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Caregivers Corner
March, 2000
Pioneers on the Frontline
A nurse aide discovers a leaky faucet in a resident's room. She notifies a nurse, who informs her supervisor who, in turn, tells her supervisor, until a very senior nurse calls the maintenance superintendent, who finally relays the message to one of his maintenance workers. Eventually the faucet is fixed.
An all too common workplace scenario? In 1995 it was at the Anchorage Pioneers' Home (APH). At that time APH was organized as a typical pyramid with five levels of nurses between the director of nursing and the nurses aides. Communication was almost exclusively up and down the chain of command. There was very little communication between departments at the lower levels. This impacted the nursing center's ability to do more with increasingly limited resources.
The Anchorage Pioneers' Home was one of the first to completely "re-engineer" its operations in what has now emerged within the industry as a growing "Pioneer Movement." More and more, initiatives are taking shape within centers across the nation to transform the culture of nursing home care.
 | cross-functional, self-directed care teams organize themselves around the process of a "day in the life of the resident" |
| a community generates joy, hope and meaning in the lives of its residents |
| staff are not merely care providers, but active participants in collaborating, learning and creating that community |
| residents are actively involved in making decisions about their home and their lives. |
What practical steps are needed to introduce alternative models of care? Diane L. Dixon, EdD, a consultant in organization and leadership development, suggests the following:
- Conduct an assessment of the current culture and determine the facility's readiness for change.
- Develop a clear picture of the desired culture, including the specific pioneer approach that best suits the nursing home.
- Develop a strategy for closing the gap between the current and future culture.
- Gain consensus on organizational values that will guide the culture change.
- Involve staff and residents in the development of an implementation plan.
- Redefine roles and responsibilities and provide training as needed.
- Develop criteria for measuring results.
Source: Diane L. Dixon, EdD, 2000.
To learn more about the Pioneer Movement contact us.