Nurses’ Role in Risk and Quality Management

Introduction

Healthcare providers should maintain quality and minimize risk in service delivery. Patients expect to get the best healthcare services. Therefore, healthcare risk and change management are important aspects in service delivery. Nurses play a key role in risk and quality management as explained in this presentation.

The Role of Nurses in Risk and Quality Management

Nurses’ roles in risk and quality management include:

• Ensuring patient and staff safety
• Addressing claims of clinical malpractices
• Handling the patients’ complaints
• Cutting operational costs
• Ensuring compliance with the federal and state regulations

Role of Nurses in developing and managing change management project

The roles entail:

• The creation of understanding regarding the project
• Developing the vision and strategic planning
• Execution
• Transition
• Follow-ups

Relationship between Theory and Change Management

The Lewin’s Change Management Theory explains this relationship extensively. The theory entails 3 phases, viz. unfreezing, movement, and refreezing. The theory focuses on:

• The identification of the features that could impede change
• Issues that oppose or restrain change
• Forces that drive or bolster change

The 3 phases:

• Unfreezing
• Movement
• Refreezing

Important tools/components in change management

Several tools are involved in effective change management. The tools/components can address single aspect of the or multiple phases. The tools/components are explored in the following slides.

The first component involves the identification of the current steps in a given process. This step highlights the areas that need improvement. This component enhances mapping of the prevailing processes. It also pinpoints the driving forces that need reinforcement to bring the desired change.

The second component involves process analysis. This component aids in collecting data to generate relevant information required in promoting change. Analysis tools include bar charts, cause and effect (fishbone), and affinity diagrams. The obtained information influences decision making.

The third component involves planning solutions for process improvement. This stage fosters the process’ efficacy by addressing the healthcare workflow aspects that promote the best services. It also favors the gaining of insights from various stakeholders or participants.

The last component involves measuring improvements. This tool gauges the efficiency and effectiveness of the change initiative in the nursing environment. Thus, the change team:

• Identifies areas of the project that facilitate the realization of its objectives
• Unearths and addresses the loopholes that impede success

The role of theory, risk and quality management, and evidence-based practice in supporting change management

These elements work in concert to promote desirable change. Change supports the management process. The risk and quality management aspects help in patient safety, reporting incidents, cost-cutting, and responding to claims.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) underlines the necessity of designing safe, effective, and efficient care processes. EBP supports the process of change management by seeking the contribution of nurses on how to foster change. EBP improves practice adoption, theory and model development, and scientific engagement.

Conclusion

Change management in healthcare provision is essential for the delivery of quality services. Nurses play an essential role in the change process. The Lewin’s change management model highlights the close relationship between change processes and theory. Theory, risk and quality improvement, and EBP work together in the process.

References

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Munten, G., Van Den Bogaard, J., Cox, K., Garretsen, H., & Bongers, I. (2010). Implementation of Evidence‐Based Practice in Nursing Using Action Research: A Review. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 7(3), 135-157.

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