HLSC605: Leadership in Healthcare - A&E Waiting Time Reflection Report

This report reflects on the strategies employed by a healthcare leader at ABC hospital to address the challenge of long waiting times in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit. The report begins by highlighting the importance of effective leadership in managing patient waiting times and its impact on patient satisfaction and retention. It then details the leader's approach to implementing a planned change aimed at reducing waiting times, including identifying stakeholders, setting specific goals, and utilizing transformational leadership principles. The discussion covers the application of the McKinsey 7-S model, stakeholder analysis, and the use of transformational leadership to motivate staff and foster a culture of innovation. Furthermore, the report addresses the issue of resistance to change, outlining proactive and reactive resistance strategies, and emphasizing the importance of participation and trust. The leader implemented strategies like surveys, feedback forums, data analysis, and economic evaluations to monitor and measure the changes. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of a planned, step-by-step approach to change management, effective leadership, and staff engagement, underscoring the role of leadership behavior and traits in organizational performance. The report also stresses the need to identify and address sources of resistance to ensure the successful implementation of change within any institution.

Introduction
I worked as a health leader as the health leader at ABC hospital. The hospital faced the challenge
of long waiting time particularly in the accident and emergency (A&E) unit. The functioning and
performance of a healthcare facility can be realised by the waiting time in the A&E departments
of the facility. Therefore, it was essential that I, as leader of the facility must demonstrate
suitable leadership skills to handle this issue and reduce the patient waiting time. This report is a
reflection of the strategies that I utilised to effect the planned change of reducing the waiting
time. It will also discuss the management of resistance to this change. Then, I will discuss of I
facilitated the planned change with ethical consideration.
Discussion
I have found that numerous surveys have indicated that the facilities which fail to handle the
waiting time issue can lower their patient numbers (Ansell, Crispo, Simard, & Bjerre, 2017). In
addition, ABC can also lose its patients base when patients avoid the hospital after being aware
regarding long waiting time via sources online reviews, friends, etc. So, I decided that I should
plan the change of reducing the waiting time in the A&E department or it will impact the patient
retention, experience and satisfaction in the ABC hospital. The long waiting time of patients is
impacted by the alterations in activities and load on other services like the ambulance service,
primary care, pharmacy, etc. I specifically focused on a vital barrier that the situation must
favour the planned in ABC, if the change is desired to be implemented successfully and
sustained subsequently.

I determined and developed a well-rounded objective and vision of the change that I wanted to
implement in the hospital. According to the McKinsey 7-S model, the shared goal must relate
with the workforce and the vision of the ABC organisation of service provision and to improve
patient’s quality of life. I considered the amount of impact of change on stakeholders. The given
change led to positive impact on the stakeholders (that is patient, healthcare workers and hospital
administrators) so the change was brought. I identified all the stakeholders and their need for the
change. To identify the need for the change, I performed certain activities such as survey and
questionnaires. Then I outlined specific goals relevant to the given change which will
subsequently aid the process of implementing change within ABC organization. I involved all
the staff as well external stakeholders of the ABC in all the stages of the process of
implementing the change so that the set goals can be accomplished.
Specifically, I utilised transformational leadership to implement the planned change of reducing
patient waiting time in the A&E department. As per the transformational leadership, I aimed to
bring in this change by involving in a way in which I and the staff improve each other to advance
further by making use of the approaches of motivation and integrity (Dong, Bartol, Zhang, & Li,
2016). I motivated the employees by keeping aside my own self-interests, understanding my staff
and aligning the personal goals of the employees with the vision of the ABC. I made efforts to
transform the ABC workforce while implementing this change to accomplish the objective of
lowering patient waiting time in the A&E department. As a transformational leaders, I made use
of the proficiencies and traits of confidence, visionary, self-awareness to halt the conventional
professional norms to build a multidisciplinary team for care delivery to the causalities due to
accidents or other emergencies in a quick and effective manner (Banks, Davis, McCauley,
L.Gardner, & E.Guler, 2016). I practiced a work environment in which fresh and innovative

