Leading organisational change in the workplace: a review of the literature

The topic of change management is pertinent as the veterinary nursing profession faces system-wide drivers for change. Section 1.7 of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses states that clinical governance must form part of the professional activity of a veterinary nurse, emphasising the continual requirement for change in practice (RCVS, 2018). Further drivers for change for veterinary nurses in clinical practice include the implementation of patient, client and business improvement strategies such as those associated with clinical governance and clinical audit. In clinical practice, veterinary nurses are ideally placed to support and implement change; however, it is pertinent for veterinary nurses to be aware of potential challenges when implementing change (Ballantyne, 2018). As Ballantyne (2018) warns, trying to implement change is often accompanied by restraining forces, which include adopting an unstructured approach to change, ineffective communication, employee behaviour and inappropriate leadership. Ballantyne (2018) and many others highlight the importance of harnessing effective leadership strategies and the application of a model for change for more successful implementation. This review of the literature aims to identify effective leadership behaviours, traits and attitudes and consider the efficacy of Kotter's (1996) model of change as a change implementation tool. There is a limited but growing body of literature associated with implementing change in veterinary practice; therefore, the disciplines of human medicine and medical education leadership and change management have been included.