Change in the working processes is inevitable, and dealing with it requires all participants and managers to be capable of adapting, following, and improving when necessary. Leaders’ role is especially crucial in times of uncertainty and novelty because their initiatives and support assist in achieving goals. Furthermore, different practice problems require unique solutions, and the champions of change must be able to implement and execute a strategy of any type (Cummings et al., 2021). For instance, the problem of the impoverished population skipping their follow-up visits with a doctor identified in my clinical site should be addressed by multiple teams, such as physicians, nurses, and administrators. Consequently, solid and diversified leadership is essential to achieve the practice change that will impact the beneficiaries’ behavior. This paper aims to differentiate change champions and opinion leaders, discuss the human resources necessary to make updates, and discuss the impact of leadership style in resolving patient-related issues.
Change champions are beneficial for all organizations where progress is needed for quality improvement, and healthcare facilities should continuously develop to maintain their services at the appropriate level. Indeed, my practicum’s site problem is identified through the beneficiaries’ tendency not to attend their follow-up visit, which seriously damages the provided care outcomes. Consequently, influencing workers and patients is necessary for adequate resolution, and the work of change champions and opinion leaders would significantly benefit the strategy (Hickey & Giardino, 2021). These executives are perceived as similar due to their importance in impacting people’s decision-making; however, the differences between them are considerable. A change champion is an individual who advocates for updates through their actions and the facilitation of novelties for their colleagues (Hickey & Giardino, 2021). In contrast, the opinion leader is the person whose knowledge, scope of practice, and decisions are proven trustworthy, and the teams can rely on their recommendations.
Both types of employees are essential for making a change in an organization, yet they might not necessarily be in the executive position. For instance, in addressing the practicum problem of the impoverished population skipping their follow-up visits, the opinion leader can be a physician who works with these beneficiaries (Hickey & Giardino, 2021). A change champion who advocates for the updates in practice can be a nursing professional who sees how damaging the non-attendance is for the quality of care.
The practice changes for influencing the patients’ behavior and decreasing the number of skipped follow-up visits at my clinical site require diverse human resources involved in different stages. An administrator, nursing practitioner, and physician participation are required in providing services for an average patient and assigning them additional appointments. It is essential for each participant to be aware of the problem and motivated to solve it through evidence-based actions (Luciano et al., 2019). Because there are a variety of human resources involved, several leadership philosophies are needed, such as transformational for doctors, visionary for nurses, and authoritarian for administrators (Sloane et al., 2018). A facilitator and a leader are also necessary to develop and implement a strategy for achieving change because, without a responsible individual who continuously evaluates the effectiveness and addresses issues, no sustainable result is achievable.
Change cannot be avoided in a healthcare organization that aims to deliver high-quality services, and various human recourses are necessary to be involved in supporting the initiatives. In the case of the practicum problem of the impoverished population skipping their follow-up visits, physicians, nurses, administrators, and managers should participate in solving it timely and effective. Furthermore, the work of change champions and opinion leaders is essential for supporting the process and applying evidence-based strategies.
References
Cummings, G. G., Lee, S., Tate, K., Penconek, T., Micaroni, S. P., Paananen, T., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2021). The essentials of nursing leadership: A systematic review of factors and educational interventions influencing nursing leadership. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 115, 103842. Web.
Hickey, J. V., & Giardino, E. R. (Eds.). (2021). Evaluation of quality in health care for DNPs (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
Luciano, M. M., Aloia, T. A., & Brett, J. F. (2019). Four ways to make evidence-based practice the norm in health care. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Sloane, D. M., Smith, H. L., McHugh, M. D., & Aiken, L. H. (2018). Effect of changes in hospital nursing resources on improvements in patient safety and quality of care: A panel study. Medical Care, 56(12), 1001. Web.