Our Blog

What role do leaders have in improving patient care? Why must leaders serve as the driving force for change? How can quality leadership translate to quality improvement for patient safety and quality? Throughout this course, you have examined quality improvement models and methods in healthcare and nursing practice. From the theories to data analysis, you […]

The meta-analysis of eight studies of inpatient deaths, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, puts the number of preventable deaths at just over 22,000 a year in the United States, instead of the oft-cited 44,000-98,000 estimate of a landmark 1999 study by the Institute of Medicine. Other frequently cited studies have placed the […]

The success of any quality improvement (QI) endeavor depends on the team working on it. It is not the number of people, but rather how well they function and work together, that makes a team successful. QI team members must respect each other, and share common goals, a vision, agendas, and timelines to be successful. […]

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. —Winston Churchill Understanding the need and importance of change is the first step in accepting the need for continual change. Healthcare will never be a stagnant industry. Change is a part of the framework, and with change comes the need to assess and […]

For every action, there is a reaction, and among the reactions to the increased interest in patient experience has been skepticism about the measures and their importance. Providers worry that the measures reflect “hotel functions” rather than determinants of patients’ health outcomes. —Nash et al., 2019, p. 236 Whether from a survey, panel, or individual […]

How might project management lend itself to quality improvement in healthcare and nursing practice? Project management is a systematic process used to achieve a specific goal utilizing a clear framework to initiate, plan, control, review, implement, and complete. This process provides for many checks and balances opportunities to ensure the goal is achieved and met […]

How might you identify quality improvement practice gaps in your practice or organization? What tools and methods might you recommend to address these gaps? Successful quality improvement relies on appropriate data and its analysis. It is not enough to just want to improve care and safety. Instead, measures and tools must be considered, analyzed, and […]

How do we improve our work? How do we define quality, and how do we know we are doing the best for our patients? Consider how the role of quality improvements and quality improvement theories might affect how you interact and treat your patients. How do you determine what will meet the needs of those […]

You are a DNP-prepared nurse working in the ICU of your local hospital. A patient is struggling with balance, and you indicate this patient is a “fall risk” in your charts. However, after a long night, caring for many patients, you forget to indicate this risk on the patient’s door, which is procedure at the […]

What is the importance of nursing informatics on nursing practice? What is the role of nursing informatics on technology? What is the impact of project management on implementing change in nursing practice? Throughout the past 10 weeks, you have worked to gain the skills and knowledge needed to research, develop, process, integrate and manage data […]

To successfully manage, analyze, and implement the amount of data in healthcare organizations and practice, nurses need to possess certain informatics competencies. These competencies outline the necessary qualities one must possess to be successful as a doctorally prepared nurse. By analyzing and evaluating these competencies, you will assess what qualities you might already possess, as […]

Technology has provided an ease of access for patient records, communication, and information collection, however, what happens when this information is not kept safe? What happens when safeguards are not put in place, training is not adequate, or hacking occurs? What are the ethical implications of nursing practice in a world filled with advancements? The […]