Effective design, implementation and management of change in healthcare
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Effective design, implementation and management of change in healthcare

Belinda Allen Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Changes in healthcare organisations are common, and their implementation is often complex and challenging. Change is often implemented suboptimally, and can have several negative effects on staff turnover, patient care and budget targets. To minimise and avoid negative outcomes, a systematic three-stage change process that comprises preparing for change, implementing change, and evaluating and sustaining change can be followed. In the first stage, before commencing any change activities, time and attention should be given to conducting detailed analyses and preparatory work to establish the foundation for the implementation phase. In the second stage, a clear set of multiple implementation tactics are used to ensure the change process is effective. In the final stage, an evaluation of the success of the change is undertaken and measures are put in place to ensure it is sustained over time. It is only by following a methodical change process such as this that changes can be implemented effectively in healthcare organisations.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2016.e10375

Correspondence

allenbc@unimelb.edu.au

Peer review

All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Received: 30 November 2015

Accepted: 11 May 2016

Published online: 09 September 2016

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