NURS 6401: Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare | Week 3

Technology has indeed taken a place next to war, death, divorce, and taxes as a prime cause of bone-shuddering anxiety.

—John Seymour

The above quote speaks to the initial hesitation that many experience when using new technologies. Becoming accustomed to a new system takes time, planning, and communication. To better facilitate the implementation of new technologies, nurse informaticists can employ a variety of theories and conceptual frameworks. These theories and frameworks can increase the efficiency of implementations, while also decreasing the uneasiness felt by end users.

This week focuses on theories and conceptual frameworks relevant to change management and the implementation of informatics systems.

 

Learning Objectives – NURS 6401: Week 3: Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory Translation Assignment

Students will:

• Analyze theories and conceptual frameworks pertinent to nursing informatics initiatives
• Evaluate applications of theories or conceptual frameworks to informatics initiatives

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Adams, R., Tranfield, D., & Denyer, D. (2011). How can toast be radical? Perceptions of innovations in healthcare. International Journal of Clinical Leadership, 17(1), 37–48.

This article examines four case studies that present successful innovations in the NHS. The authors propose a descriptive framework of innovation attributes to convey the perceptions of health care innovators.

Doran, D. M., Haynes, R. B., Kushniruk, A., Straus, S., Grimshaw, J., Hall, L. M., & … Jedras, D. (2010). Supporting evidence-based practice for nurses through information technologies. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 7(1), 4–15.

The authors of this article discuss the practicality and usability of mobile technologies. In addition, they detail how mobile technologies can help to provide evidence-based practice and ultimately benefit the work of nurse informaticists.

Rahimi, B., Timpka, T., Vimarlund, V., Uppugunduri, S., & Svensson, M. (2009). Organization-wide adoption of computerized provider order entry systems: A study based on diffusion of innovations theory. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 9(1), 52.

The effectiveness of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system implementation is examined in this article. The attitudes, reactions, and thoughts of nurses and physicians involved in the implementation are also discussed.

@Current. (2012). Jean Watson’s philosophy of nursing. Retrieved from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Watson.html

Access this website to explore one prominent philosophy of nursing, Watson’s philosophy of caring.

Connelly, M. (n.d.). Kurt Lewin change management model. Retrieved from http://www.change-management-coach.com/kurt_lewin.html

Kurt Lewin’s change theory consists of a three stages: unfreeze, change, and freeze. Access this website to learn more about each phase.

Lewin, K. (2011). Change theory. Retrieved from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/change_theory.html

This website provides a brief overview of the concepts and stages of Lewin’s change theory.

Required Media- NURS 6401: Week 3: Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory Translation Assignment

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012i). Theories and conceptual frameworks [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes.

In this week’s media presentation, Gail Latimer, Dr. Patricia Button, and Dr. Roy Simpson discuss the importance of using theories and frameworks to guide informatics initiatives. In addition, Dr. Simpson provides an overview of two frameworks he commonly uses in his position, Moore’s Law and the Integrated Research Operational (IRO) model, as well as two well-known theories, Roger’s diffusion of innovation and Watson’s theory of caring.

Discussion: Nursing Theory Translation Into Practice Essay

When water is in a solid state, particles are packed in a rigid pattern, conforming to the shape of its container. As the water turns into a liquid, the particles regain their fluidity, moving as the other particles around them begin to shift. Kurt Lewin’s change theory is much like the changing state of water. Applying this theory, Lewin describes workplaces as being frozen in their procedures. In this state, it is impossible for change to occur successfully because people are “frozen.” Informaticists must recognize this rigid culture and begin to implement strategies that will unfreeze the opinions and procedures of the setting. According to Lewin, only then will staff begin to accept new processes over old ones.

This process of moving from “freezing” to “unfreezing” can be a turbulent one. In fact, many nurses have equated this to “working in slush.” By applying theories and frameworks developed by Lewin and others, nurse informaticists can better facilitate informatics implementations. In this Discussion, you explore how theories and conceptual frameworks can be applied to informatics implementations.

