Critical Reflection Scenario-Based Essay

Posted: January 4th, 2023

Critical Reflection Scenario-Based Essay

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Critical Reflection Scenario-Based Essay

Patient safety and increased organizational communication have received much political, research, and public attention in the recent past because adverse effects interfere with quality patient care. Consequently, health facilities are turning their attention to electronic medical record (EMR) systems that improve communication between healthcare providers and various aspects of the individual patient’s care and enhance patient security. The study focuses on how electronic health records (EHRs) provide a suitable chance to overcome the general trending increment in communication blunders and encourage organizational leaders to embrace change to facilitate interaction between caregivers and patients. Health institutions should introduce change by following the guidelines of Lewin’s model that requires implementers to focus on three critical steps while exercising proper leadership. Adhering to a practical model while following the instructions of transformative leadership increase the chances of growing communication using EMR.

Reason for Adopting Electronic Medical Records

The current study reveals that improper communication among health caregivers in one of the major causes of medical blunders and patient harm. Dingley et al. (2010) performed a qualitative study at a 477-bed medical facility of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority and learned that communication failures are the leading cause of communication issues. Moreover, Dingley et al. (2010) refer to a finding by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing that clinicians highly contribute to the errors. In another study involving 2000 health practitioners, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices singled out intimidation during communication as a leading cause of the medical fault. The escalating body of literature on error prevention and protection discloses that team members’ improper or inadequate communication is a vital contributing concern to adverse repercussions. Avoiding such blunders requires the firm to embrace EMR, which presents many merits to users.

Health facilities use EMR because the system makes it possible to improve communication practices among all parties. Overall, EMR makes it easier to retrieve and transmit information, thus facilitating communication between the interacting parties (White & Danis, 2016). The decreased medication errors and eradication of unimportant investigations improve communication and interactions among caregivers, patients, and others involved in care. Despite some personal issues concerning the implementation time and costs, the enhanced communication between caregivers and patients improve the work lives of caregivers because of the increased efficiencies in workflow through minimizing the time needed to refer to written material (White & Danis, 2016). EMR elevates communication such that it becomes easy to access comprehensive patient information, help manage prescriptions, improve scheduling of client appointments, and promote interaction with patients without the physical presence (White & Danis, 2016). Other factors that make it necessary for institutions to embrace EMR include quick access to health education tools, test outcomes, personal records, and devices for tracking and evaluating long-lasting disease management (White & Danis, 2016). The merits that come with EMR requires a firm to enact a suitable plan that would foster positive change. 

A plan to Change

A suitable framework to achieve the desired change is Lewin’s three-step model that many consider being a vital method for managing change. Organisational leaders must understand that change is an inevitable aspect, and it is essential to know the basics of change management to attain desirable results. Lewin’s framework requires the hospital to focus on three steps; unfreezing, change, and freezing (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). The initial stage (unfreezing) requires the firm to acknowledge that change is essential by taking time to understand the present deficiencies before creating a plan for transformation (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). The key to handling the phase is creating an appealing message illustrating why the current way of doing things is inappropriate and cannot continue. The team behind the change may explain how the traditional communication approaches delay message delivery, and increase the likelihood of witnessing medical errors. Institutional leaders should take the initiative to challenge the behaviors, attitudes, values, and beliefs that presently support ineffective operations (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). Managers should know the first part is the most challenging and cumbersome because the alterations may find some people unprepared to alter the current factors. The second phase (change) requires the body in charge of modification to enact the desired changes and condition the group to accept the new approaches (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). Leaders at this stage can install modern gadgets to ease communication and train employees on how to use electronic forms of communication. The interveners must know that change does not take place overnight and requires cooperation. The organisation should assess how the change would benefit the firm and ensure everyone contributes to the desired objectives taking into account that not everyone may be ready to support evolution (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). The final step is refreezing, which entails solidifying, stabilizing, and reinforcing the new condition after the change (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). The firm accepts transformation made to organisational structures, processes, and goals at the last phase to reinstate the new status quo. The final step is essential as it ensures that people do not turn back to old practices. 

