How action researchers use anxiety to facilitate change in health care. Issue 11 (30th March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Evans, Nicola; Hopkinson, Jane
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical nursing. Volume 25:Issue 11/12(2016)
• Page Start: 1674
• Page End: 1682
• Publication Date: 2016-03-30
• Subjects: action research -- change agent -- change anxiety -- children and young people -- mental health -- multi‐disciplinary teams -- organisational change -- qualitative methods; Nursing -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 610.7305
• DOI: 10.1111/jocn.13186
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1067

Abstract

Abstract : Aim: The aim of this paper is to report on the role of an action researcher in a study investigating the change process in a health service context where a new assessment clinic was developed to manage the excessive waiting list for that service. Background: For effective organisational change in health, there is a suggestion that change agents need to be emotionally intelligent; recognising the emotional state of individuals, reconciling that with the organisational drivers and making an assessment of readiness for organisational change. Anxiety features throughout this literature and there is a suggestion that being aware of anxiety and managing anxiety is within the emotionally intelligent change agent's repertoire, but there is a gap in the literature that explains this relationship in detail. Methods: Data were generated to investigate the discrete nature of the role of the action researcher during this organisational change that spanned two years, through three methods: participant observations in the field captured in field notes ( n = 72); observations of team meetings that had been recorded and transcribed ( n = 13); interviews with key informants pre‐ and postintervention ( n = 14); a reflexive diary one document of 8920 words ( n = 1). Findings: The data illuminating the interaction between the action researcher and participants were synthesised into two broad themes: how the action researcher introduced anxiety into the system; how the action researcher facilitated the participants to tolerate change anxiety. Discussion/relevance to clinical practice: The findings from this study can be applied in clinical practice where change in practice is planned. Part of the requirement of a change agent in the NHS might be to be sufficiently emotionally literate to understand anxiety in the participant system and manage it to effect change.