The process of implementing a new working method - a project towards change in a Swedish psychiatric clinic

Abstract

The implementation of evidence-based methods in hospital settings is difficult and complex. The aim of the present study was to highlight the implementation process concerning a new working method, i.e. a new assessment tool, based on the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF), among psychiatric nursing staff on five participating wards at a Swedish county hospital. Descriptive, qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews pre- and post-implementation. Data were analysed using directed content analysis, guided by Normalization Process Theory (NPT). The results revealed that just one of the five participating wards met the criteria for a successful implementation process. The results confirm previous studies showing the difficulty of implementation. Although participants agreed with the intention of the model, they were reluctant to apply it in practice. The implementation process seemed to be influenced by factors such as: time pressure; heavy workload; stress; lack of routines in using the tool; lack of nursing staff; as well as cultural characteristics and resistance to change.