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Table 1 Adaption of Kotter’s change leadership for longitudinal prebriefing

From: Leading change in practice: how “longitudinal prebriefing” nurtures and sustains in situ simulation programs

Leadership step

Change leadership for ISS

Illustrations

Establish a sense of urgency

Identify “pain points” or precious goals of key stakeholders to inspire action and program development

Leverage patient stories, moral imperatives, regulatory requirements, or institutional threats

Multiple incident reports of adverse outcomes for babies due to communication issues identified in neonatal resuscitations

National accreditation requirements identified for training in recognition and response to deteriorating patients

Form a guiding coalition

Engage top-down and bottom-up multi-professional partners to create buy-in. Do not work alone

Simulation facilitators as well as clinical stakeholders and healthcare leaders form a working party to clarify goals of ISS program (e.g., clinical readiness, quality, inclusion)

Gain representation on relevant hospital committees to garner support across different levels of governance

Create a vision

Co-create shared goals and vision to address individual, unit, and organisational needs

Host regular meetings with program sponsors/supporters to gather input into program scope and establish a shared mental model on program goals and expectations

Utilize evidence-based examples in the literature to inform goals

Communicate the vision

Communicate shared goals, vision, and outcomes that accurately represent value and assist with positive reinforcement of participation

Brand program with a “catchy name” that communicates the function and vision of the program

Socialize program in a variety of settings, including existing forums such as grand rounds or safety huddles

Empower others to act on the vision

Energize (or re-energize) program participants by clarifying program logistics and providing approachable opportunities for familiarization with the program

Commence program with “fun” simulation-based activities within the clinical environments to introduce departments to the program and educate them about simulation

Provide early adopters who want to learn more about simulation/debriefing professional simulation development opportunities

Plan for and create short-term wins

Identify and celebrate early adopters and early successes to build momentum

Commence program in clinical units that are excited, engaged, and who have had previous positive experiences with ISS

Publicly advertise the date, time, and the scenario theme, in advance, for the initial program commencement period

Consolidate improvements to produce still more change

Ensure program impacts are visible by closing the loop with multi-professional partners

Communicate identified issues uncovered during the simulations with hospital leadership

Share improvements at staff huddles

Create infographics to communicate improvements

Institutionalize new approaches

Embed simulation in the organisational culture and regular operations

Include ISS programs in specific policy documents on workforce training/development

Establish formal reporting process/agenda item at quality and safety or hospital governance meetings

Celebrate program successes through annual anniversaries of program commencement and dissemination of annual reports