Benchmark Change Initiative: Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) facility prides itself in being a premier institution of care. The application of evidence-based practice in several of its units has made it improve on its provision of services. However, the human aspect of the hospital has demonstrated certain weaknesses that the leadership should address. An analysis of the UTMB reveals that the ratio nurses to

patients goes beyond the recommended level of 1: 6. The analysis further revealed that the high nurse to patient ratio exists due to a high turnover rate at the facility. As such, addressing the turnover rate will play an important role in ensuring that the ratio aligns with the recommendation of the American Nurses Association of 1:6. The present paper will thus focus on the implementation, evaluation and sustainability of the nurse turnover change initiative at the UTMB medical-surgical unit.

The Need for Change

In today’s healthcare setting, nurse turnover is a rapidly growing human resource issue. According to hospital administrators, nurse turnover has ramifications because it disrupts hospital service operations (Tang & Hudson, 2019). The UMTB has suffered as a result of high nurse turnover, as evidenced by the high nurse-to-patient ratio in the medical-surgical unit. The medical-surgical unit has a high risk-adjusted mortality rate due to its high turnover rate. Furthermore, the medical-surgical unit has longer lengths of stay when compared to other units. LDR 615 Benchmark – Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability of Change Initiatives

The high turnover rates at UMTB’s medical surgical unit have also raised the cost of a single patient’s care. Since the medical-surgical unit began registering increased nurse turnover, the amount of money spent on individual patients has risen dramatically as a result of the unit’s extended length of stay. The evidence suggests that the unit’s high turnover rate has increased its operational costs (Tucker et al., 2019). According to an analysis, the cost of hiring and training new nurses for the medical-surgical unit has risen dramatically since its nurses started leaving.

The loss of nurses on the medical-surgical unit has also caused staffing issues. As a result, the unit loses trained and experienced nurses, has an unbalanced mix of remaining and new nurses, and is experiencing nurse shortages (Tang & Hudson, 2019). Due to staffing issues, nurse managers have found it difficult to organize work and create schedules. As a result, the remaining nurses will be expected to work longer hours. Nurse turnover has a negative impact on most aspects of healthcare quality because it lowers morale among the nurses on the unit.

Benchmark – Change Initiative: Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability

You will utilize your for this assignment. Review the feedback submitted by your instructor on your previous change model assignment. Make any changes or modifications necessary for the submission of this assignment.

Examine your organization’s or department’s performance. Determine an area where making a change would have a large positive impact. Write a paper (1,500-1,750 words) describing the specific problem you want to solve with a change effort. Include the following in your company’s description:

Discuss the issues in this area as well as the present consequences of the issues.
Identify the external and/or internal driving forces, contributing issues, and persons who are impacted.
Examine the stakeholders involved and talk about how your change initiative will influence them.
As a change leader, define your job and responsibilities. Talk about the leadership theory (or theories) you’ll employ to steer the change process.
Discuss the change agents you’ll need to hire in order to make your transition a success. Explain the functions of these change agents.
Develop tactics based on your change model: (a) Explain why this model is important to your company; and (b) use your model to present the strategic features. Make sure that each aspect’s goal, the persons involved, and the actions that must be taken are all clearly defined.
Identify or anticipate potential change hurdles. Discuss possible solutions to these problems, including how to deal with new or unexpected conditions that could stymie implementation.
Describe the measures you’ll use to assess your change initiative’s success. Decide on the measurements or quantifiable variables you’ll employ.
Propose change-anchoring or change-supporting tactics.
Determine how your change plan will promote the organization’s mission/goal, genuinely address stakeholder issues, and make a fair contribution to the community or society as a whole.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

Rubric

Due Date:

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Benchmark – Change Initiative: Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability – Rubric

No of Criteria: 15 Achievement Levels: 5

Criteria

Achievement Levels

Description

Percentage

Unsatisfactory

0.00 %

Less than Satisfactory

74.00 %

Satisfactory

79.00 %

Good

87.00 %

Excellent

100.00 %

Content

80.0

The Need for Change

10.0

The need for change including specifying the issue and the current outcomes resulting from the issue is not discussed.

The need for change including specifying the issue and the current outcomes resulting from the issue is discussed, but discussion is incomplete or inaccurate.

The need for change including specifying the issue and the current outcomes resulting from the issue is included, but discussion is cursory and lacking in depth.

The need for change including specifying the issue and the current outcomes resulting from the issue is discussed, including all necessary elements.

The need for change including specifying the issue and the current outcomes resulting from the issue is thoroughly discussed with rich detail, including all necessary elements.

Driving Forces

5.0

Description of internal and/or external driving forces, contributing issues, and people affected is not included.

Description of internal and/or external driving forces, contributing issues, and people affected is incomplete or inaccurate.

Description of internal and/or external driving forces, contributing issues, and people affected is included, but discussion is cursory and lacking in depth.

Description of internal and/or external driving forces, contributing issues, and people affected is discussed, including all necessary elements.

Description of internal and/or external driving forces, contributing issues, and people affected is thoroughly discussed with rich detail, including all necessary elements.

