Phelp LPNtoRN 6e

CHAPTER 3 • Adapting to Change 65

adapt. Change is inevitable and dynamic. Each of us copes with change in unique ways. Our responses to change are affected by our past experiences, our current situations, our family dynamics and social context, and our comfort level with change. Huston (2023) notes that one of the challenges for nurse professionals is to assist clients and colleagues with developing comfort with the change process inherent in the healthcare industry today. She emphasizes that in order to foster an environment of innovation and change, leaders must first recognize, embrace, and demonstrate participation in innovation and change in their own leadership practices. For professional nurses to lead and provide sup port for those they supervise who are experiencing change in the healthcare setting, they must first understand the concept and process of change, factors influencing one’s ability to adapt to change, motivational strategies, and approaches for successful, productive change. PROCESS OF CHANGE Examining the process of change is particularly important for the LPN/LVN to RN student for several reasons. First, you are experiencing personal change by returning to school. Second, you will be presented with many aspects of change within the nursing curriculum. For instance, in issues related to trends in healthcare, the faculty may present you with cur rent methods of delivering care and have you explore how the future of healthcare delivery will be affected by advances in biotechnology or changes in healthcare policy or the economy. Third, as you prepare for your own role transition, you will learn about the new roles nurses have today and will have in the future, such as engaging in evidence-based practice and becoming an active and equal member of an interprofessional collaborative team. It is essential to understand that change is inevitable. Change occurs even when you think societal and work roles and values are stable or resistant to change, and the challenge for each individual is to learn to be more comfortable outside their “comfort zone.” INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE When differentiating individual change from organizational change, one must remem ber that change always implies the alteration or modification of behaviors or functions. Within the individual, change may occur without any plan at all, or it may be the result of much planning. Later in this chapter, types of change are described. Organizational change also results in behavior or function alterations but has the potential to have a greater impact on parts of an organization and its individuals. Table 3.1 compares indi vidual and organizational change.

TABLE 3.1 Individual and Organizational Change Compared Type of Change Description Example Individual change Copyright © 2025 Wolters Kluwer, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of the content is prohibited.

An LPN/LVN who has returned to school changes from full-time to part-time work to have more time to study. A small hospital determines that it will move to a flexible staffing pattern with combinations of 4-, 8-, 10-, and 12-hour shifts. This affects staffing workloads, staffing mix, patient documentation systems, and functions of the various healthcare providers at the facility.

The process of altering or modifying the current state in terms of behaviors or functions. The process of altering the structure or function of the whole or parts of the whole so that individuals or groups modify behaviors and functions.

Organizational change