Application of a Leadership Style

The facility will only achieve the desired outcome by relying on an appropriate leadership model that gives the necessary guidance. A suitable style that would promote significant changes is transformational leadership. Managers motivate, inspire, and encourage workers to create and innovate change that will help shape and expand future success (Khajeh, 2018). The plan requires a leader who can identify the necessary transformation, forming a vision to steer the change through inspiration, and implementing the alterations following dedicated team members. Leaders using the style have to provide essential morale and motivation using various approaches, including helping followers recognize their identity and capacity to make the change successful. The leadership approach is most suitable because workers contribute towards the shift through the inspiration they receive from the leader to act beyond their perceived capabilities (Khajeh, 2018). The style makes it easier to attain the desired goals because individuals dedicate themselves to realize the remarkable or unexpected outcome. Employees develop the interest to embrace and sustain change because transformational leadership gives members of staff autonomy over specific functions and the mandate to make decisions once the new system is operational. The institution may not realize the desired outcome if leaders fail to use an approach that calls on workers and empowers them to contribute towards the change process. 

Evaluation of Leadership Style

Transformational leadership is appropriate in offering the correct guidance when implementing the change plan because of the many merits that leaders and their subjects are likely to experience. One factor that makes transformational leadership appealing is such leaders are exceptional in their capacity to quickly assess the organisation’s present situation and form a practical vision for its growth and advancement (Khajeh, 2018). Leaders communicate their vision to workers to incorporate everyone compelling employees to do their part because they perceive the whole experience as enjoyable and purposeful (Khajeh, 2018). The qualities of a transformational leader make the model more compelling compared with other structures. Such a manager practices fairness and integrity sets clear goals and provides necessary support and motivation (Khajeh, 2018). Besides, the design is the right one in enacting the changes needed because it requires individuals to set high goals and calls on employees to look past their self-interests (Khajeh, 2018). Authoritarian and laissez-faire leadership are inappropriate in this situation because of the significant limitations leaders, and their subjects are likely to experience by implementing them. For example, the authoritarian leadership style is less suitable because it confines all powers to the leader and hardly allows team members to make decisions (Khajeh, 2018). Such managers only make decisions that promote their ideas, judgments, and experiences (Khajeh, 2018). Autocratic leadership often results in opposition from the subjects who cannot put up strict regulations for long. Laissez-faire, on the other hand, is not likely to give the best outcome because some employees may not act towards the goal if they choose to follow their interests. Transformational leadership proves to be the best in implementing change at the health facility. 

Potential Resistance

Inadequate knowledge and awareness of EHR and lack of managerial support could create considerable resistance to the change process, which requires the implementers to develop practical intervention plans. The successful implementation of EMR requires workers to employ advanced technology, which may not be possible unless the staff members undergo specialized training. The challenge could prevent the use of superior techniques to enhance communication and make the facility less competitive. An effective way to address the issue is to identify areas of weakness and equip workers with relevant knowledge and skills through vigorous training. Employees can also share expertise in various fields, as this may help to address some common complications. Another challenge that may affect the change process is the lack of support from organisational leaders. Lack of managerial aid deprives the entire initiative of resources and financial support that are important in making any project successful. The group implementing the change should emphasise proper leadership and identify and implement a structure that would appropriately steer the initiative.

Conclusion

The study explores the importance of embracing EMR to ease communication in a health facility. The facility stands to benefit from the modern approaches that provide the opportunity to send and receive information without much difficulty. Enacting change the team to use Lewin’s model of change, which requires much focus during the refreezing, shift, and freezing stages. Refreezing requires the firm to identify and explain why change is necessary, and the second phase involves implementing new measures that would promote communication. The final step (freezing) consists of taking actions that would enforce a long-lasting impact on the organisation following the latest adjustments. The initiative requires the proper guidance of a transformative leader who engages everyone in decision-making while seeking to make them more productive. Leaders should provide enough support, facilitate training to equip workers with the necessary skills and awareness.

References

Cummings, S., Bridgman, & Brown, K. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(1), 33-60.

Dingley et al. (2010). Improving patient safety through provider communication strategy enhancements. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/advances2/vol3/advances-dingley_14.pdf

Khajeh, E. (2018). Impact of leadership styles on organizational performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, doI: 10.5171/2018.687849

White, A., & Danis, M. (2016). Enhancing patient-centered communication and collaboration by using the electronic health record in the examination room. JAMA, 309(22), 2327-2328.