Leading Through Change

Change is the only constant in healthcare. From new charting systems to staffing models to state-mandated policy shifts—it’s your job to translate chaos into clarity. The best nurse leaders don’t just announce change… they guide their people through it.

Change Fatigue: Recognizing the Warning Signs

Change fatigue is real—and it’s dangerous. It’s the slow erosion of energy and motivation that happens when staff feel like change is constant, top-down, and poorly communicated.

Signs of change fatigue:

• Eye rolls during announcements

• Increased sick calls or passive resistance

• “Why bother? It’ll change again next week.”

• Cynical humor replacing healthy dialogue

Prevention starts with validation:

“I know we’ve had a lot of changes lately. Let’s talk about what’s working—and what’s not.”

What helps:

• Acknowledge change fatigue out loud.

• Prioritize and pace initiatives.

• Celebrate progress—even partial wins.

Frameworks to Lead Change Intentionally

🧩 ADKAR Model (Ideal for individual/team-level transitions)

• Awareness – Why is the change happening?

• Desire – What’s in it for them?

• Knowledge – Do they know how to change?

• Ability – Do they have the tools/support to do it?

• Reinforcement – How will it be sustained?

➡ Use this model to assess where resistance is coming from—and address it.

Small Wins: The Secret Weapon of Big Change

Don’t try to eat the whole elephant in one shift.

How to break change into steps:

• Identify low-hanging fruit (what’s visible and achievable quickly?)

• Celebrate those early wins publicly.

• Use those wins to create momentum.

Examples:

• Instead of “We’re revamping documentation,” start with:
  ✅ “We’re piloting a 2-minute note template for triage.”

• Instead of “You all need to adopt this new patient education system,” try:
  ✅ “Let’s test it on two discharges a week and tweak it together.”

“Wins build trust. Trust fuels change.”