Like or Dislike: 0  0

Like or Dislike: 0  0

I’m a nurse too and I fail to see how LEAN is such a problem for our profession. All I see is the rhetoric that “patients aren’t cars” which shows a huge lack of understanding regarding the Lean process. Granted, I’m rather new to this Lean concept, but based on the information presented “continuous improvement with respect to humanity” hardly seems like it would harm patients. Examples mentioned in articles provided outline how improving access to supplies assisted nurses in spending less time hunting down materials and allowing them to spend more time with patients. How is that a bad thing???

I can see how this process was started in my hospital just prior to my hire date a couple years ago. All the supply rooms had color coded bins added to assist in finding supplies. Not only is it easier to find supplies on my own floor, but when I have to float to a sister unit I don’t have to struggle to find the items I need. Additionally, all the bins have bar codes and stock is reviewed regularly so we always have supplies. If this is Lean than bring more please!

Thank you Mark for speaking up and sharing your blog with us. Those who are capable of rational thought really appreciate it.

http://mnablog.com/2010/07/08/toyota-lean-hospitals-the-new-york-times-mna-and-youtube/

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Mark’s post:

http://rk2blog.com/2010/07/12/times-features-lean-transformation-at-seattle-childrens-debate-ensues/

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Like or Dislike: 1  0

Jonathan Baum

Like or Dislike: 0  0

To your point about what the nurses have been exposed to with Lean, I should have also linked to this article from last year about complaints about Lean at Park Nicollet:

http://www.leanblog.org/2009/06/criticism-of-lean-at-park-nicollet/

The one quote that concerned me:

The succession of changes wore down staff. Some believed they had become incidental to the work of caring for patients. “People are kind of tired of management fads,” said Kent Searl, a nurse in the intensive care unit who joined Methodist Hospital in 1992. “We were offering suggestions and getting pushback on safe staffing, yet being told to reduce the number of pens and pencils.”

If this is their experience, I could understand their resistance to Lean…

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Throughout 17 years of nursing, I’ve long been exposed to LAME and it’s wonderful to see articles published on a national level that expose the true benefits of LEAN. I, too, would have liked more emphasis on the humanity-people aspect and quality aspect, but this is still a good article. Kudos to Julie Weed. On the other side – having had much exposure to LAME, I do wonder if the the Minnesota Nurses Association members were also exposed to this and therefore can’t see that there can be a better way. It makes me very concerned for those implementing LEAN processes to question if the real message is getting to the front line workers or only management. Nurses will eat their nose despite their face in the name of what is perceived as advocating for the patients. Until there is a win with the nursing leaders on the front lines (notice I didn’t saying nursing management), I fear that any LEAN project will just be viewed as more LAME retoric. I’m curious to know how the LEAN initiatives were implemented in that area and how the perception of what LEAN is and isn’t got so distorted. As a nurse, that is disturbing on many levels.

The link to Akron Childrens Hospital in the article actually takes you to Akron General. The better link to Akron Childrens homepage is akronchildrens.org. Choose the ‘For Employees’ Link to the Center for Operations Excellence speaks to that facility’s journey with LEAN.

Thank you for your blog and your work. It’s challanging me on a daily basis.

Like or Dislike: 2  0