Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

 

There are unique challenges in delivering quality care in a pulmonary step-down unit within an acute care facility. That is because of the high acuity of patients with complex respiratory diagnoses. The patients receiving care in the unit typically require advanced respiratory support, continuous monitoring, and coordinated interdisciplinary interventions that involve nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and respiratory therapy. As a telemetry unit, the pulmonary step-down unit faces additional risks such as alarm fatigue that further complicates staff workflow and patient safety. There is a need for effective nurse-driven change initiatives in the unit to address the persistent safety and quality concerns. Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change offers a structured framework for implementing sustainable improvements by guiding organizations through unfreezing the existing practices, changing by moving towards new deliberate behaviors, and refreezing the change into standard practice. Applying this theory enables nurses to lead evidence-based change while fostering staff engagement and long-term adherence (Gielen et al., 2022).

 

A significant quality care problem in the unit is alarm fatigue linked with continuous telemetry and respiratory monitoring. There are excessive non-actionable alarms that desensitize the staff, thereby increasing their risk of delaying response to critical events. Albanowski et al. (2023) note that alarm fatigue contributes to missed alarms and adverse patient outcomes, particularly in telemetry-intensive environments. The Joint Commission (2024) identifies alarm management as a national patient safety goal, emphasizing that it impacts care quality. Among patients with pulmonary issues, frequent oxygen desaturation and ventilator alarms heighten the risk of alarm fatigue. Without staff education and a systematic alarm customization, alarm fatigue would continue to undermine situational awareness, patient safety, and staff morale. As such, alarm fatigue is a priority area for nurse-led quality improvement.

Breakdown in interdisciplinary communication, especially during care coordination and handoffs among nursing, rehabilitation, and respiratory therapy services is a significant quality care problem. Ineffective communication is linked to patient dissatisfaction, care delays, and medical errors. Shrivastava et al. (2025) explains that inadequate interdisciplinary communication significantly compromises continuity in step-down and acute units. In pulmonary care settings, miscommunication regarding mobility status, swallowing precautions, or oxygen delivery methods can result in prolonged hospitalization, hypoxia, or aspiration. The complexity of respiratory care necessitates structured, timely communication strategies to ensure all disciplines share a unified care plan. Nurses are well positioned to identify communication gaps and champion standardized tools to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

 

Unsafe patient-to-nurse ratios is a significant quality care problems that directly affects patient outcomes and nurse well-being. Patients in the pulmonary step-down unit often require frequent assessments, titration of oxygen therapy, and rapid intervention for respiratory deterioration. Griffiths et al. (2024) explains that high patient-to-nurse ratios cause nurses to have high workloads that are linked to increased mortality, higher rates of failure-to-rescue, and burnout. In addition, inadequate nurse staffing limits the ability of nurses to coordinate interdisciplinary care and promptly respond to alarms. It is essential to address staffing concerns as a measure for maintaining quality, safety, and workforce sustainability. Data-informed staffing models and nurse-driven advocacy are critical to migrating risks linked to high-acuity respiratory care environments.

Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change provides a practical framework for implementing nurse-driven improvements that target there three quality care problems. During the unfreezing stage, nurse can be involved in presenting data from the unit on incidences of alarm fatigue, communication errors, and adverse outcomes related to staffing. Their involvement in presenting the data can help to build awareness and urgency. Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation  The change stage involves implementing targeted interventions, such as standardizing alarm parameters to address alarm fatigue, implementing SBAR-based interdisciplinary handoff protocols to address communication concerns, and adopting acuity-adjusted staffing assignments to addressing staffing concerns. Interdisciplinary engagement, pilot testing, and education are essential in the change stage. Finally, the refreezing stage solidifies the change through performance metrics, ongoing education, and integrating new practices into policies. Through the change model, nurses can lead sustainable change that enhances safety, interdisciplinary collaboration, and quality outcomes in pulmonary step-down unit (Gielen et al., 2022).

References

Albanowski, K., Burdick, K. J., Bonafide, C. P., Kleinpell, R., & Schlesinger, J. J. (2023). Ten Years Later, Alarm Fatigue Is Still a Safety Concern.
AACN advanced critical care, 34
(3), 189–197.
https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2023662

Gielen, A. C., Peterson, D. V., Ottoson, J. M., Green, L. W., & Kreuter, M. W. (2022).
Health Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation: Creating Behavioral, Environmental, and Policy Change
. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Griffiths, P., Saville, C., Ball, J., Culliford, D., Jones, J., Lambert, F., Meredith, P., Rubbo, B., Turner, L., Dall’ora, C., & Workforce Health Outcomes Study Group (2024). Nursing Team Composition and Mortality Following Acute Hospital Admission.
JAMA network open, 7
(8), e2428769.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28769

Joint Commission. (2025).
National Patient Safety Goals® Effective 2025 for the Hospital Program
.
https://digitalassets.jointcommission.org/api/public/content/9be383450fc941df806b76c5fbdd9ae6?v=3c600c3a

Shrivastava, S. R., Chong, S. V., & Bobhate, P. S. (2025). Facilitating effective communication through the adoption of SBAR tool in medical training.
Journal of education and health promotion, 14
, 249.
https://
doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1213_24

 

Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

Presentation

What are best ways to implement and maintain change over time? One way is through the use of Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change. It involves three stages:

Unfreezing (understanding change is needed)

Moving (process of initiating change)

Refreezing (establishing a new status quo)

Now, it is time for you to think about quality care problems that exist in your area. What are the top three problems that you see? When considering these problems, what evidence supports why these are problems? Using Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change, how can this theory be used to implement change surrounding these problems.

