Course

NR528 Leading and Managing Evidence-based Change in Nursing

Discussion Prompt

Think of a time in which you encountered a challenging change process (personal or professional) and answer the following questions/prompts:

Was the change planned or unplanned?
List the elements that made this change difficult.
Who were the people involved, and what were their attitudes toward the change?
What were some lessons learned by you during this change process?

How to Approach This Discussion

1️⃣ Clearly Describe the Change

Briefly explain the situation:

What was changing? (e.g., EHR implementation, staffing model shift, policy revision, workflow redesign, relocation, leadership change)
Where did it occur? (clinical setting, academic setting, personal setting)
Why was the change initiated?

Keep the description concise but detailed enough to provide context.

2️⃣ Identify Whether It Was Planned or Unplanned

Planned change: structured, intentional, phased implementation.
Unplanned change: sudden, crisis-driven, reactive (e.g., pandemic adjustments).

Explain how the type of change influenced outcomes.

3️⃣ Analyze Barriers and Challenges

Discuss elements such as:

Resistance to change
Lack of communication
Poor leadership support
Inadequate training
Increased workload
Emotional stress
Role confusion
Limited resources

Focus on systems and human factors.

4️⃣ Evaluate Stakeholders and Attitudes

Identify:

Leadership
Nurses
Physicians
Interdisciplinary team
Patients (if relevant)

Discuss:

Who resisted?
Who supported the change?
Why did attitudes differ?

Consider generational, educational, or experiential influences.

5️⃣ Reflect on Lessons Learned

This section is critical.

Discuss growth in areas such as:

Leadership development
Communication strategies
Emotional intelligence
Change management skills
Importance of stakeholder engagement
Value of transparency
Flexibility and resilience

You may reference change theories if appropriate (e.g., Kurt Lewin Change Theory or John Kotter 8-Step Change Model).

Key Concepts to Focus On

Change management
Leadership and influence
Resistance to change
Stakeholder engagement
Communication strategies
Organizational culture
Emotional intelligence
Systems thinking

Sample Solution

One change I have recently experienced in the professional setting was a new EMS triage we used in the our emergency department. As the ED charge nurse, one of my main responsibilities was to triage ambulances on their arrival to the hospital. I would triage the patient, assign an acuity level, and assign the …….Click below to access the full sample solution (PDF)