Abstract:
Carol Sawyer, who has a master's degree in nursing, has recently been hired as director of nursing at the (fictionalized) Oak View Memorial Hospital. Her new boss, the executive director of the hospital, is interested in bringing innovation to the hospital and improving its image. Sawyer herself is eager to upgrade the professionalism of the nursing staff and the quality of nursing services, and immediately institutes new procedures and training programs at the hospital. However, she quickly runs into serious resistance from some of the nurses, most of whom are long-term employees and unhappy about changes in longstanding practices.
Learning Objective:
This case illustrates the pitfalls of forcing innovation without creating the requisite climate and desire for change within an organization.