Achieve Quality Improvement Analysis

The overall goal through all phases of The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) is to address the challenge of preparing future nurses with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems in which they work. In order to accomplish this goal, six competencies were defined. These competencies from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) are patient centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, informatics and safety. Over a decade has passed since the Institute of Medicine’s reports on the need to improve the American healthcare system. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses

Mark, B. A., Hughes, L.C., & Jones, C.B. (2004). The role of theory in improving patient safety and quality health care. Nursing Outlook, 51(1), 11-16.

Every health care organization is struggling to address the mandated Centers for Medicare (CMS) core measures, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores, in addition to the reportable events requirements. Given the reimbursement tied to outcomes, the organization is taking a serious stance in addressing the quality and safety initiatives, in addition to patient satisfaction scores. Furthermore, the organization has a patient safety counsel that focuses on nursing professional practice through the utilization of evidence based initiatives, assuring that nursing is deeply entrenched in working towards quality and safety goals.

In the 1990’s, the American Nurses Association (ANA) identified indicators which brought about the development of the Nursing’s Patient Safety and Quality Initiative (Miller & Soule, 2008). These indicators were specific to nursing,

Patients want and expect to receive high quality care. Nurses want to provide the best care possible to their patients and like everybody else; want a pleasing job environment. Hospitals, on the other hand, are expected to provide a safe environment to patients, have enough nursing staff and remain profitable (Keller, Dulle, Kwiecinski, Altimier & Owens, 2013). The ultimate goal is to improve quality of care and patient safety across the United States; therefore, all the different interests of these major stakeholders should be taken into

The issue of risk scenario carries immense importance for most of the hospitals that are part of the healthcare setting. However, there is not only one scenario that can affect the hospitals but

Errors pervade in our lives whether it is our home, in our workplace, or in our society. The effects of healthcare errors have impacted all our lives either directly or indirectly. Patient safety and quality care are at the core of healthcare system which strongly depends upon nurses. “To achieve goals in patient safety and quality, thereby improve healthcare, nurses must assume the leadership role. Nurses need to ensure that they and other healthcare providers center healthcare on patients and their families. Even though the quality and safety of healthcare is heavily influenced by the complex nature

Mulloy, D. F., & Hughes, R. G. (2008). Patient safety & quality: an evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2678/

"To continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value” (Jointcommission.org, 2015). These requirements are regimented in the National Patient Safety Goals and are enforced via surveys and internal inspections to ensure that healthcare institutions abide by the safety mechanisms put in place to facilitate the optimal patient outcomes and environments.

In October 2005 the Quality and Safety Education for Nursing program was established. This program is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. QSEN was developed specifically for future nurses to understand and be aware of key challenges such as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are essential to constantly advance the quality and safety of the way healthcare systems work. The goal for QSEN is to reshape the identity of nursing so it includes the recommendations by the Institute of Medicine so there is a commitment to the quality and safety proficiency (Dycus, 2009).

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) communicates the following five elements: design and scope, governance and leadership, feedback, data systems and monitoring, performance improvement projects, and systematic analysis and systemic action. The purpose of this paper is to communicate issues surrounding these topics, as well as aging problems. Are the topics evidence based? Do they have supporting documentation to put them into practice at various facilities? Can executing the aforementioned items make a difference at institutions? Now, start the journey to see how each section can be applied to your workplace.

The Joint Commission focuses on certain goals each year. For patient safety and positive outcomes, hospitals are required to follow certain standards. National Patient Safety Goals were established in 2002 to help identify areas of concern with patient safety. This group is made up by a panel of experts including nurses, doctors, pharmacists and many other healthcare professionals. They advise the Joint Commission on how to address these different patient safety issues. Two goals to be discussed are improving the accuracy of patient identification and medication safety. To improve patient

My Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) certificate is an artifact that supports my capacity in safety and quality improvement in healthcare. This course enlightened on my role as nurses in enhancing safety and quality in my workplace. I have already proposed the need in including staff nurses in the quality improvement committee to my employer. I believe I will be among the staff nurses who will be sitting in the committee, and I am going to take the role of an informal leader and a change agent in that committee. As an informal leader and a change agent, I will devote my energy in refocusing the thinking of my colleagues, so that they are able to visualize

The Institute of Medicine listed six aims for improvement which include safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care. As a nurse safety is a top priority for your patient. You want to keep your patient free from any injury or harm. Implementation of safety can be accomplished by making sure the upper bed rails are raised and the bed is in low position when leaving a patient’s room, this will help to decrease the risk of falls. Effective care can be accomplished by providing evidenced-based care to patients who will benefit and to refrain from providing it to patients who will not

I began this course, I wondered what additional information this course teach me about good nursing. I sensed that having been in the nursing profession for 15 years that I have made the mistakes, gained an enormous amount of experience and been faced with various challenges that has given me a thirst for knowledge to always seek out information to better care for my patients. The more I read the more I was able to discover a profession that was striving for more than just excellence. In this course, I have read several articles, lectures and recommended literatures related to the quality and safety in nursing (QSEN) six competencies (Kelly, et.al , 2014). I was completely amazed of the magnitude of research and studies that had taken place for nursing to arrive at this point of quality. The six competencies that we have discussed throughout this semester related to QSEN are patient care centered, teamwork and collaboration, evidence based practice, quality improvement, safety and informatics. Out of the mentioned competencies, it is difficult to discuss one and its influence on my future role in nursing. As I graduate into a more professional leadership role, I know that the Quality and Safety (QSEN) competencies will improve my anticipated objectives of knowledge, skills and improve the quality of care that I educated and provide to my patients, families and fellow co-workers.