Assignment Task:
Discussion Response: Change Champions
Read a selection of your colleagues' blog posts and respond to two of your colleagues by expanding upon their responses or sharing additional or alternative perspectives.
Peer #1
Elycia Victoria Hernandez
Change Champions and Opinion Leaders play distinct roles in organizational change especially in healthcare settings. Change champions are individuals who actively promote and drive change within an organization. They are passionate advocates who work to overcome resistance, build support, and implement new processes or practices. Change champions are typically involved directly in the change process, often taking on leadership roles within project teams. They may not necessarily hold formal leadership positions but have the positive attitude, commitment, and influence to inspire others to embrace change (Greenhalgh et al., 2004). This can be seen when nurse in a psychiatric hospital advocates for the adoption of a new electronic health record system. This nurse attends training sessions helps colleagues understand the benefits and aids them in troubleshooting issues with the new system.
Opinion Leaders, on the other hand, are individuals who hold considerable influence within a group due to their expertise, credibility, or social standing. They may not actively drive change but can significantly affect the attitudes and behaviors of others through their endorsement or opposition. Opinion leaders are often respected professionals whose opinions are trusted by their peers (Flodgren et al., 2011). For example, a senior psychiatrist in a psychiatric hospital who endorses the new EHR system during departmental meetings by citing evidence from research and personal experience. Their support can sway other clinicians to accept and use the new system.
Differences:
Role in change process is when change champions actively engage in implementing change, whereas opinion leaders influence attitudes and behaviors towards the change (Greenhalgh et al., 2004; Flodgren et al., 2011). Change champions are also deeply involved in the change process and often are on the front lines while opinion leaders may participate more afar but have considerable influence through their reputation and credibility (Damschroder et al., 2009). Change champions are driven by a strong commitment to the change itself while opinion leaders use their authority and respect within the organization to shape opinions (Greenhalgh et al., 2004).
Human Resources Necessary to Support Proposed Practice Changes:
Implementing an integrated care model in a psychiatric setting takes a coordinated effort from various human resources:
1. Inter-professional Team:
Physician: To oversee medical implications and ensure patient safety.
Nursing Manager: To manage the implementation process, train staff, and monitor outcomes.
Financial Director: To oversee budgeting, cost management, and ensure financial viability of the changes (Damschroder et al., 2009).
2. Support Staff:
Project Manager: To coordinate activities, manage timelines, and ensure the project stays on track.
IT Specialists: To support the integration of health information technology and ensure seamless operation of new systems.
3. Training and Development:
Training Coordinators: To develop and deliver training programs for staff on the new care model.
Educational Materials: To provide resources and information to staff, patients, and their families about the changes.
Why These Resources Are Necessary:
The success of practice changes in my psychiatric setting depends on a multidisciplinary approach and comprehensive support. Involvement of specialists ensures that all aspects of patient care and safety are considered and that the changes are evidence-based and effective (Greenhalgh et al., 2004). A dedicated project manager helps keep the project organized and on schedule, mitigating risks and addressing issues promptly (Damschroder et al., 2009). IT specialists ensure that any modern technologies are implemented smoothly thus minimizing disruptions to care delivery (Greenhalgh et al., 2004). Providing thorough training helps staff feel confident and competent in using new systems and processes reducing resistance, and improving adherence (Flodgren et al., 2011). Ongoing support from maintenance staff ensures that new equipment stays functional and safe contributing to long-term success (Damschroder et al., 2009).
Peer # 2
Heather Rowell
Discussion-Initial Post:
Introduction:
Change is often times very difficult and individuals involved have to overcome barriers and challenges to ensure that there is a promotion of positive outcomes from all levels of an organization. As we are all aware and have probably been through some sort of change within the organizations that we have worked with throughout our healthcare career, not everyone adapts to changes easily. Once an identified problem is identified, it is vital that there is a leader of the group that assists in the development of a plan to implement the processes step by step to promote change for success. There are different types of leaders and with these leaders there are differences. Within any healthcare organization, leadership skills, human resources management, nurse staffing, and the use of APRNs and other nurses with advanced educational degrees influence the culture of the organization, practice models, and clinical outcomes for promotion of change (Hickey, J. V., & Giardino, E. R. (Eds.). (2021).
Change Champions:
Change champions are one of the leaders that are considered stakeholders who impact the organization; however, they differ in some ways. According to an article, a champion is an individual who is "the face" of an implementation effort-one "who dedicate[s] themselves to supporting, marketing, and driving through an implementation, overcoming indifference or resistance that the intervention may provoke in an organization; additionally, as a result, champions are commonly employed in health care when implementing new interventions and undertaking quality improvement efforts, and a recent systematic review indicates that champions also are the subject of increasing interest among researchers (Shea, C. M. (2021). In my opinion, this type of leader has more of a direct approach and takes charge when it comes to the need for change in the promotion of positive outcomes within an organization.
Opinion Leaders:
Opinion leaders within an organization are often times considered earned and maintained by the individual's technical competence, social accessibility, and conformity to the system's norms; additionally, when the social system is oriented to change, the opinion leaders are quite innovative; but when the system's norms are opposed to change, the behavior of the leaders also reflects this norm (Locock, L. Dopson, S, Chambers D., Gabbay, J. (2001). In my opinion, these leaders are more often linked to their personal opinions for change and use that as a guide for the promotion of leadership.
Human Resources Needed for Change:
When conducting a change within an organization for evidenced-based practice involves several resources. Practice changes require quite a bit of investment of time and resources, which are relevant for the improvement in outcomes, whether it is based on clinical, fiscal, or organizational means (Cullen, L., & Hanrahan, K. (2018, January 8). As a leader, it is important to understand what the exact resources are needed to complete the project change for it to be successful and promote positive outcomes in all aspects. Organizations all have resources, however, some are limited and need to adapt based on the resources that they do have; additionally, resources may include infrastructure, supplies, space, and staff (Luciano, M. M., Aloia, T. A., & Brett, J. F. (2019). In my opinion, it is vital that human resources are used for the promotion of change to occur for the betterment of the organization and all individuals involved to promote positive outcomes.
Conclusion:
It is so important as a DNP that we provide leadership skills and knowledge that we have acquired throughout the DNP program to assist organizations with practice problems and promote a change for the promotion of positive outcomes.