The Article
Leadership is one of the major five competencies in nursing- the bother being knowledge, effective communication, business acumen as well as professionalism. A transcending quality of a good leader, especially useful in nursing in the ability to manage and effect proactive change. Change in a healthcare environment requires mobilizing human resources as they relate to effective planning, implementation, and evaluation of the change strategies. Shirley (2013) attempts to understand Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change (LTPC) and how it can be applied as a leadership strategy to manage change in the nursing environment effectively. The article is a summary of LLTPC’s merits, demerits as well as appropriate application in the nursing environment.
According to the article, LTPC can be summed up as a three-step process- freezing, unfreezing, or transitioning and unfreezing. Freezing involves all the activities done in preparation for the expected change process. It often begins when a change agent is discovered, such as recognizing a problem or identifying a challenge-exclusive need for change (an opportunity for growth). It involves mobilizing colleagues and subordinates to see the prudence of the change. Transitioning or moving, LLTPC’s second stage looks at change as a process rather than an event (Shirley, 2013). Transitioning requires the formulation of a detailed plan of action in response to the change agent. Transitioning is one of the most difficult aspects of change management since it carries the risk of fear and uncertainty associated with implementing change. It requires nursing leaders to effectively dispel fears and uncertainty associated with the change process, in a manner that communicates the relevance of the change to an organization’s goals (Shirley, 2013). Refreezing, LLTPC’s third stage mainly involves the stabilization of the change, weaving the change policy or practice within the operational framework of the institution in question. The major objective of this stage is embedding the change into existing operations and systems such that it becomes a part of the organization’s culture.
Strengths and Weaknesses
LLTPC’s strength lies from its versatility in its application (can be applied in almost any intrinsically different nursing situation) as well as its relative simplicity compared to other change strategies. This makes LTPC relatively easier to use as a theoretical framework for practical change management. It is one of the oldest existing models for managing change, hence a wealth of experience on the application available.
Despite these merits, LTPC is criticized for being too simple (Shirley, 2013), framed from a static perspective as well as its quaint linearity that fails to consider the dynamics of an exponentially changing modern healthcare system. Positions against the theory fault it for failing to accommodate the pace change is happening within modern healthcare (Shirley, 2013).
Appropriate Application
Shirley (2013) suggests LLTPC is best suitable for relatively stable healthcare environments, for example, hospitals experiencing a period of relative success. It should be used for the implementation of small changes and is not encouraged in urgent problems. Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change becomes counter-productive if used in such urgent unstable situations. A perfect example of its appropriate application includes succession planning, as described by the article since it requires a top-down approach for implementation, a prerequisite of LLLTPC’s application. Its application, however, requires careful consideration of effective leadership skills- effective communication leading to acceptance by subordinates and colleagues without the uncertainty and fear of change is one of the most important leadership skills for appropriate implementation.