Continuing education as a facilitator of change: implementing a new nursing delivery model

When a new approach to the delivery of health care services at GSH was developed, it was recognized that the staff nurses needed to be well informed and accepting of the importance of this new model and their impact on its success. The use of educational sessions to acquaint all staff, even those not directly affected initially, was essential. And, the use of a normative-reeducative approach to change implementation by administration built on the initial success of the continuing education program by providing multiple opportunities for collaboration and communication at all staff levels. This combination of the educational program with follow-up strategies addressed a number of recommendations in the research on the transfer of continuing education to nursing practice. The information gleaned by the use of the questionnaires to determine the knowledge level and attitudes of staff members on the Connection Delivery Model emphasized how critical their acceptance of this change was. By gaining staff nurse support and influence, it was possible to advance the program and assist patients through the provision of care across a continuum of services.