Lewin's Change Theory of Nursing

NURSING THEORIES
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Lewin's Change Theory of Nursing
The theoretical framework used in the study is Lewin's Change Theory of Nursing. This model posits that individuals and groups are influenced by both driving forces, which are positive forces for change, and restraining forces, which counter the driving forces and keep the status quo (Barrow et al., 2020). The tension between the two forces helps to maintain equilibrium. Lewin's three-step change model effectively changes the status quo: unfreezing, changing/moving, and refreezing. Unfreezing involves creating problem awareness and allowing people to let go of old patterns, while changing/moving involves seeking alternatives and demonstrating the benefits of change. Finally, refreezing integrates and stabilizes the new equilibrium in the system (Barrow et al., 2020).
The research questions for this study might include the following:
* How do healthcare organizations manage the change process according to Lewin's Change Theory of Nursing?
* What strategies most effectively achieve successful organizational change?
* How do healthcare organizations measure the success of organizational change initiatives?
The conceptual definitions taken from this theory are:
* Unfreezing: Creating problem awareness and allowing people to let go of old ways and undoing the current equilibrium (e.g., educating, challenging the status quo, demonstrating issues or problems).
* Changing/Moving: Seeking alternatives, demonstrating benefits of change, and decreasing forces that affect change negatively (e.g., brainstorming, role modeling new ways, coaching, training).
* Refreezing: Integrating and stabilizing a new equilibrium into the system so it becomes a habit and resists further change (e.g., celebrating success, re-training, and monitoring Key Performance Indicators [KPIs]).
From Lewin's Change model of Nursing, the data collection instrument used in this study should measure the success of organizational change initiatives. It should include measures of the effectiveness of unfreezing, changing/moving, and refreezing activities. The instrument should also include measures of success, such as changes in organizational structure, culture, and processes. Operational definitions should be included to ensure consistent and accurate measurement of the research objectives.
Based on the study findings, it can be concluded that Lewin's Change Theory of Nursing is a practical framework for managing organizational change. It can be seen that the three steps of the model (unfreezing, changing/moving, and refreezing) are all effective in achieving successful change initiatives. For instance, it can be seen that creating problem awareness and allowing people to let go of old patterns through the unfreezing step effectively set the stage for successful change. Equally, the changing/moving step, which involves seeking alternatives and demonstrating the benefits of change, efficiently achieves successful change initiatives. Finally, the refreezing step, which integrates and stabilizes the new equilibrium into the system, successfully guarantees that change is maintained and resis...