Leading Organisational Change: Improving Hospital Performance

Published 01 Feb 2007
Reference 5354
Region Europe
Length 24 page(s)
Summary

Tracey Burns, Director of Nursing at the King Edgar NHS Hospital Trust was assigned to head a project to improve the efficiency of patient flows throughout the hospital's system. The case describes how nurses are empowered to play a more proactive role in the process of discharging patients. In addition the Trust was going through a financial crisis, it had difficulties meeting government's waiting list targets and was receiving adverse media coverage. The case looks at how the nurses finally took responsibility for making the final decision to discharge individuals - traditionally the physician's job. The task was difficult as it meant the balance of power between physicians and nurses would alter, but in order for the process to change, there would have to be close cooperation between the two parties.

Teaching objectives

The case allows the instructor to discuss two separate aspects of change: - The first aspect concerns the change process. The case raises a number of themes to do with the need for top management to build the case for painful change, gather support, provide constant and consistent communication, sell gain as well as pain, encourage accountability, measure progress, and sustain momentum for change. It also highlights different ways of developing commitment and overcoming resistance to change. - The second aspect concerns the change content. The case allows the instructor to explore the mapping and diagnosis of the problem, as well as the relevance of the solutions pursued and the metrics introduced.

Keywords
  • Leadership
  • Operations management
  • Organizational change
  • Process of change
  • Performance improvement
  • Customer service
  • Health care
  • Change management