Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
Changing implies that something is done differently from the typical norm. This change can either be planned or unplanned. The major problem with the unanticipated changes in unpredictable results, which is not great, especially in nursing. For changes to occur, there can be change agents who are responsible for bringing out the difference and influencing other practitioners in embracing the move itself. There exist different theories on changes: Lewin’s change theory and Spradley’s change theory (Kritsonis, 2015). Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
Systems thinking has been gaining significant interest lately as a comprehensive approach to introducing organizational change and development. Through systems thinking, several core concepts and practical tools can be applied to better understand the complexity of each organization. Systems thinking helps you move through a decision logically, continuously asking if this decision will impact anyone outside the scope. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
Theories or Models
Lewin played a very significant role in research and development of group dynamics and experimentation. His contribution to the field of social, applied, and organizational psychology made him to be ranked the 18th most influential psychologists. Lewin’s change theory involves only three stages. The theory has three central concepts which are Driving Forces, Restraining Forces, and equilibrium (McCalman, 2015). Driving forces refer to the forces that push for a change to occur, thus facilitating change because they have an effect of pushing a patient to change in a particular way. Restraining forces are the forces that oppose the driving forces causing hindrances by pushing the patient to oppose the changes made. The restraining forces, therefore, cause an equilibrium that is against change in a negative direction (McCalman, 2015). The last concept is an equilibrium which refers to the point at which the driving forces and restraining forces are equal, and no change is possible at that point. In his theory, Lewin states that for a change to be affected three stages must be followed; unfreeze, change and refreezing. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
There is also the Spradley’s change theory which is an implementation of Lewin’s theory. Spradley’s approach has eight stages, unlike Lewin’s, that only had three. Under this theory, there is constant evaluation, and implementation of the change will enhance its success. The driving force dominates over the opposing force in Lewin’s method for the transition to occur while in Spradley’s, such dominance is not necessary (Mitchell, 2013). Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
Application of Theories
Spradley’s theory makes more sense in being adopted to aid in making changes in shift scheduling. Spradley’s theory works best since it ought to create a constant evaluation of the shift scheduling process to ensure its accomplishment (Mitchell, 2013). The theory brought forward by Lewin can be easily and readily applied to the nursing field. Through the help of Lewin’s Change Management Theory people and organizations are in a position of moving from patterns that are not productive and adopt those that are more productive. In the past, nurses were required to document all the activities they have conducted on patients, but with the emergence of the digital era and devices, Electronic Medical Records have significantly improved nursing profession (Hoffman, 2016). Nursing informatics acts as the driving forces that help in initiating the change from the current behavior through the process of unfreezing. Nursing Informatics in the change stage plays the role of analyzing the current situation, creates new ways of achieving change and helps in the implementation of the desired changes. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay Nursing Informatics progressively helps to support other nurses and works against the barriers that hinder the desired changes. In the refreshing stage, Nursing Informatics monitors the process of change and establishes whether the newly adopted changes have been taken as the operating procedures. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
How the Theories can Provide Framework for Projects including DNP Projects
Nurses are faced with many cases of patients who need specialized care provided to them with some of them having very complex situations. In attempts of handling all the needs of the ailing patients, nurses need to have logically organized information relating to the matters at hand. The theory provides a way in which nurses view the situations in which the patients are in and offers a way in which they can interpret the obtained information. Kurt Lewin theory of change serves the purpose of interpreting and organizing the information they have obtained from their patients. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay Lewin ’s theory can lead to a better understanding of how change affects the organization, identify barriers for successful implementation and is useful for identifying opposing forces that act on human behavior during change, therefore overcoming resistance and leading to acceptance of new technologies by nurses. Change Theory by Lewin will help administrators/ managers for DNP projects understand the need to consider all stakeholders across the entire affected system before acting. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay
References
McCalman, J. (2015). Leading cultural change: The theory and practice of successful organizational transformation.
Mitchell, G. (2013). Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. Nursing Management, 132-137.
Hoffman, S. (2016). Electronic Health Records and Medical Big Data. West Nyack: Cambridge University Press.
Kritsonis, A. (2015). Comparison of change theories. Journal of scholarly academic intellectual diversity, 482-499. Selecting The Best Theory to Implement Planned Change Essay