In the workplace culture and readiness for change to EBP.
Support of change within culture and organization.
The organization I have chosen for this evidence-based practice (EBP) project is the acute care hospital that has both medical-surgical inpatient units as well as imaging facilities. Planned intervention is nurse acuity-based staffing to enhance patient outcomes, workload balance and quality of care. Commitment to patient centered care, commitment to quality improvement, interprofessional working and commitment to evidence-based nursing practice are some helpful attributes of the organizational culture to change. But there are some problems like staffing problem, resistance to change etc. which can have an effect on the implementation. The organization has several levels of leadership such as nurse managers, clinical educators, quality improvement coordinators and executive nursing leadership roles that support the patient safety initiative and quality outcomes. All staff and doctors work together to meet the mission and values of patient care, patient safety, teamwork and learning. The values are similar to what the proposed EBP project expects to achieve though, due to acuity-based staffing, it is hoped that staff will be able to deliver safer patient care and more efficient use of nursing resources (US & Page, 2026). Interprofessional working (e.g. multi-disciplinary rounds, team huddles, shared decision making are encouraged. Case managers, often along with ancillary staff, such as physicians and nurses, are a part of the team. The communication within the organization is good, there are some problems at census and shift change times. Staff as a whole are happy with the support they receive for developing and innovating on their job and are focused on evidence and patient safety. In an organization leaders and culture is supportive to the development of successful EBP projects (Delima et al., 2026). Overall, there is moderate to strong support for change in the culture as the leadership fosters participation in quality improvement activities and patient safety activities. However, continued staff engagement, regular staff training and communication to remove resistance and enhance buy-in by the new staffing model will be needed to sustain the change.
Organizational Readiness Assessment
The Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) tool will be the organizational readiness tool that is used in this assessment. The ORIC is a tool used to assess an organization’s commitment to change and efficacy of change and may be used to assess readiness for an acuity-based staffing intervention. Overall, the score on the assessment indicates that the readiness for change is in the moderate range. Staff indicated high awareness of the importance of finding better ways to staff to reduce the risks of nurse burnout, workload imbalance and patient safety issues due to nurse-to-patient ratios. Acuity-based staffing was thought to impact patients and to alleviate the stress for nurses. There was also leadership support for the initiative, in that staffing issues were recognized, and they were receptive to considering evidence-based solutions. While the survey identified positive attitudes there were several barriers identified. Some nurses were concerned about the need to record more, and the variability in how acuity is assessed for the patients. Others stated it was staffing on the low end, and it may lead to greater workload when transitioning. The lack of time for the employees to train was also mentioned as a problem. Staff commitment, staff confidence in the organization’s ability to make successful change are all considered part of the organizational readiness, according to Gabutti et al. (2022). Overall, the organization is ready to be told about the change but requires more preparation and support so that they have a better chance of successfully implementing the change.
Planning an organization for change – strategies and tactics. Strategies and plans to get an organization ready for change.
Some strategies will be provided below to help organize for success and carry out the proposed EBP project. First of all, there needs to be leadership engagement. For nurse leaders it is important to recognize and clearly communicate the intent, value and desired outcomes of the acuity-based staffing model to ensure staff are involved and understand it. Communication helps to reduce resistance to change and misunderstandings. Secondly, training and education for the staff should be offered prior to implementation. Providing information about the use of acuity scoring and how assignments will be different, as well as how the intervention will affect patient safety and nurse satisfaction, should be included in educational sessions. Staff confidence and competence can be enhanced through hands-on training and pilot testing. Third, there’s the opportunity to increase the likelihood of ownership and collaboration if frontline nurses are involved in planning and decision making. Shared governance councils and interdisciplinary committees can be used to provide opportunities for staff input into problem solving in implementing practices. Engagement of staff is a great way to sustain EBP efforts over time. Lastly, there should be continuous assessment and feedback systems put in place. Staffing and outcome measures of staffing, staff satisfaction, patient safety and workflow efficiency should be monitored to determine areas for improvement, and to reinforce the value of the intervention.
Themes of organizational culture and sustainability of EBP change.
Several components of the strength of the organization’s culture help to sustain the EBP change. In the longer term, support and commitment from the leadership team for patient centered care and a shared practice are a good foundation. Focusing on enhancing patient outcomes and reducing nurse burnout by using strategies and evidence-based staffing practices, known as quality improvement (Alodhialah, 2025). The funding, staff or change of workflow may prove to be a challenge. The intervention might be received by some employees as there is a threat to their workloads or to their routines. Other factors which can have a serious negative impact on sustainability include failure to communicate with partners, conflict with other partners and lack of training. But these challenges can be overcome with continued leadership and stakeholder involvement. The timing of the proposal is also right, as healthcare organizations are more interested in nurse retention and reducing nurse burnout, along with patient safety outcomes. The intervention will need to be sustained for the long term, and, for this, good staffing software, teaching content and leadership management will be necessary.
For health care, the following processes and systems are suggested:
Several processes and systems in the healthcare organization are recommended to enhance their quality, safety and cost effectiveness. Firstly, real time acuity monitoring systems can help to staff appropriately, moving away from the traditional fixed staffing ratios towards staffing based on patient acuity. This can translate into patients’ improvements, a level workload for nurses and efficiency. Second, communication systems that are standardized, like shift reporting at the bedside and interdisciplinary rounds, can enhance coordination of care and patient safety. Thirdly, processes of continuous quality improvement need to be targeted at the outcomes of staffing, staff satisfaction, falls, medication errors and HACs to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions. For proper documentation of patient acuity and staffing needs, electronic health record (EHR) integration is recommended as well. Data analytics provides leadership with a way to monitor trends, gauge the skills that are missing from their workforce and make informed staffing decisions based on data.
