Plan for Engaging Stakeholders

Build a sepsis improvement team

Don’t try and go it alone! Get some help by forming a team of people – you’ll be more likely to be successful and sustain your change efforts. Diversity is key: include people with different skill sets, knowledge areas, and perspectives. You’ll want to include content experts, local leaders and those whose work might be affected by the changes you’ll make. Include patient representatives for their unique and valuable insight. Don’t forget to recruit a project sponsor: someone with executive authority who can provide approval for changes, facilitate access to resources, and help overcome barriers. Work with your team to agree on meeting schedules, communication, timelines, actions, and roles and responsibilities.

Beyond your core team, think about your stakeholders: those people or groups you’ll need to engage in the project, those who need to be aware of it, and those who need to be involved to help you achieve success. A written stakeholder engagement plan and early communication with them will help you stay on track. Involving a diversity of staff and patients often increases the quality of the new processes or tools, and helps staff become champions of the changes they’ve helped to create.