Introduction
A first-line nurse manager is given a full executive position and is responsible for nursing, including staffing, quality of care, financial planning, and organizational growth. It is generally accepted that first-line nurse managers frequently have to balance the everyday requirements of the nursing profession with other commitments, such as providing safe staff numbers, conducting staff evaluations, addressing quality issues, and making adjustments in their delivery or team. Research on first-line nurse managers has pointed out how important it is to describe their responsibilities precisely.
The Role of First Line Nurse Manager in Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Change
First-line managers have a variety of responsibilities within the health service (Gunawan et al., 2020). For example, their commitment may consist of carrying out the everyday tasks associated with people management. These tasks may include the scheduling of work shifts, the recruitment of substitutes, the arranging of employee training, etc. It is the responsibility of the first-line nurse manager of an institutional, medical, and rehab facility to oversee the trained nurses, medical equipment, and nursing facilities.
Planning
Before putting change into motion, there is a need to plan for change. Planning for change includes identifying the loopholes in the organization and making proper plans. First-line nurse managers use the insights acquired throughout the preparation phase to determine how to put into effect the necessary modifications. They make plans that outline the path that the healthcare facility and nurses will take, including the steps taken to implement the required adjustments and the criteria that will be used to determine whether or not those changes were effective. First-line nursing managers may need to include a strategy detailing how to assist staff during this transition. This will depend on the magnitude of the change they decide to execute. Since they could identify the team most affected by the change as a result of impact analysis, an action plan must also include any form of assistance or education that these workers may require. Coaching and mentoring, cross-training strategies, and open-door practices are some of the things that should be taken into consideration. These are places where staff may seek assistance and obtain clarity.
Implementing
The most successful changes are implemented in phases, preventing staff from becoming overwhelmed. Make a schedule that begins with the tasks in order of priority, such as the staff training, the purchasing of hardware, or the software updates. It is helpful to establish and implement changes in phases so that you can quickly evaluate and review intended goals and then set a deadline for that evaluation. First-line nurse managers can improve the odds that the change will be successful for the entire organization by first putting it through its paces with a pilot group consisting of a relatively small number of people.
Evaluation
Collaborating with staff or team to establish the metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation is essential. First-line nurse managers might have quantitative results that are simple to measure. If there is no quantifiable data, first-line nurse managers develop alternative methods for evaluating the impact of the change process:
- Why was this modification made in the first place?
- Given the objective we set out with, what characteristics should success have?
- Which aspects of our company’s operations have seen the most significant progress due to the change?
- Is there any part of the operation that has decreased productivity?
The first line nurse manager will establish a time limit for evaluating the implementation during the planning phase. When they reach the target date, first-line nurse managers convene meetings with teams to assess the results using the criteria above to determine whether or not the change has been successful.
How Change Theories Can be Used to Guide the Change Process
Knowing the science and philosophy of change is essential to shifting organizational systems successfully. Change theory and research can build a theoretical framework by assisting first-line nurse managers in determining which signs can encourage growth and strength toward a long-term end (Reinholz & Andrews, 2020). The change theories also serve as the prerequisites that must be met before reaching the desired outcome. A foundation for initiating, monitoring, and assessing change inside the realm of human behavior can be obtained by becoming familiar with a variety of change theories, which can be found in various contexts. Change theories can serve as an agreed-upon theory about what has to shift to realize an enhancement aim. The first-line nurse managers create theoretical frameworks on the current understanding of the change theories and encourage flexibility to allow for updates as they gain additional knowledge.
How Change-induced Stress can be Managed by First-line Nurse Managers
Nurses can face acute stress since they frequently work long, erratic hours in chaotic surroundings while caring for several patients (Babapour et al., 2022). Their job outcomes can mean the difference between life and death in some cases. First-line nurse managers understand the added strain that comes with having a limited amount of control and influence during times of organizational change. A nurse’s health and well-being can be negatively impacted by high-stress levels, which can even sap their vitality and impair their ability to think critically. Here is how first-line nurse managers can handle change-induced stress.
Make a Plan for Change Announcement
Before first-line nurse managers implement change, they provide the staff with multiple opportunities to process the information (Chesak et al., 2019). Staff will have the chance to voice their concerns and hear more in-depth information regarding the change process. After the team has had some time to process everything that has been spoken to them, they would be able to pose questions and request additional information. After that, individual meetings might take place in each department.
Put Yourself in the Staff’s Position
first-line nurse managers often step away from their roles for a short period. They put themselves in the place of the employees and ask salient questions. Then, they try to answer those questions. When first-line nurse managers first break the news about organizational change, they make an effort to be ready for inquiries such as these and answer them as soon as possible.
Keep Staff Informed Always
So staff needs to be informed. First-line nurse managers describe the benefits of the change and go over the challenges. Sending out regular progress reports will improve people’s attitudes toward a shift.
Encourage Staff Participation
Asking for input from staff is another fantastic method to alleviate the stress associated with organizational change. Not only may this assist staff feel like they have a greater say in the process, but it also has the potential to make first-line nurse managers’ tasks a little less demanding.
Prepare Staff for the Future
After the initial news and the dust have settled, first-line nurse managers prepare personnel for the actual organizational change. First-line nurse managers provide staff with a detailed explanation of their obligations, including what they are expected to do.
Conclusion
Communicating a change is a large job, and informing staff about the process is only a tiny portion. How effectively the first-line nurse managers plan messages is necessary to determine how easily the announcement goes out without a hitch. First-line nurse managers understand the need for change, and stress can impact staff negatively. Using change theories and measures to combat change stress will give first-line nurse managers, teams, and patients the best care.
References
Babapour, A. R., Gahassab-Mozaffari, N., & Fathnezhad-Kazemi, A. (2022). Nurses’ job stress and its impact on quality of life and caring behaviors: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00852-y
Chesak, S. S., Cutshall, S. M., Bowe, C. L., Montanari, K. M., & Bhagra, A. (2019). Stress Management Interventions for Nurses: Critical Literature Review. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 37(3), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010119842693
Gunawan, J., Aungsuroch, Y., Fisher, M. L., McDaniel, A. M., & Marzilli, C. (2020). Managerial Competence of First-Line Nurse Managers in Public Hospitals in Indonesia. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Volume 13, 1017–1025. https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s269150
Reinholz, D. L., & Andrews, T. C. (2020). Change theory and theory of change: what’s the difference anyway? International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-0202-3
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