The stakeholders and Team Members. The stakeholders and the Team Members.
The EBP project has a number of stakeholders that have to pull their weight to make the project successful. Leaders, nurse managers, will lead, support and monitor implementation. Assessment of acuity and feedback will be conducted with staff nurses and staffing model will be used while caring for the patients. The responsibility for coordination of training and competency development of the staff will be the responsibility of clinical educators. IT professionals will collaborate to integrate EHRs and put the staffing software into place. Data will be gathered and analyzed for quality improvement to establish outcomes for patients and the effectiveness of staffing. Doctors will work together with others at the interdisciplinary care team to foster patient-centered care and communication. All contribute towards moving it on, to engaging more staff, to the continuous process of change (data and evidence based) within the organization.
Information and Communication Technologies
The acuity-based staffing model needs to be supported by information and communication technologies (ICTs). Key technologies involve Electronic Health Records (EHRs), staff management software, communications software, and data analytics software. Acuity score tools will be built into the EHR allowing the nurse to easily input the patient’s acuity and the type/level of care needed. Staffing data will be based on acuity data which will inform staffing allocation and staffing assignments. The interdisciplinary coordination and real-time communication will be supported by communication technologies, including the use of secure messaging systems and team collaboration platforms (Tahsin et al., 2023). The technologies will enhance the nursing practice and delivery of care to patients and services by enabling the nurse staff to work more efficiently, minimizing communication delay, patient monitoring and assisting with data driven decisions. Having a better staffing match with the needs of patients can minimize nurse fatigue, improve patient safety and results, and increase the quality of care provided to the individual patient and to larger patient populations.
Conclusion
Some receptivity to implementing an acuity-based nurse staffing model and culture. Leadership support, working together and a dedication to quality improvement are good starting points to change based on evidence. The following are potential barriers that can be addressed through strategies such as building partnership with leaders, training staff, and continuous monitoring and evaluation to promote preparedness and sustainability: Willingness to change, limited staff. Successful implementation and successful outcomes for patient care will continue to be critical to the future good development and interaction amongst health technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration.
References
Alodhialah, A. M. (2025). Exploring the influence of organizational culture on evidence-based practice adoption among nurses in tertiary hospitals: a qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03647-z
Delima, M., Aljaberi, M. A., & Dioso, R. I. (2026). Nurses’ Experiences of Interprofessional Collaboration in Digitally Supported Hospital Discharge Planning: Qualitative Study. JMIR Nursing, 9, e81961–e81961. https://doi.org/10.2196/81961
Gabutti, I., Colizzi, C., & Sanna, T. (2022). Assessing Organizational Readiness to Change through a Framework Applied to Hospitals. Public Organization Review, 23(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-022-00628-7
Tahsin, F., Armas, A., Kirakalaprathapan, A., Kadu, M., Sritharan, J., & Steele Gray, C. (2023). Information and Communications Technologies Enabling Integrated Primary Care for Patients With Complex Care Needs: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44035. https://doi.org/10.2196/44035
(US), M., & Page, A. (2026). Transformational Leadership and Evidence-Based Management. Nih.gov; National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216194/
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PLAGIARISM – FREE PAPER
In order to successfully implement a change within an organization, the change agent must assess the organization’s culture and readiness for change.
In 750-1,000 words, analyze the culture and level of readiness of the organization for which your evidence-based practice project is proposed.
You will use the assessment of the organization’s culture and readiness in the Topic 8 assignment, during which you will synthesize the various aspects of your project into a final paper detailing your evidence-based practice project proposal.
Include the following:
Describe the organization’s culture and explain to what degree the culture supports change. Consider organizational and leadership structure, mission and values, interprofessional collaboration/team engagement, communication, perception of the organization by employees, etc.
Select an organizational readiness tool and assess the level or readiness for change within your organization. Identify the readiness tool and summarize the survey results.
Propose strategies to better facilitate the readiness of the organization.
Discuss the degree to which the organizational culture will support and sustain an evidence-based practice change. Consider strengths and weaknesses, potential barriers, stakeholder support, timing of the proposal, and resources.
Discuss what health care process and systems you would recommend for improving quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness for the organization.
Identify the stakeholders and team members for the project. Include what their duties will be in the evidence-based practice project proposal.
Explain what information and communication technologies are needed for the implementation and how they will be integrated in the setting by the internal stakeholders.
Explain how these will help improve nursing practice and care delivery for individuals and populations for your intervention.
Refer to the “Evidence-Based Practice Project Proposal – Assignment Overview” document, located in Class Resources, for an overview of the evidence-based practice project proposal assignments.
You are required to cite a minimum of four peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.
Complete the “APA Writing Checklist,” located in Class Resources, to ensure that your paper adheres to APA style and formatting criteria and general guidelines for academic writing. Include the completed checklist as an appendix at the end of your paper.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:
MBA-MSN; MSN
3.1: Assess health care processes and systems to recommend measures for improving quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness across an organization.