prepare for change.
8. Prepare to handle resistance.
9. Provide a feedback mechanism to keep everyone informed of the progress of change.
10. Evaluate effectiveness of the change and, if successful, stabilize the change.
60 PART 1 • UNDERSTANDING NURSING MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS
Analyze Data The kinds, amounts, and sources of data collected are important, but they are useless unless they are analyzed. The change agent should focus more energy on analyzing and summarizing the data than on just collecting it. The point is to flush out resistance, identify potential solutions and strategies, begin to identify areas of consensus, and build a case for whichever option is selected.
At a not-for-profit hospital in the process of seeking Magnet status, each service line is looking for opportunities to improve standards of care, efficiency, and patient safety. In the ambulatory surgery center, the process of providing preoperative services was often slow and inefficient. The surgery center nurses were charged with finding ways to improve efficiency.