Implementing a Change Policy and Overcoming Resistance

Implementing Change Despite Resistance
Change in the workplace environment can be difficult for employees to process and the result may be that some demonstrate a degree of resistance to the change policy. The change in clinical practice that my team will plan to implement will require nurses to utilize Electronic Health Records to better plan pre- and post-discharge programs for elderly patients so that readmission rates can be reduced. Resistance to change can be defined as any action or attitude of workers that indicates they view the change as an encroachment on their ability to do their jobs. Workers typically resist change because they doubt the efficacy of the change or its utility. They mistrust the management overseeing the change or they see no good reason for the change and are satisfied with doing things the way they currently are. The types of resistance that may be expected from the staff will include: active and passive behavior, negativity, laziness and inconsistency about implementing the change process. There could also be organizational issues that stem from a poor organizational culture that leads to resistance, which stems from bad leadership (Schyns, Schilling, 2013). Nurse burnout and nurse fatigue may also be causes of resistance.
Three ways to lessen the resistance are 1) to plan appropriately so that workers are all involved in the process, 2) to educate the workers on the efficacy of the change policy and why it is needed and useful, and 3) to demonstrate effective leadership through the application of leadership styles like servant leadership, transformative leadership, and democratic leadership wherever applicable. As Kissack and Callahan (2010) show, the reciprocal influence of training and development programs is that it aids both the workers learning the new policy and procedure as well as the leaders implementing the policy by putting everyone on the same page, moving in the same direction at the same pace.
Implementing a plan appropriately not only requires planning the preparatory and initiation steps but also the measurement steps for the change policy. Nurses and administrators will want to see evidence that the change is working or that it is at least being implemented according to plan. Measurements can be effective ways of boosting morale and ensuring that all stakeholders are informed about what is happening with regard to the process.
Education is another step that helps to reduce resistance. A lot of times resistance comes about because workers do not trust or are not informed about the reasons for the change. By showing them why it is rational and how it is based on best evidence practices, the change can begin to make sense to them and they will in turn change their attitudes about helping to implement the change, even if it means learning a new process and adapting their behavior. If they see it is for the common good of the hospital and the patients, they will want to be supportive. Education of workers is very important to facilitating an effective change in the workplace.
Demonstrating effective leadership is another way to ensure that resistance to change does not become a major issue. Different styles of leadership will be applicable in different types of situations and will appeal to different types of workers. Democratic leadership style can help workers to feel included about decisions and about what decisions to make. Servant leadership style can be helpful for assisting workers in meeting their own individual needs and it shows that their well-being is important and vital to all. Transformational leadership can be effective in helping workers to focus on the goal that will benefit the hospital and working towards this with all their energy.

References
Kissack, H., Callahan, J. (2010). The reciprocal influence of organizational culture and
training and development programs: Building the case for a culture analysis within program planning. Journal of European Industrial Training, 34(4): 365 – 380.Schyns, B., Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-
analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24: 138-158.