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Shift Huddle Change

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Course Name

Date
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Shift Huddle Cahnge

Good communication among nurses in a healthcare facility is important for the effective

outcome of individualized treatment care for every patient. For healthcare institutions and

facilities, ensuring that clients receive proper primary care involves more than conducting

procedures and taking diagnoses. Communication is a vital component in every step of

healthcare (Kourkouta & Papathanasiou, 2014). Whether it is accurate information sharing with

other facilities or between doctors, nurses, specialists, and other staff within the hospital,

discussing ways of treating patients, the necessity for concise and effective communication is

usually present. Therefore, there was a need to improve the communication process between the

staff members for the various shifts: morning and afternoon. Besides, every staff has unique

capabilities and interactions with patients. Therefore, (Rhythmsystems, 2021), the interactions

and differed observation must be shared among the whole staff to allow a conclusive relay of

information.

Description of the change model

The Kurt Lewin change theory model that revolves around the 3 stage process ensures a

high-level method to improvement. This change model was selected for the project since it

provides the nurses with a framework to execute a transformation effort that is thoughtful and

seamless. The Kurt Lewin theory enables making a radical change, minimizes disruption on the

operations structure, and ensures the change proposed and amendments are permanently adopted

(Morrison, 2014). The three-step model provides the idea of what the process of change huddle

implementation means when dealing with individuals. Moreover, the phases guide how to get a

nurse to change; however, change huddle will only be efficient if the nurses can embrace it and

incorporate it in practice.
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The initial phase in this model is the unfreeze step which signalizes the need and

readiness for a change huddle among nurses. The unfreezing process implies learning and

gaining perspective into the nurses' bad ways of communication, thereby opening new ways to

enhance communication. This means that the current communication practices are reassessed for

the change model to take effect. Notably, it is important to understand that not all staff can agree

on huddling before the beginning of shifts as a change proposal. This is because some members

may deem it as a waste of time. Unfreezing, therefore, involves making the huddle shift

understandable to enhance communication and make things effective in the healthcare system.

The second stage is the change implementation of the shift huddle (Morrison, 2014). This stage

includes the change in thoughts, behaviour and feeling of nurses around the healthcare facility. In

this case, the huddles should occur at the start of every shift and motivate the staff to interact and

communicate during each huddle. The issues and concerns raised by nurses should be addressed

and acknowledged by the management. Further, issues raised must be evaluated and change

implemented accordingly to ensure a safe environment of working. The last step is refreezing,

which involves establishing the huddle shift as the new habit. This significantly ensures that it

becomes the standard operating procedure. As such, this step ensures nurse do not revert to old

habits. For instance, the time and location of shift huddles should be consistent. Moreover, daily

huddles ensure the staff are accustomed to the huddles and thus encourage raising concerns and

questions.

Planning

Driving and Restraining forces

The driving forces include the forces pushing in the direction, causing the occurrence of

the change. One of the driving forces includes the hospital nursing culture that embraces change,
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the drive and needs for change among nurses to enhance goal achievement and the availability of

the right and appropriate method of motivation to ensure embracing change. However, the

restraining forces that counter driving forces include resistance to change by nurses, lack of will

and persistence to promote and see the change shift huddle through.

A vision of the change

Implementing the huddle shift will ensure the nurses can prioritize care and focus on the

safety of patients. It ensures the nurses can review the pertinent concerns and issues and plan for

the problems that may occur during the shift. The shift huddle will enhance safety awareness and

ensure teams can develop plans of action to identify safety issues, thus limit costs through

enhanced communication.

A plan for disseminating the vision

The team leaders are responsible for leading the team and alert the team of when each

shifts huddles will take place and the time it will start. Once the huddle shift comes, every nurse

can avail their respective reports about what happened before the huddle. This includes patients

at risks, expected discharges and challenges experienced. The members, therefore, can operate to

identify solutions to the problems, and the nurse leader delegates duties and tasks. The huddle

should not take longer than ten minutes, and members must show commitment.

The goals and objectives

The objective and goals of the shift change huddle are to communicate the potential

safety problems that patients face as well as the staff. Additionally, they are aimed at promoting

collective awareness, teamwork and the timely resolution to problems.

Identify champions and stakeholders

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The stakeholder that will be involved in the shift huddle change includes patients and

hospital management. I will engage the patient by informing them of being free to air out their

thoughts and feelings to understand their concerns, pain and thoughts. This will ensure nurses

develop an appropriate treatment strategy to enhance safety and communication. For the

management, I will inform them of the necessity for the shift change huddle and its importance

in enhancing communication, patient safety and minimizing costs.

Apply a Change Model

Applying Lewin's 3 stage model, the initial stage of unfreezing will require

acknowledging that not every staff will embrace the change shift huddle. I will reassess the

modes of communication present in the healthcare facility and outline their weakness in

enhancing safety among patients and staff. The change stage will involve encouraging staff to

embrace the shift huddle and interact during the huddle. I will ensure change occurs accordingly

to provide safety and limit costs while enhancing communication among staff and the patient.

The last step, refreezing, will require persistence to ensure sticking by the huddle routine. This

will require creating a routine and timeline for huddles in particular places and particular times to

ensure staff are accustomed to daily huddles and thus ensuring they can air their experiences,

questions and concerns.

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References

Gray, T. (2020). Safety huddle in a community nursing setting. British Journal of Community

Nursing, 25(9), 446–450.

https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.9.446

Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. V. (2014). Communication in nursing practice. Materia

socio-medica, 26(1), 65.

Morrison, M. (2014). Kurt Lewin change theory three-step model–unfreeze, change,

freeze. Retrieved October 18, 2015.

Rhythmsystems.com, 2021. Huddles: The Benefits of a Daily Huddle Meeting (Even Virtual).

[online] Rhythmsystems.com. Available at:

<https://www.rhythmsystems.com/blog/daily-huddle-the-most-valuable-10-minutes-of-

your-day> [Accessed 26 February 2021].