CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN OPERATION THEATRES

Change Management in Operation Theatres

Change Management in Operation Theatres

Introduction

It is essential to contextualise situation in which operating theatre (OT) department nurses find themselves in order to explore multiple challenges that they face in practice. The author is working in OT of one of largest hospitals in NHS trust, in which organisation ensures efficiency by providing good administration system. The key elements of effectiveness are effective management and good communication, trained staff, appropriate facilities, equipments and operational layout. However resources such as pre-operative planning and assessment, beds, staffing level and theatre sterile supply highly influence running of department. (Aylin 2004 369)

Although for OT management to maintain consistency, must ensure patient safety and highest quality of care; provide surgeons with appropriate access to operating rooms, maximize efficiency of service utilization, staff and material to reduce cost, decrease patient delays and enhance satisfaction among team members and patient. Moreover department has experienced some problems about efficient running of theatre list, since it leads to cancellation or list being postponed, which happens very often. Therefore it was not uncommon that nurses were questioned on their practice, which gave rise to the blaming culture among nurses.There was also the level of dissatisfaction from patients who felt that they were not fully informed enough in their care since they had to wait for some time before their surgery is cancelled or postponed.

The NHS Mordenisation Agency (2002) shows that patients principally want short waiting times for having an operation and high quality care. NHS Plan (2004) support statement by introducing 18 week patient pathway treatment to reduce waiting times. However challenge confronting theatre department is to foresee possibilities of cancellation of the patient on the booking list by liaising with other members of team. In this piece of work, author aim to critically analyse problem identified and come out with recommendations to improve service delivery in theatre.

The author will start by examining basic principles of operational management and critically analyse operating environment. Different analytical tools will be used to effectively analyse and evaluate theatre environment. The drivers for change will be identified and critically analysed with intention of coming out with plan for improvement. This work will conclude by giving the brief summery and recommendations for improvement.

Operations management and analysis of operating theatre department

The health care system of many countries throughout developed world are being reformed and restructed. In current ferment of change and experimentation, British Health service is in forefront. A pioneering concept in 1948, NHS remained prime example of the centrally planned and funded public health servive. In 1990 it again pioneered the new model of organising and delierening health services. (Barach 2000 759)

By late 1980s, NHS was suffering from the severe lack of resouces. This was result of three factors. Firstly, becouse of policies of government ,which was cutting back on public expenditure. Secondly, becouse of increasing numbers of elderly with their demands on health services and thirdly, increasing demands for higher standards of ...