Organizational Change as Illustrated by a Case-Study of a Geriatric Hospital
A study of a geriatric hospital unit of the British National Health Service, which had effected a change of emphasis from careful bed nursing of patients until death, to rehabilitation of residual capacities & discharge home, is presented. The effects of such a change on nursing staff was examin...
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| Published in: | The British journal of sociology 1974-09, Vol.25 (3), p.356-366 |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | A study of a geriatric hospital unit of the British National Health Service, which had effected a change of emphasis from careful bed nursing of patients until death, to rehabilitation of residual capacities & discharge home, is presented. The effects of such a change on nursing staff was examined by means of unstructured interviews, & scrutiny of records of the nursing establishment. The hospital communication system was studied, by observation & from minutes of staff meetings. It was found to be significant in maintaining staff numbers, securing staff commitment to the hospital's goals, minimizing staff anxiety when the new emphasis on rehabilitation caused some reduction in bed nursing standards, & reducing conflict between professional & organizational loyalties. While the communication system appeared to be the chief mechanism for the successful maintenance of the new orientation, it was not the incentive for the change in the first place. This impetus was attributed to the consultant, the matron, & the senior administrator, all of whom shared the same aims; the combined charisma of all 3 offices, plus possibly the personal charisma of the matron, had initiated the change. AA. |
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| ISSN: | 0007-1315 1468-4446 |