Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Creating an Evidence-Based Nursing Environment: Leadership Strategies
Harmonizing Clinical Practices Within Merged Institutions Using an Appreciative Inquiry Approach
Marie-Claire Richer, RN, MSc1, Madeleine Boulay-Bolduc, RN, MSc1, and Patricia Lefebvre, B, Pharm, MSc2. (1) Nursing Research, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada, (2) Pharmacy, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
Learning Objective #1: identify the elements of collaboration that are key to develop the harmonization of clinical practice in merged institutions
Learning Objective #2: describe the basic principles of the Appreciative Inquiry approach
Healthcare has entered the “knowledge” era. In an increasingly complex and constantly changing environment where new challenges emerge, combined to a shortage of professionals, managers are expected to make decisions based on the best available evidence. Furthermore the internal and external driving forces of merged institutions such as the diversity of organizational cultures, new legislatures and new health care reforms accentuate the complexity of evidence-based decision making for both the managers and the clinicians. This presentation will describe an initiative to harmonize the clinical practice at a recently merged 5 sites academic institution in the Montréal area. The importance of involving the key stakeholders in the creation of a common vision around the harmonization of clinical practice guided our choice of adopting Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Described as a radically different approach to change management, AI builds on the positive, and offers a process that helps groups bring changes in their organization by focusing on what works well. The initiative started in December 2004, when the Interprofessional Harmonization of clinical practice (IHCP) workgroup was formed. This presentation will describe the process of AI and identify the elements that helped promoting the development of innovative structures and processes to harmonize clinical practice and ultimately promote the application of best practice guidelines. The presentation will also highlight the usefulness of adopting an approach such as AI to promote interprofessional collaboration and commitment towards the harmonization of clinical practice. These concerted efforts support clinicians in the development, approval, implementation and measurement of best practice, and offer optimal quality of care for the patient population. 

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