Reference no: EM133237445

Discussion - Resilience and Change

Description - Change is part of our daily healthcare environment. Clinical nursing judgments based on quality and safety, as well as protocols and standards, reflect our patient-centered care values.

What steps could you take to develop more resilience in your practice?

How might you communicate a change in practice to patients and nursing peers?

REPLY TO -

Tacara: Steps I could take to develop more resilience in my practice setting

Resilience is the ability of a nurse to withstand and normally respond during stressful situations. A stressful work environment in the healthcare industry can result in distress, emotional tiredness, and even burnout, which can cause underperformance and unhappiness. Resilience is therefore crucial for nurses to succeed in their careers. The actions listed below are what I would take as a nurse to hasten the development of resilience in my nursing practice.

The first step would be to keep a proper balance between my personal and professional lives in order to prevent workplace chaos; doing so will increase my attention by helping me to forget about the individuals I interact with in my daily life, such as my family and friends. I can avoid work-family problems and enhance patient care by doing this. I would attend programs organized by other health institutions to get social support and coping mechanisms that would help me avoid burnout in my career (Arrogante et al, 2016). Finally, I would attend training that is usually organized at the hospitals to learn more about developing behaviors that would; aid me in limiting and controlling the intensity of stress in my workplace, learn how to process my emotions, and learn from my everyday experiences (Soler Sanchez et al, 2018).

How I might communicate a change in practice to nursing peers and patients

In any form of profession, change is inevitable. For successful implementation of changes, effective communication on changes should be sufficiently communicated. Organizing staff meetings are a good way of communicating changes, during these sessions, I can share my ideas about changes with my peers and get their opinions, suggestions, and queries about the changes communicated. I can also attend community meetings to inform the general public about the intended changes and also get their view (Vogelsmeier and Scott 2011).

References -

Vogelsmeier, A., & Scott-Cawiezell, J. (2011). Achieving quality improvement in the nursing home: influence of nursing leadership on communication and teamwork Journal of nursing care quality, 26(3), 236-242.

Garcia-Izquierdo, M., Meseguer de Pedro, M., Rio-Risqez, I., & Soler Sanchez, I. (2018). Resilience as a moderator of psychological health in situations of chronic stress (burnout) in a sample of hospital nurses.

Lisa: Change in healthcare is a constant. The past several years have tested the resiliency of healthcare as a system and the individuals who make up that system. Few people are indifferent to change - most perceive it as either a positive or a negative experience. The perception of any type of change is largely dependent on the personal resilience of those affected by it, their belief in the need for change, the impact of the change on the stakeholders, the efficacy of the proposed change, and the degree of trust stakeholders have in those implementing/advocating for the change.

"Nurses work in complex environments and need to be aware of how changes in an organization might impact nursing practice. With the expectations of patient-centered care, quality improvement, using evidence in practice, and working in interprofessional teams, nurses benefit from developing flexibility, patience, and resilience when working through a change." (Chamberlain University, 2022) A review of the literature reveals many techniques that can help strengthen individual resilience. Some of the strategies Sanders (2015) noted that particularly resonated with me include maintaining positive professional relationships, a sense of humor and flexibility in responses, acting with purpose, and maintaining emotional intelligence. I once worked in a place where there was a "lavender room" that was equipped with a massage chair, soft lighting, a water feature (fountain), music, aromatherapy, audio tracks for guided meditation, adult coloring books, and healthy snacks. The room was available by appointment (in 15- or 30-minute blocks) during the workday/night to provide a period of decompression and regeneration for staff members. Management demonstrated support of the project by encouraging staff to make use of it during lunch or breaks and by providing the amenities in the room at no cost to the staff members. It is through practicing aggressive and compassionate self-care that we can develop the personal resources and resilience to positively respond to external stressors.As nurses and caregivers, it is important to both model these behaviors and to help our colleagues develop skills to improve overall resilience.

When communicating a change in practice to patients and/or peers I would use a multifocal approach. I would initially start with an introduction delineating the current situation, why a change is required (regulatory, evidenced-based, financial, patient outcomes, safety, etc.), identify administrative support for the change, and define the goal of/rationale for the change. I would also solicit feedback regarding the change(s) to verify the accuracy of the understanding of the information presented and to determine who is most likely to support or resist it and why. It is, however, important to limit prolonged/constant public negativity and speak directly with those who may resist change to reduce the risk of undermining or obstruction. There may be valid reasons for concerns/resistance, or it may be the result of a misunderstanding or knowledge deficit. During this phase, I would also seek buy-in from the key stakeholders and look to appoint change process champions/advocates. "All changes need visible champions who are committed to the goal and can lead others." (Gesme, 2010) I would then delineate the specific changes required, the process and timeframe for implementation, and the process for ongoing evaluation. It is important to be aware of and sensitive to the stress that change may cause and to the resilience (or lack thereof) of individual team members. Modeling commitment to the change, providing individual support (as appropriate) during the implementation and evaluation phase as well as positive or corrective feedback will also help to foster the change process as well as strengthen individual resilience.

References -

Chamberlain University (2022). NR 451-13202 Week 3 lesson - Foundational concepts: Resilience and change.

Gesme, D., & Wiseman, M. (2010). How to implement change in practice. Journal of Oncology Practice, 6(5), 257-259.

Sanders, E. D. (2015). Nursing resilience. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 39(2), 132-136.