Assessing the Integrative Framework for the Implementation of Change in Nursing Practice: Comparative Case Studies in French Hospitals
Abstract Background Quality improvement initiatives in healthcare often require change in nursing practices. Implementing such change into routine practice is challenging, often with unpredictable outcomes. Extensive research in this area has documented effective implementation change in clinical practice and identified barriers and facilitators at strategic levels, e.g. leadership, culture, and technical factors, which are common across most organizations. However, other research avenues have investigated different perspectives, e.g., the impact of local work contexts on implementation processes and the overlap of local social and material factors in appropriation processes. Therefore, considering both perspectives is essential for effective implementation. However, strategic and socio-material factors have only been investigated as distinct perspectives. In previous work, we developed an Integrative Framework for Implementation of change in Nursing Practices (IFINP) based on certification procedure implementation at a French hospital. In this current study, we assess the generalizability of our framework in other organizational settings and explore links between strategic and socio-material factors during implementation. Methods We used comparative qualitative case studies at three French hospitals to assess the implementation of certification procedures. Data were collected from 33 semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Narratives reflecting actions and interactions were extracted and deductively analyzed using IFINP components. Results The framework was flexible and captured all the different aspects of implementation actions and interactions at the three hospitals. Strong interferences were identified between mobilization mechanisms and strategic elements. Interference was observed mostly between ‘reflexive monitoring and work articulation’, and ‘reflexive monitoring and sense-making’ mechanisms. Leadership was integrated into the different mechanisms, especially the ‘translation’ mechanism. Conclusion The IFINP facilitated a greater understanding of strategic elements and associated relationships with social and material factors during implementation. Our results support the non-linearity aspect of implementation processes and highlight the importance of leadership roles in translating change in practice. This provides a clear definition of the managers’ role when implementing new nurse practices. Therefore, we advocate the IFINP as a practical managerial framework supporting implementation initiatives in nursing.