Assignment: Application: Planned Change in a Department or Unit Health care organizations are continuously immersed in change from the emergence of new policies, to promote quality care and improve patient safety to keeping pace with the rapid growth in knowledge and best practices. Establishing a solid framework for planning and implementing change is a wise move, as it provides a foundation for the extensive coordination that will be needed to successfully facilitate the change. For this Assignment, you propose a change at the department or unit level and develop a plan for guiding the change effort. To prepare: Review Chapter 8 in the course text. Focus on Kurt Lewin’s change theory, and contrast it with other classic change models and strategies. Reflect on problems, inefficiencies, and critical issues within a specific department, unit, or area in your organization or one with which you are familiar. Select one issue as a focal point for this assignment, and consider a change that could be made to address the issue. Think about how the change would align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values as well as relevant professional standards. Using one of the change models or strategies discussed in Chapter 8, begin formulating a plan for implementing the change within the department/unit. Outline the steps that you and/or others should follow to facilitate the change effort. Align these steps to the change model or strategy you selected. Determine who should be involved in initiating and managing the change. Consider the skills and characteristics that are necessary to facilitate this change effort. To complete: By Day 7 Write a 3- page paper (page count does not include title and reference page) that addresses the following: Identify a problem, inefficiency, or issue within a specific department/unit. Describe a specific, realistic change that could be made to address the issue. Summarize how the change would align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values as well as relevant professional standards. Identify a change model or strategy to guide your planning for implementing the change. Provide a rationale for your selection. Outline the steps that you and/or others would follow to facilitate the change. Align these steps to your selected change model or strategy. Explain who would be involved in initiating and managing this change. Describe the skills and characteristics that would be necessary to facilitate the change effort. Disc 5 The dynamic and increasingly complex world of health care often requires nurses to work collaboratively on interprofessional teams. In the group environment, individuals with unique skills and expertise come together to focus on a common goal; however, groups must become cohesive before they can become effective. Your experiences working with groups—whether you perceive them as positive, negative, or neutral—can be used to facilitate insight and development. Health care, with its focus on interprofessional teamwork and collaboration, offers ample opportunities and an imperative for continuous learning. For this Discussion, you focus on strategies for facilitating the group process. To prepare: Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources regarding the stages of group formation, problematic roles individuals play in groups, and strategies for facilitating and maintaining positive group collaboration. In particular, review Learning Exercise 19.14 of the course text. Reflect on various groups with which you have been or are currently involved. Select one specific group to analyze for the purposes of this Discussion. Identify the purpose or task that the group is or was meant to perform. Consider the four stages of group formation (forming, storming, norming, and performing). How would you describe the progression between stages? Is there a stage in which you believe your group is or was “stuck”? Consider the task or group-building role you normally play in a group setting. How could you apply the information from the Learning Resources to improve your group participation and facilitation, as well as the functioning of the group as a whole? In addition, think about which individuals within your group (including yourself) may fall into problematic roles such as the Dominator, the Aggressor, or the Blocker. How have you and your group members addressed the enactment of these roles and its impact on interactions? With information from the Learning Resources in mind, what strategies would you apply now or going forward? By Day 3 Post a description of a group with which you have been or are currently involved. Assess where the group is in terms of the four stages of group formation. If you are reflecting on a past experience, explain if your group moved through all four stages. Describe the task or group-building role you typically play, or played, in this group. Then, explain what strategies you, as a leader, can apply to better facilitate the group process and address any problematic individual roles in the group.