Implementation Plan
In most instances, the expectations of evidenced-based practices in healthcare grow despite the less concentration placed on implementation which is a critical step in the process. There is need to have multiple strategies that one can choose from together with the application of good timing to employ the plan in meeting the needs of both the care users and the caregivers as well as those of the healthcare system (Friesen‐Storms et al., 2015). This paper provides an implementation plan that would be used in the facility to assist in embracing the change of conducting the mental health status examination to screen the geriatrics from loneliness and boredom.
- a) Engaging the stakeholders.
This step is vital in making the plan take root within the healthcare setup. The key stakeholders that will be of focus are the nurses that are always in direct contact with the patients and are the primary caregivers at all times. By engaging the nurses, the essence of embracing mental health status over clinical observation can be discussed. Possible ways to approach the change is discussed among the nurses in the kick-off meeting. The views and ideas concerning the expected change are noted, and various concerns from the nurses are taken into account (Townsend & Morgan, 2017). In so doing, the nurses will feel to be part of the change and therefore support it. In the long haul, less resistance in embracing the evidence-based practice is reduced, and adoption chances get even much higher.
- b) Securing the administrative support
After communicating with players and the stakeholders, the next step will move to seek the support from the leadership within the hospital for their assistance to move the project forward. This step will entail the explanation of the project to the top leadership and its impact on both the patient outcome as well as the organization in general. Various demonstrations concerning the essence of mental health examination such as its comprehensiveness in patient assessment can be done to make the intended point (Townsend & Morgan, 2017). The involvement of the leaders is critical to implementing the evidence-based change since they are the supplies of equipment and tools that are needed for the examination for instance charts and visual aids that can be used in the process of examining geriatrics. At the same time, the leaders are the financiers that can facilitate advanced training with an emphasis on the mental status examination over the clinical observation.
- c) Introducing the practice change
With the support from both the stakeholders and the administration, various tools to enhance mental health assessment are provided to enable the transition. The implementation team assisted the nurses and other healthcare providers in areas of difficulty in implementation of the practice. Peer to peer assistance is also employed for those who have mastered the new aspect of assessment.
At this point, the Lewin’s theory of change is applied to ensure that the staff facilitates the mental examination always. The theory uses unfreezing to make the staff feel the inefficiency of clinical observation, introducing the new mental health assessment to reduce boredom and loneliness and refreezing which entails strengthening the laid down the foundation for change to see it go through (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016).
- d) Reviewing the implementation
The process ends with an evaluation of the implemented plans for meeting the intended purposes as well as determining area requiring change (Friesen‐Storms et al., 2015). In evaluating the practice change, the patient outcome will be at the center of the assessment. It will entail the quantification of the number of geriatrics assessed and the instances of mental ill health determined as well as those handled to curb their devastating effects. Both patient and nurses will be interviewed to determine not only their views concerning the implemented plan but also their satisfaction concerning mental health assessment over the clinical observation.
Conclusion
In the event of palling for implementation, there is a need to lay down steps to be undertaken to guide the whole process. It is through the plan that timelines can be set and appropriate activities done to see the plan promoted. In the absence of such plan, confusion gets in among the agents of change with an increased probability of the practice change flopping.
References
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps:
Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. human relations, 69(1), 33-60.
Friesen‐Storms, J. H., Moser, A., Loo, S., Beurskens, A. J., & Bours, G. J. (2015). Systematic
implementation of evidence‐based practice in a clinical nursing setting: A participatory
action research project. Journal of clinical nursing, 24(1-2), 57-68.
Townsend, M. C., & Morgan, K. I. (2017). Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care
in evidence-based practice. FA Davis.
