Understanding the health care system at the local level

Understanding the health care system at the local level is important to consider when planning an EBP implementation because it gives you an indication of what you can expect as far as demographics and availability of resources. According to my course preceptor, when any evidence-based implementation has taken place at her facility, such as the changed from paper charting to electronic medical records (EMR) has been a difficult endeavor that has required much planning and implementation. To promote use of research evidence in clinical and administrative health care decision making, multifaceted implementation strategies are needed (Moloney, Taylor & Ralph, 2016). Implementation strategies also need to address both the individual practitioner and organizational perspective. In addition to a shared vision, effective leadership is needed for change to be successful.

The key to transformational change or any change is to have leadership that is able to understand it, support it, explain it, and move the organization to commit to it (Cowell, Gillespie, Cheung & Brown, 2018). Although full schedules, distracting events, fear of change, and apathy are obstacles to change, the real enemy of change is complacency and having the will to change is vital even groups that seek change may be complacent and not committed to follow through.