Define the role of leadership and change management in addressing the problem. Explain how leadership and change management strategies influenced the development of your proposed intervention. Explain how nursing ethics informed the development of your proposed intervention..

Patient, Family, or Population Health Problem Solution

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the healthcare issue of concern in this project. It is incurable and impacts an individual’s memory, interpersonal relationships, and thought processes. The disease is the most common form of dementia and is more prevalent among older adults (CDC.gov, 2020). I selected AD as the focus of my capstone because it has significant economic and health impacts. For instance, in 2022, the annual cost of managing the disease in the USA was more than $320 billion (ALZ.org, n.d.-b). Also, AD impedes a person’s ability to execute daily living activities (Galvin et al., 2021). AD is relevant to nursing practice because nurses provide holistic care, including patient education, screening, making care plans, and administering medication. Patients and families should be educated about AD to ensure they achieve better symptomatic control of the disease. This paper discusses leadership and change management strategies, collaboration strategies, and governmental policies and identifies the proposed intervention for managing Alzheimer’s disease.

Leadership and Change Management

Change management enables leaders to successfully plan, initiate, and implement their evidence-based practices (EBP). This can be accomplished by adopting various strategies. Examples of change management strategies include adequate planning, upholding honesty, open communication, engaging other stakeholders, training, and monitoring, as well as assessment (Krakoff, n.d.). Planning facilitates the development of a road map and the formulation of goals and key milestones. Open communication promotes information sharing and eliminates confusion. It keeps the team in harmony to promote the success of the EBP (Krakoff, n.d.). Stakeholder engagement creates buy-in and bolsters the success of the EBP. For instance, patients and other healthcare providers should be involved in the implementation of an EBP. Krakoff (n.d.) reports that training and education enhance the competency of all stakeholders, whereas monitoring and assessment determine the success or impact of an EBP.

Zainol et al. (2021) report that leadership strategies that impact the implementation of an EBP include creating clear goals, excellent interpersonal communication, decisiveness, and collaboration. Clear goals inform all stakeholders about the anticipated roadmap and outcomes of an EBP. As such, adherence to the intervention is achieved. Excellent communication skills avert confusion, create openness, and establish a rapport between leaders and team members to promote the success of an EBP (Zainol et al., 2021). Also, excellent communication promotes collaboration. For instance, communication skills will enable nurses to create therapeutic relationships with patients and increase the likelihood of adherence to treatment plans.

I embraced nursing ethics when developing the intervention. Firstly, I upheld veracity by remaining honest and truthful to the patient, her family, and my colleagues. Secondly, I upheld justice by avoiding discriminatory practices toward the patient. Thirdly, I upheld autonomy by allowing the patient and her family to select various evidence-based interventions. Fourthly, I upheld beneficence and non-maleficence by formulating an intervention that optimizes patient outcomes and promotes patient safety.

Communication and Collaboration Strategies

The patient is a 74-year-old Hispanic American with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). According to her family (spouse and two children), the patient was diagnosed with AD five years ago. They report that she has struggled with medication adherence for the past five years. Currently, she presents with muscle twitches, confusion, and vocalization of repetitive statements. Additional evaluation reveals that the patient experiences difficulty recognizing her children. The patient’s spouse reports that the patient has demonstrated anterograde amnesia over the past two months. Her thought process and impulse control are preserved. As such, the patient is likely to have moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients and their families should be involved in disease management. Firstly, this involvement promotes patient-centeredness and improves patient outcomes and satisfaction levels (AHRQ.gov, n.d.). This is attributed to the fact that patients’ needs and preferences are acknowledged and respected. Secondly, a positive therapeutic relationship is created when patients and their families are involved in the treatment process (AHRQ.gov, n.d.). A therapeutic relationship improves the quality of healthcare by enhancing information sharing and improving adherence to the treatment plan.

Therapeutic communication is a strategy that should be used to optimize communication and col