Use of diffusion of innovation model for agency consultation

Change is an ongoing phenomena in organizational life. The consultant role is often that of assisting organizations in the formulation and management of institutional change. The use of the Diffusion of Innovation Model by the nurse consultant as a tool for change management can make the difference between well accepted change and programs that are doomed to failure. This article presents Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation model, identifies the stages in the innovation process for organizations, demonstrates how the model can be applied to organizational change and proposes its use by nursing consultants.