The receptive context for change framework is a theoretical concept that can be used to not only enhance patient satisfaction but also improve the quality of services that a healthcare institution offers. For a nursing administrator, it is important to understand the fact that patient satisfaction does not equal excellent patient care. Some of these patients may have low expectations, and any slight effort would result into improved levels of satisfaction (Woo et al., 2017). Registered nurses have a role in the peri-operative setting to improve patient care, satisfaction scores, reduce cost, and support nursing staff. Reducing lag time caused by unfavorable lab value or waiting on tests pre-treatment requirements can not only help in reducing the overall cost of offering health but also improve the quality of care. Nurse practitioner may play a critical role of administering anesthesia just before the procedure. They can also help in managing a patient’s condition during the recovering process by monitoring their progress and prescribing the right medication. The theoretical concept above can facilitate continual improvement to enhance excellent patient care.
This theory is important because it outlines the steps needed to achieve excellence in nursing. From a nursing administrator’s point of view, it is essential to ensure that there is a continuous improvement in the quality of services that nurses offer within a given institution. Harris et al. (2016) explain that for nurses to offer quality services, they not only need to improve their education but also learn new practical skills in their respective workplace. This framework is important because it provides a systematic guideline of what needs to be done to achieve quality service delivery. The administrator can use these steps to train nurses whenever it becomes apparent that there is a knowledge gap.
The theory will provide the nursing administrator with a structure for their work and practice. It offers eight steps that can be followed to introduce the desired change within an organization. It starts by identifying environmental pressure within the institution. These include primary factors driving change within an organization. The administrator should then provide a supportive organizational culture that will prepare nurses for the impending transition without causing stress. Change agenda and its locale involve the entire nursing team discussing these forces and acknowledging the need for change and how it should be approached (Woo et al., 2017). The next stage involves simplifying and clarifying goals and priorities. The administrator must understand what is expected of their unit and how the intended objectives can be realized.
The team should then develop cooperative and inter-organizational networks to facilitate change within the department. Fisher et al. (2016) emphasize the need to take the approach of teamwork when introducing such changes to ensure that every stakeholder is involved. The next step in this theoretical framework is managerial clinical relations (Woo et al., 2017). The role of the nursing administrator is to ensure that all the other stakeholders, including doctors and clinical officers, understand changes that the nursing department is introducing. The non-nursing medical staff should realize how changes introduced would affect their normal duties. The nursing administrator will also share opinions of other departments on how to improve harmony within the facility with the nurses. The next stage is to identify key people to lead the change process. They can be team leaders within their nursing unit who can guide their colleagues in understanding how to operate under the new system. The final stage is the definition of quality and coherence of policy. The nursing administrator, working closely with the other nurses, should ensure that the new policy is defined in clear terms.
References
Fisher, E., Shortell, M., & Savitz, A. (2016). Implementation science: A potential catalyst for delivery system reform. Journal of the American Medical Association, 315(4), 339-340. Web.
Harris, G., Bingham, C., & Morgan, E, (2016). Improving care delivery and outcomes in pediatric rheumatic diseases. Current Opinion in Rheumatology, 28(2), 110-116. Web.
Woo, B., Lee, J., & Tam, S. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice nursing role on quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: a systematic review. Human Resources for Health, 15(63), 1-22. Web.