In this Assignment, you will explore quality care problems in your area. While providing evidence to support each of them, you will also apply Lewin’s theory to your nurse driven change. This information will be analyzed through a slide presentation.

Resources

To prepare:

Review the Required Learning Resources, specifically resources related to Lewins’ Change Theory

Consider your clinical practice area and potential quality care problems

Research evidence for potential practice problems

The Assignment

Construct a 5–7 slide presentation, with notes, in which you complete the following:

Identify three different quality care problems within your area.

Present one piece of evidence for each of the potential practice problems (3 total)

Apply Lewin’s change theory to a nurse driven change to a quality care or safety problem

Important Reminder: 
Be sure to include speaker’s notes for every slide in your presentation. You may either embed the notes directly in the “Notes” section beneath each PowerPoint slide or provide them as a separate Word document.

 

 

Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

NURS_4106_Week6_Assignment3_Rubric

NURS_4106_Week6_Assignment3_Rubric

Criteria

Ratings

Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdentified three different quality care problems within the area.

30 to >22.5 ptsMasters Expectations
The response comprehensively and clearly identified three different quality care problems… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that fully support the identification.

22.5 to >18.0 ptsAchieves Expectations
The response identified three different quality care problems… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that support the identification.

18 to >0 ptsDoes Not Meet Expectations
The response inaccurately and vaguely identified three different quality care problems, or it is missing… The response includes inaccurate and vague examples that do not support the identification, or it is missing.

30 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePresented one piece of information for each of the potential practice problems (3 total).

60 to >45.0 ptsMasters Expectations
The response comprehensively and clearly presented one piece of information for each of the three practice problems… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that fully support the presentation.

45 to >36.0 ptsAchieves Expectations
The response presented one piece of information for each of the three practice problems… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that support the presentation.

36 to >0 ptsDoes Not Meet Expectations
The response inaccurately and vaguely presented one piece of information for each of the three practice problems, or some or all are missing… The response includes inaccurate and vague examples that do not support presentation, or it is missing.

60 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeApplied Lewin’s Change Theory to a quality care or safety problem.

40 to >30.0 ptsMasters Expectations
The response comprehensively and clearly applied Lewin’s change theory to a quality care or safety problem… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that fully support the application.

30 to >24.0 ptsAchieves Expectations
The response applied Lewin’s change theory to a quality care or safety problem… The response includes relevant, specific, and appropriate examples that support the application.

24 to >0 ptsDoes Not Meet Expectations
The response inaccurately and vaguely applied Lewin’s change theory to a quality care or safety problem, or it is missing… The response includes inaccurate and vague examples that do not support the application, or it is missing.

40 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeProfessional writing: Context, organization, audience, purpose, tone, style, clarity, flow

10 to >7.33 ptsMasters Expectations
Demonstrates full awareness of writing context, audience, and purpose… Content is generally clear, logical, and well organized with appropriate sentence and paragraph structure… Tone is highly professional, scholarly, and free of bias… Style is consistently appropriate for a professional setting/workplace context… Mostly free of spelling, punctuation, and grammar/syntax errors.

7.33 to >6.0 ptsAchieves Expectations
Demonstrates some awareness of writing context, audience, and purpose… Content is mostly clear, logical, and well organized with adequate sentence and paragraph structure… Tone is adequately professional, scholarly, and/or free of bias… Style is mostly appropriate for a professional setting/workplace context… Contains few spelling, punctuation, and/or grammar/syntax errors. Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation

6 to >0 ptsDoes Not Meet Expectations
Demonstrates minimal awareness of writing context, audience, and purpose… Content lacks clarity, logic, and/or discernible organization; does not use proper sentence and paragraph structure… Tone is not professional/scholarly and/or contains bias… Style is inconsistent with a professional setting/workplace context… Contains significant spelling, punctuation, and/or grammar/syntax errors.

10 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeProfessional writing: Originality, source credibility, and attribution of ideas

10 to >7.33 ptsMasters Expectations
Writing fully reflects original thought and paraphrasing and adheres to reference requirements, including the use of credible evidence to support a claim while incorporating appropriate citations and references in APA format.

7.33 to >6.0 ptsAchieves Expectations
Writing adequately reflects original thought and paraphrasing and adheres to reference requirements, including the use of credible evidence to support a claim while incorporating appropriate citations and references in APA format.

6 to >0 ptsDoes Not Meet Expectations
Writing does not reflect original thought and paraphrasing and does not adhere to reference requirements, including the use of credible evidence to support a claim while incorporating appropriate citations and references in APA format.

10 pts

Total Points: 150

 

Readings

Spath, P., & Devane, A. (2023). 
Introduction to healthcare quality management
Links to an external site.
 (4
th
 ed). Health Administration Press.

Chapter 10, “Managing the Use of Healthcare Resources” (pp. 315–319)

Burnes, B. (2020). 
The origins of Lewin’s three-step model of change.Links to an external site.
 
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 56
(1), 32–59. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0021886319892685

Kotter. (n.d.). 
The 8 steps for leading change.
Links to an external site.
 https://www.kotterinc.com/methodology/8-steps

Prosci. (n.d.). 
The prosci ADKAR model.
Links to an external site.
 https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar

Sutherland, K. (n.d.). 
Applying Lewin’s change management theory to the implementation of bar-coded medication administration.
Links to an external site.
 
https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/xVnXSE

 

Media

Forde-Johnston, C. (2023). 
Lewin’s change management model explained using two example nursing projects
Links to an external site.
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/GZKzUKp_KFMhttps://youtu.be/GZKzUKp_KFM Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change Essay Example – Presentation