Change Model. Figure 1: Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model would be used

Change Model
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Change Model
Organizational change takes place when an organization transitions from its present state to some desirable future state. Managing organizational change involves planning and executing change in an organization is such a manner as to reduce costs to the organization and resistance from employees whilst at the same time maximizing the effectiveness of the change effort (Stragalas, 2014). Various change models can be used to implement change, for instance Kurt Lewin’s 3-Phase Model, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model among others. In this paper, a change model that would work within the culture of my organization is described.
Change Model
My organization is a multispecialty hospital with about 500 beds, including the beds in all of the hospital’s departments. In my role as a nurse manager, I tend to use the transformational style of leadership. This will come in handy during the execution of a change initiative at the facility. One particular area within my healthcare organization that can be addressed through the use of a change initiative is the high rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) department. These preventable nosocomial infections bring about prolongation of patient’s hospital stay, increased mortality, increased morbidity, and increased hospital costs (Dimond, 2018). The problem can be effectively addressed with the use a bundle of interventions for preventing VAP and a bundle of interventions for preventing CAUTIs. The bundle of interventions can only be implemented through the use of a change initiative and an appropriate change model. The rates of these hospital-acquired infections should be reduced from 14 cases per 1000 admitted patients to 5 or less cases per 1000 patients. The change model that would be used in executing the change initiative is Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. The model has a total of eight steps as illustrated in the figure below:
Figure 1: Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model would be used.
Creating a climate for change Introduce new practices Maintain the momentum
This particular change model is relevant to my healthcare organization because through it, sustainable change can be effectively brought to the organization; a change that will improve patient safety and patient outcome. It will enable the organization to successfully implement a bundle of interventions for the prevention of CAUTIs and VAP. Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model will work well within my organization’s culture because the culture of my organization is one that is open to change. Most staffs at the hospital are open to change.
Methods to Evaluate the Need for Change
The need for change would be evaluated by identifying problems in the healthcare organization that can be addressed through a change process. This is in line with the first step of Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, which is creating a sense of urgency. Urgency, as Kotter (2012) pointed out, refers to the capacity to recognize pressing problems in an organization as opportunities. At my 500-bed multispecialty hospital, the pressing problem is the high rate of VAPs and CAUTIs. This first stage will motivate people within the organization to embrace change by giving emphasis to the need to correct the pressing problem. A sense of urgency would be created at my hospital by showing people the potential for VAPs and CAUTIs resulting in poor patient outcomes and adversely impacting patient safety because of not using appropriate interventions for the prevention of these nosocomial infections.
Choosing Individuals/Teams necessary for a Change Initiative
It is important to choose the right people to help execute the change. This is consistent with the second step of Kotter’s change model, which is about forming a guiding coalition. It is notable that a guiding coalition comprises leaders who persuade other people in the organization to adopt new practices (Kotter & Cohen, 2012). The coalition group will consist of a unit clinical advisor, an administrative clinical supervisor, resource nurses, a nurse educator, and a nurse manager. The change agent will educ...