Phelp LPNtoRN 6e

CHAPTER 3 • Adapting to Change 79

In these examples, part of the system is affected by a change in the internal or external environment; the change resonates within the system, and the entire system responds in some way to the change that has occurred. The concepts related to general systems theory present a holistic approach to the effects of change. Nurses are able to intervene more effectively and holistically if they recognize how change in one part affects change of the whole. EXAMPLE 3.3 A respected resident of a small town dies suddenly as the result of a heart attack. Members of the community experience shock, dismay, and grief after this event. THINKING CRITICALLY Reflect on your own examples of resonance following change that have hap pened to you, within your family, work setting, or community. Consider how change to one part affected the whole. What changes did you note resonated throughout the whole system? How did the whole system also resonate refreezing, as Lewin described, after the change? Discuss this with another person in that system. How do the observations and perceptions of resonance by that individual compare with yours? ADJUSTING TO CHANGE In the process of adjusting to change, turmoil exists. Heath and Heath (2010) describe human beings as having two separate and sometimes competing “systems” in our brains—a rational system that plans and thinks logically and an emotional system that reacts intuitively and with instincts. When these two systems are in conflict during the change process, change can be quite arduous. Adjusting to change is not always an easy task. Emotions vary widely, from despair to joy, with much tension and doubt in between. Even experienced nurses can become overwhelmed by large amounts of change unless they approach it in an organized way and keep the ultimate goal in mind. This requires aligning the rational and emotional systems toward a greater goal. You have probably learned through experience how to adjust more readily to change. For instance, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread anxiety, fear, and panic, nurses needed to be rapidly adaptable and resilient. Senge et al. (2011) note that we must confront fear and anxiety. They describe the conflict that can exist between those who embrace and believe in the change and those who either do not believe in the change or resist it. As you embark on the registered nursing program of study, you may find yourself confronted at times with such challenges. Sometimes, it helps to read about others coping with change processes in order to view ourselves more objectively and thereby better cope and reach resolution. Two fun and easy-to-read books on change that describe how different people react and adjust to change may be helpful to you. In Who Moved My Cheese? author Spencer Johnson (1998) uses the analogy of a maze. Two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two “little people,” Hem and Haw, demonstrate differing reactions to change when a new cheese is introduced into the maze. In Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions , authors John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber (2017) use the analogy of penguins who live on an Antarctic iceberg and describe their approaches in adjusting to change. When reading these two

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