USACS Clinical Resource Group Team Publishes on Leader Standard Work
By Stephanie Kupec MSN, RN
Senior Associate, Director of Site Optimization
Leader Standard Work has been a focus of the Clinical Resource Group for the past three years.
Leader Standard Work (LSW) is a concept that ensures standard work processes and practices are in place and consistently followed. This approach is a driver for leadership success through continuous process improvement and is applicable to all leaders regardless of their organizational level. It has been known to help improve the efficiencies of leaders by providing individual, manageable concepts that leaders can rapidly implement to effect change.
Prior to LSW, our team did large simulation projects focused on process improvement. Our simulation projects were successful during implementation, but after a period of time, we found many sites’ metrics would fall off and only parts of the newly implemented process change ever became hardwired with frontline staff.
Sustainable Process Change
In June of 2019, I began working with Dr. V. Selley at Advent Health Sebring in Florida. Our LSW began with calendar alignment and leader walks. Leader walks were built into Dr. V. Selley’s standard calendar each week to dedicate time to be in the department. Through the leader walks we were able to conduct observations of the ED flow and identify areas of improvement. We interacted with frontline staff to solicit ideas and to gain buy in then developed the future state of the ED flow.
Implemented Changes
Once the flow changes were implemented, leader walks were used to observe the flow process, coach providers and staff to the process changes and gain valuable feedback from the frontline staff.
Over time the metrics improved as the processes became hardwired, the team continued through the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle making adjustment as needed.
Dr. V. Selley and her team took local ownership of the process changes with CRG support and have found LSW to be successful.
Published Article
An article regarding our work including USACS authors Michael Reinemann, MSN, RN, Victoria Selley, DO, MS, FACOEP, Jestin Carlson, MD, MS, MHA and I was published in the most recent JOURNAL OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION.
Abstract of article:
Although several methods have been proposed to help reduce inefficiencies in healthcare, these may be inaccessible or impractical for leaders to implement given their complexity. Leader Standard Work (LSW) has been successfully utilized in other industries to help improve the efficiencies of leaders by providing individual, manageable concepts that leaders can rapidly implement to effect change. This column provides a brief overview of LSW and how it may be used to leadership effectiveness and, ultimately, healthcare.