Welcome to our blog! Keith Carlson has worked as a nurse since 1996. He received an Associate Degree in Nursing from Greenfield Community College in 1996, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2001.
Nursing Out of the Box: 7 Steps to Success
As a nurse, do you have ideas that seem somewhat out of the box or contrary to what everyone else seems to be doing? Do you have innovative ideas for how to streamline workflows, make charting easier, or otherwise make nursing more efficient and effective? Many nurses may have these notions, but what keeps us from sharing them or attempting to make them a reality?
Nursing is very much a systems-based and task-oriented profession, although there are other powers at play, like compassion, caring, and a desire to be of service. We use systems constantly, whether they are flow sheets, medication administration records, or methods of giving report. Systems can make our workplaces heaven or hell—or something between the two—and we often feel like victims of systems we had no hand in creating.
If you see something that needs to be tweaked or changed, do you speak up about it or simply feel that you have no power to do so? If you have a great idea for making the workplace or workflow more efficient, is there space at your workplace to introduce your idea and see if it can gain some traction among your colleagues and supervisors? Is your workplace open to innovation, or is it mired in set ways of operating with no room for the introduction of fresh ideas?
Nurses are trained to think critically, and think critically we do. It is part and parcel of who we are and the thinking processes that we have internalized.
If you have ideas for innovation in the workplace, there is always the possibility of your ideas gaining acceptance, but there are some steps you can take to assist that process.
1) Find allies: If your idea can be of benefit to your colleagues, take the time to explain your idea to several colleagues who you feel might be sympathetic. If they’re supportive, ask if they’ll consider “signing on” and speaking up when you need them to do so.
2) Meet with your allies: Sort out any flaws or changes in your plan that may be necessary before bringing it to anyone else who may be less supportive or potentially critical or resistant.
3) Go up the ladder: Once your idea has been fleshed out and polished by you and your allies, bring it to the next person “up the ladder” and gauge their reaction. You may need your allies to be with you for this first meeting, or you may feel comfortable approaching this person yourself. If you can gain the support and enthusiasm of a direct supervisor or manager, your chances are better at gaining wider acceptance, as well as the acceptance of those who are superior to him or her.
4. Polish it further: If your immediate supervisor or manager likes the idea but feels it needs tweaking, make the necessary changes before progressing further.
5) Bring the idea as far as you need to: Once you have an immediate supervisor on board, now is the time to bring it even higher up the chain of command. Having gathered wider support, you can now present your idea to a more powerful decision-maker, if needed.
6) Assemble your team: If you get the green light, put together an implementation team that can provide ongoing support and assessment of your idea as it comes to fruition.
6) Use the ADPIE system: Make sure you apply the ADPIE system to your new innovation. Your team should assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate this new way of working on a regular basis, and share its findings with all key players.
7) Accept the need for change: While you may feel attached to your idea, it may need to morph and change over time as its implementation brings flaws or weaknesses to light. Be flexible, allow for changes, and admire how teamwork and collective intelligence can help to bring ideas from their initial introduction to active innovation.
Did you enjoy this article?
