Research Paper Sample for Free: Change Project in Healthcare

Change is inevitable in the healthcare sector mainly when it is directed toward patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is one of the most important variables of the quality of care. Studies have documented the attention toward patient concerns, satisfaction and the execution of therapeutic interventions (Roszell, Jones & Lynn, 2009). The call bell system is a fundamental aspect of change in health care. The system is a vital communication instrument that connects and builds the relationship between the caregiver and their patients. It is important to note that the call bell system records the number of calls and the time taken to respond to requests (Digby, Bloomer & Howard, 2011). Therefore, the bell system is essential in the healthcare sector because it could assist managers and nurses to make essential decisions about patient satisfaction and unit performance. I chose the call bell system because it is a fundamental component of service delivery. The caregivers cannot be in a patient's room all the times because they also have other duties to fulfill. As a result, nurses depend on the call bell system for alerts about the needs of the assigned patient.

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However, in most workplaces, the employees are resistant to change. In healthcare, some nurses argue that the call bell system interrupts the daily care priorities of a nurse. However, the benefits of the call bell system outweigh the limitations. The Lewin's change theory is crucial for the administrative staff in response to the need for change. According to Lewin, the approach has three primary concepts that include equilibrium, driving and restraining forces. The driving forces steer an organization towards change and the shift the balance to the direction of change while restraining forces counter the need to change or implement new policies essential for improved care delivery (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2015).

The integration of Lewin's change theory to nursing theory involves the unfreezing concept that aims at finding a method of making people embrace new productive measures. The call bell system promotes a holistic care approach that is patient-centered (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2015). It reduces the time taken by a caregiver to respond to the patient's need. As a result, it becomes necessary to overcome group conformity and individual resistance towards change. Therefore, the management and administrative staff should unfreeze resistance to change by increasing the driving forces towards the path of reform (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2015). They should implement policies that limit or terminate restraining forces that negatively affect the existing balance regarding the quality of care. Recent studies indicate that the causes of poor staff responsiveness are the process, people issues, and communication (Digby, Bloomer & Howard, 2011). Policies and procedures for the call bell system should be implemented to solve the process problems. Likewise, nurses and caregivers should use a team-work based approach to picking and responding to call bells with the shortest time possible. Lastly, communication challenges involve the delay of relaying the patient's requests to the assigned caregiver. Similarly, according to Digby, Bloomer, and Howard (2011), the occupation with other duties such as attending to other patients leads to the people issues.

In conclusion, to achieve the desired changed crucial for improving service delivery and patient satisfaction, the call bell system is fundamental. However, to maintain efficiency, policies, and procedures should be implemented that solve communication, process and people issues. Most importantly, the development of a teamwork culture is essential in reducing the time taken to respond to a patient's call.

References

Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. (2015). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin's legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(1), 33-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018726715577707

Digby, R., Bloomer, M., & Howard, T. (2011). Improving call bell response times. Nursing Older People, 23(6), 22-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/nop2011.07.23.6.22.c8586

Roszell, S., Jones, C., & Lynn, M. (2009). Call Bell Requests, Call Bell Response Time, and Patient Satisfaction. Journal Of Nursing Care Quality, 24(1), 69-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.ncq.0000342938.99036.9f