ideas are acknowledged to tackle the issue. My leadership included integrating, reviewing and
other activities which allowed the dissemination of power to build interpersonal skills. I
considered other people’s input during the processes of planning and delivering the services. I
nurtured a challenging and stimulating culture so that innovative ideas are explored to bring the
planned change efficiently. I worked towards developing trust between me and the employees to
encourage enablement. By adopting these transformational conducts, I received aid in enabling
the hospital employees in promoting empowerment and accountability to tackle the challenges
and put an end to the problem of long waiting time. I not only focused on the behaviour
modification of the staff while executing this change but also on significant alterations in the
norms of the practice at the ABC facility. Transformational leadership further demanded the
attributes of integrity and honesty to reinforce the fundamental values of moral and ethics (Hoch,
Bommer, Dulebohn, & Wu, 2018). I practiced openness and honesty while communicating. I was
open to feedback and ensured that I communicate my ideas with clarity and in detail. I aimed to
remain prepare by predicting the potential outcomes of the implemented ideas to bring the
planned change (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015).
Organisational behaviour exhibits adverse effect of change largely because of the resistance it
gets. All kinds of changes are usually resisted by the people as it risks the security of familiarity.
So, humans are frequently unable to give proper reaction to changes at their workplace. One of
the most common forms of resistance is denial. Sometimes, the employees find challenging to
consent to a change because it is thrown at them by the leaders. A successful change
management needs effective planning to bring in the change and a comprehensive evaluation of
the change impact. I ensured that at the time of planning for change, I formulated certain
strategies to prevent or minimise the resistance to change in ABC. Resistance for this change

mainly came from the healthcare workers working in the A&E department as they felt uncertain
about consequences of this change, mainly the increased workload on them. I identified the
proactive and reactive resistance to change and formed the change management strategies
accordingly. The proactive resistance prevents the occurrence of change prior to its
implementation. While, the reactive resistance opposes the change post its implementation. I
mainly faced proactive resistance as various contradictory views were given to stop the given
change from being carried out. However, I faced proactive resistance in various ways such as
individual resistance or collective resistance, passive or active, direct or indirect, behavioural or
verbal or attitudinal and minor or major. To tackle the barrier of resistance while implementing
the given changes, I utilised certain strategies to make the entire process of implementing
planned change smoothly. I engaged all the stakeholders of the change throughout the process of
change planning, implementing and appraising. The strategy of participation made sure that
people who will get impacted by the forthcoming change are involved. Increased involvement of
the impacted groups can substantially lower the extent of resistance later. Another important
strategy was trust between me and the employees as trust can play a primary role in the change
process.
Evaluating the change that was applied in the ABC was also an essential part for ascertaining if
the implemented changes have fulfilled its objectives and if the patients received the benefits that
were projected. I monitored and measured the recent changes effectively by taking into account
several approaches. I conducted surveys to assess the satisfaction of all the stakeholders,
including patients, staff and administrators. I also sought formal and informal feedback through
group forums, data analysis and formulating questionnaires. I also used the approach of spot-
checks can to examine the changes taking place within the ABC. I also monitored the change by

performing economic evaluation through cost-benefit analysis. It will assist in making sure that
the goals of the change are met in economic terms as well (Reh, 2017).
Conclusion
I conclude that the process of change should be planned properly by identifying all the factors
that can impact the process. A step-by-step approach must be adopted by the leader while
implementing the planned change. Change management is a highly organised process which
needs effective leadership and keen engagement from the staff as well. In the given situation, I
used the approached of motivation, participation and trust to accomplish the recommended
waiting time in the Accidents and Emergency department. So, the overall functioning of an
organisation is impacted by the behaviour and traits of its leaders. A thorough planning about all
the features of the planned change and its possible consequences should be done to identify the
type of resistance which may occur during the process of change. In addition, it is vital to
identify the source of resistance to formulate strategies to prevent or minimise it. It is only after
identifying the source of resistance and making the needed steps to eliminate it that the planned
change can be brought in any institution.

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