 

To prepare:

• Review this week’s media presentation, Theories and Conceptual Frameworks, and consider how a nurse informaticist can use theories to guide informatics initiatives. What are the benefits of using theories?
• Review the article “Organization-Wide Adoption of Computerized Provider Order Entry Systems: A Study Based on Diffusion of Innovations Theory” in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider how Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory impacted the adoption of the informatics system.
• Conduct research in the Walden Library to locate a peer-reviewed article that (1) focuses on implementing a new informatics project or procedure and (2) discusses how a theory was used to guide this implementation.
• Consider alternative theories that might also be applicable to that specific implementation.

By Day 3

Post the APA citation for your article and a brief summary that includes the setting of the implementation, what was being implemented, the need for the implementation, and the titles of the staff who spearheaded the project (if provided). Identify the theory that drove the implementation, and explain how this theory was translated into practice by the planning team. Finally, suggest alternative theories that could have been used and support your response with references to the research literature.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

• Provide insight into how two similar implementations differed in execution and/or theory.
• Share an insight about how your own health care organization implemented a new informatics initiative, and the theories that were explicitly or implicitly used.
• Contrast how health care settings used the same theory differently to drive an implementation. NURS 6401: Week 3: Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory Translation Assignment.

 

 

MORE INFO 

Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory Translation

Introduction

Kurt Lewin was a German-born psychologist who studied social change and how people can use these principles to improve their lives. He believed that human beings are more than just physical beings; they’re also emotional and social beings. He believed that we can control our emotions but not necessarily change them, which means our actions will always reflect our current state of mind. For example: if you’re angry at someone, chances are they’ll never know—unless you tell them!

Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory Translation

The change theory model is a translation of the unfreeze, movement, refreeze model. This means that it is easier to understand this way than when you first read it.

The change theory model can be explained as follows:

• Unfreeze: here we talk about when people are in a state of conflict with what they do and how they feel about themselves or others. People may feel very frustrated because they don’t know how to deal with their current situation and what would be better for them or others involved in the conflict (example: if you are having problems at work then there might be other ways out of this situation). They may also feel guilty about their actions because they think something should have been done differently (example: if someone cheats on their partner then maybe there was something wrong with their relationship). Some people even go so far as trying everything possible within reason but still don’t find any solutions; these are called “unfulfilled needs/desires” because nothing has been achieved yet!

Unfreeze

Unfreeze is the first step in changing someone’s behavior. It involves removing psychological barriers to change and can be done through education, awareness and persuasion.

Unfreezing involves removing obstacles that prevent people from doing what they want to do; in this case, it’s getting people to act on their beliefs about themselves and others around them.

Movement

Movement is the process of moving from one state to another. It’s also a way of describing change, adaptation and learning.

Movement can be thought of as a way to describe how people adapt or learn new things in their lives. If you’re moving from one place to another but don’t know where you’re going, then this movement is not very useful for making progress towards your goal. In order for your life path or career path (or other important areas) become clearer through movement, it’s necessary that we make changes along the way so that we can find ourselves at our destination rather than just drifting around aimlessly like leaves on water (or whatever metaphor makes sense).

Refreeze

Reinforcement is a powerful tool for influencing behavior. It is achieved when two or more stimuli are presented together, reinforcing each other’s presence. When reinforcement occurs, the organism learns that the first stimulus leads to a second stimulus and so repeats this sequence again and again.

For example: If you want your child to stop biting his nails, you can teach him how to do so by using positive reinforcement. For example, if he uses his thumb as a nail cutter, say “Yes” when he looks at you while he does it (this will increase his behavior). If he cuts himself badly on several occasions but still continues biting his nails anyway (and therefore doesn’t learn anything), then say “No!”

Takeaway:

The takeaway is that you should be aware of the power of your thoughts, and how they can influence your behavior. You should also understand how to effectively change these thoughts, so that they align with your values and goals.

In summary:

• Be aware of the power of your thoughts

• Understand how to change these thoughts

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you understand the concepts of Kurt Lewin’s change theory translation. If you have any questions about Kurt Lewin or this topic, please let us know in the comments below!