Everett Rogers developed the theory of diffusion of innovations in 1962 when he discovered that social systems, communication, time, and innovations are four key elements that are central in transforming organizations. The theory of diffusion of innovations holds that human capital is critical in sustaining transformations by allowing diffusion of innovations in an organization. In the theory, the term diffusion refers to the gradual process through which people adopt innovations and utilize them when performing their respective duties. Adoption of an innovative practice, idea, or a product is a gradual process that entails different categories of adopters. “Rogers distinguished five categories of adopters of an innovation: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards” (Kaminski, 2011, p. 1). The number of the adopters in each level over a given time determines the rate of adoption and implementation of an innovative idea, practice, or product. Therefore, this essay examines education as an innovative idea of reducing prevalence of nosocomial infections in an intensive care unit or a health center.
The rationale for choosing the diffusion of innovations theory is that, although massive evidence regarding elimination of nosocomial infections in the ICU exists, the health care professionals are unaware or have ignored their implementation. As ignorance and neglect are factors that contribute to the occurrence of nosocomial infections, education is an imperative solution. According to Cozanitis and Kel (2008), “education, awareness, and compliance should be ongoing in order to somehow reach a state where nosocomial infection is brought onto some level of control” (p. 63). When the education of the healthcare professionals reaches a saturation point, they will have the capacity to reduce nosocomial infections significantly. In this view, the diffusion of innovations theory fits the education as an intervention of reducing nosocomial infections because it increases teamwork and enhances compliance with evidence-based practices.
The theory of diffusion of innovations supports the proposed solution of reducing nosocomial infections by use of education. Medical researchers have made numerous innovations aimed at reducing nosocomial infections, but their adoption and application is minimal. Hence, the theory of diffusion of innovations enhances adoption and application of the interventions in the ICU because it is a model that shows how individuals contribute to the overall objective of eliminating nosocomial infections. Individual skills and practices such as insertion of catheters at the least infective sites, use of impregnated catheters, effective antisepsis of skin, and maintenance of catheters are some innovations aimed at reducing the prevalence of nosocomial infections (Hollenbeak, 2011). For health professionals to adopt and implement these innovations, they require education, which promotes diffusion of innovations. Thus, the theory of diffusion of innovations provides an appropriate model of reducing the prevalence of nosocomial infections in the ICU.
Incorporation of the diffusion of innovations theory into the project will enhance the adoption and implementation of the evidence-based innovations. The theory will aid in the assessment of the ability of a health center or an ICU to adopt and implement the evidence-based practices stipulated in the literature review. The theory is important in the assessment of different categories of healthcare professionals that fall into “innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards” (Kaminski, 2011, p. 1). Increasing the proportion of innovators and early adopters will have a concomitant impact on the proportion of early majority and late majority, thus improving the capacity of a health center or an ICU to overcome the menace nosocomial infections. Therefore, the theory is helpful in combating nosocomial infections because it categorizes healthcare professionals into various categories that reflect their capacity to adopt and implement innovations.
References
Cozanitis, D., & Kel, P. (2008). The infected peripheral intravenous catheter: A degree of ignorance, neglect and indifference. Acta Anaesthesiologica Belgica, 9(2), 59-63.
Hollenbeak, C. (2011). The cost of catheter-related bloodstream infections. The Art and Science of Infusion Nursing, 34(5), 305-313.
Kaminski, J. (2011). Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Canadian Journal of Nursing Bioinformatics, 6(2), 1-8.