Nursing Politics and Change Management Essay
The ability to point out the need for change, at the workplace, address inherent resistance and facilitate its articulation is crucial in the overall wellbeing and performance of an organization. Change enhances the ability of an organization to achieve its strategic goals and missions toward sustainability. In healthcare, nurses who call for change are often compelled to engage in political processes that may sometimes be highly dynamic in facilitating change at the workplace (Barker & DeNisco, 2013). The politics and policy development calls have been significant in creating change in organizations and addressing the needs of patients. This has improved the delivery of healthcare services to patients.
Modern scholars indicate that nurse leaders engage in political processes to influence others and consequently achieve a set of professional goals (Friesen, 2005). McEwen and Wills (2014) argue that being involved in nursing politics and policy development roles presents the best platform for calling change. Nurses are also endowed with enough potential for improving and addressing negative considerations enhancing enhance their positive outcomes.
Barker and DeNisco (2013) observe that effective leadership fosters desired organizational change by developing workers and teams that work towards the holistic development of the organizations mission. While cautioning the mechanisms of over-relying on teams in an organization to facilitate change, management analysts concur that leaders must be able to link their visions with expected benefits that may eventually lead to desired outcomes. Borrowing from organization conflict theory, Lundy and Janes (2009) indicate that a leader must be able to operate from a much higher platform when solve rising conflicts among members. The same has been echoed by Mc Gregors theory of X and Y which appreciates the among individuals who work in teams or as groups. The theory also highlights the need for critical understanding in making sure that nurses employ their best skills and competencies during any process of change. Therefore, nursing leaders must provide the that keep the group members united and focused on the benefits they are supposed to achieve after committing themselves to work.
The role of any change agent in organization sprouts from the driving forces that compel an individual to seek intrinsic outsets for improvements. Basavanthappa (2007) supports the latter by citing the Chaos model in an organizational change where change must be anchored on a strong force to facilitate re-evaluation and acceptance of the resultant implementable ideology.
In my nursing role as a change agent, the driving force has been created by the need to improve healthcare provision. I saw our service provision being threatened by the fast pace of competition from other private practices. I was moved by the rising number of patients suffering due to wrong medication. Besides, it was also clear that although the management appeared unaware of the nurses malpractices, it did not take long before it was found out by the administration. I informed them that this could change by adopting a policy of double-checking medication before administration.
Nurses can indeed influence change in their workplace environment. One such instance was observed in Maryland Hospital Ohio where there was a need to improve health outcomes based on proper working conditions. As reflected in the environmental theory, taking care of a patients environment by ensuring fresh airflow, proper drainage and cleanliness play a huge role in improving patients health. The change roles for nurses involved taking the initiative to and calling for the creation of more working space and enough ventilation.