Stakeholder Evaluation

5.0

Evaluation of stakeholders and how they will be affected by the change initiative is not included.

Evaluation of stakeholders and how they will be affected by the change initiative is incomplete or inaccurate.

Evaluation of stakeholders and how they will be affected by the change initiative is included, but discussion is cursory and lacking in depth.

Evaluation of stakeholders and how they will be affected by the change initiative is discussed, including all necessary elements.

Evaluation of stakeholders and how they will be affected by the change initiative is thoroughly discussed with rich detail, including all necessary elements.

The Role of the Leader in the Change Initiative

10.0

The role of the leader in the change initiative is not addressed.

The role of the leader in the change initiative is present, but it is incomplete or inaccurate.

The role of the leader in the change initiative is presented, but it is cursory and lacking in depth.

The role of the leader in the change initiative is presented and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

The role of the leader in the change initiative is thoroughly presented with rich detail and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

Change Agents and Roles

10.0

Discussion of necessary change agents and their respective roles in implementing change is not included.

Discussion of necessary change agents and their respective roles in implementing change is incomplete or inaccurate.

Discussion of necessary change agents and their respective roles in implementing change is included, but discussion is cursory and lacking in depth.

Discussion of necessary change agents and their respective roles in implementing change is discussed, including all necessary elements.

Discussion of necessary change agents and their respective roles in implementing change is thoroughly discussed with rich detail, including all necessary elements.

Application of the Change Model to Develop Strategies (Competency 3.5)

10.0

The change model is not applied to develop strategies.

The change model is applied, but the resulting strategies are incomplete or inaccurate.

The change model is applied, but the resulting strategies are cursory and lacking in depth.

The change model is thoroughly applied and the resulting strategies include all necessary elements.

The change model is thoroughly applied with rich detail and the resulting strategies include all necessary elements.

Overcoming Barriers to Change (Competency 1.5)

10.0

Overcoming barriers to change is not addressed.

Overcoming barriers to change is presented, but it is incomplete or inaccurate.

Overcoming barriers to change is presented, but it is cursory and lacking in depth.

Overcoming barriers to change is presented and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

Overcoming barriers to change is thoroughly presented with rich detail and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

Evaluation Methods

10.0

Evaluation methods for determining the success of the change initiative are not included.

Evaluation methods for determining the success of the change initiative are incomplete or inaccurate.

Evaluation methods for determining the success of the change initiative are included but lack specific metrics or measurable determinants and relevant details.

Evaluation methods for determining the success of the change initiative are complete and include specific metrics or measurable determinants and relevant details.

Evaluation methods for determining the success of the change initiative are extremely thorough with specific metrics or measurable determinants clearly defined and numerous relevant details.

Strategies for Sustaining Change

5.0

Strategies for sustaining change are not addressed.

Strategies for sustaining change are incomplete or inaccurate.

Strategies for sustaining change are presented, but discussion is cursory and lacking in depth.

Strategies for sustaining change are complete and include discussion of all necessary elements.

Strategies for sustaining change are thoroughly presented with rich detail and include discussion of all necessary elements.

Overall Effectiveness of Change Plan

5.0

Discussion of how the change plan supports the organizational mission and goals, addresses stakeholder concerns, and contributes to the community of society is not included.

Discussion of how the change plan supports the organizational mission and goals, addresses stakeholder concerns, and contributes to the community of society is incomplete or inaccurate.

Discussion of how the change plan supports the organizational mission and goals, addresses stakeholder concerns, and contributes to the community of society is cursory and lacking in depth.

Discussion of how the change plan supports the organizational mission and goals, addresses stakeholder concerns, and contributes to the community of society is presented and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

Discussion of how the change plan supports the organizational mission and goals, addresses stakeholder concerns, and contributes to the community of society is thoroughly presented with rich detail and includes discussion of all necessary elements.

Organization and Effectiveness

13.0

 

Thesis Development and Purpose

3.0

Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.

Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.

Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose .

Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.

Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Argument Logic and Construction

5.0

Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.

Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.

Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.

Argument shows logical progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.

Clear and convincing argument that presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, and language use)

5.0

Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is employed.

Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.

Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.

Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.

The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.

Format

7.0

 

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)

2.0

Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.

Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.

Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.

Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.

All format elements are correct.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)

5.0

Sources are not documented.

Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.

Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

Topic 8 DQ 1

Consider an organization in your field or industry. Describe the essential systems necessary to facilitate continuous change without compromising quality or causing burnout among employees. Describe three factors to consider when making sure that the changes made become permanently imbedded in the organization’s culture.

Due Date: 02-Nov-2019

Topic 8 DQ 2

What is your reaction to change in your personal history? What personal tools do you implement to help yourself navigate change?

Due Date: 04-Nov-2019

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

• Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
• Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
• One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
• I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

• Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
• In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
• Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
• Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

• Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
• Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
• I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

• I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
• As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
• It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

 

LopesWrite Policy

• For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
• Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
• Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
• Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

• The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
• Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
• I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
• As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

• Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
  • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
  • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.