Discussion: Promoting Safety And Quality
Week 6: Accountability for Clinical Outcomes and Promoting Safety and Quality
Introduction
Throughout your education, patient safety and improving the quality of patient care have been examined. Through numerous readings and media pieces, you have heard about Never Events. These are serious and costly medical errors that are preventable, such as wrong-side surgery, medication errors, and hospital-acquired infections. Each of these types of medical errors is preventable. The consequences of such errors are now financial as well as legal and emotional. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse for medical errors classified as Never Events.
As a nurse, how can you help to prevent these types of medical errors? What is your accountability for clinical outcomes? There are standards and core measures in place that guide nursing practice. In addition, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) examines those components of clinical care that are specific to nursing. The NDNQI quantifies, or assesses, these nurse-sensitive components and provides specific feedback on how well nursing practice is being executed in those areas related to patient care.
This week, you will consider a series of articles that focus on strategies for ensuring safety and quality care for patients. You will also explore how successful, efficient teamwork between nurses, nursing leaders, physicians, and other medical personnel can help prevent many of the Never Events from occurring and decrease the likelihood of such events in the future.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze the core measures and standards for nursing practice that promote patient safety and quality of care outcomes
Analyze the impact of the nurse’s role in clinical outcomes for organizations
Analyze nurse-specific challenges for influencing change in quality improvement
Analyze the role of the nurse in supporting the organization’s strategic agenda in improving clinical outcomes
Photo Credit: PhotoAlto/Odilon Dimier / PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections / Getty Images
Learning Resources
Prior Knowledge
It is not uncommon for students to be required to complete group projects or to work as part of a team. While obtaining your RN credentials, or at some time in your work career, you have more than likely at some point been part of a unit or a collaborative team. Reflect on that experience of working with others to achieve a common goal. How did the actions of your team members impact your success as a team? Consider how this same philosophy applies within an organization. How might the actions of the individuals influence the success of the organization?
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Amin, A. N., Hofmann, H., Owen, M. M., Tran, H., Tucker, S., & Kaplan, S. H. (2014). Reduce readmissions with service-based care management. Professional Case Management, 19(6), 255–262. doi: 10.1097/NCM.0000000000000051
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Forster, A. J., Dervin, G., Martin, C., & Papp, S. (2012). Improving patient safety through the systematic evaluation of patient outcomes. Canadian Journal of Surgery, 55(6), 419–425. doi: 10.1503/cjs.007811
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Johansen, M. L. (2014). Conflicting priorities: Emergency nurses perceived disconnect between patient satisfaction and the delivery of quality patient care. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 40(1), 13–19. doi: 10.1016/j.jen.2012.04.013
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
McDowell, D. S., & McComb, S. A. (2014). Safety checklist briefings: A systematic review of the literature. AORN, 99(1), 125–137. doi: 10.1016/j.orn.2013.11.015
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Payne, D. (2014). Elderly care: Reflecting on that ultimate ‘never event.’ British Journal of Nursing, 23(13), 702. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2014.23.13.702
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Thornlow, D. K., & Merwin, E. (2009). Managing to improve quality: The relationship between accreditation standards, safety practices, and patient outcomes. Health Care Management Review, 34(3), 262–272. doi: 10.1097/HMR.0b013e3181a16bce
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
American Hospital Association. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/
Explore the American Hospital Association’s website. Focus on the information on improving patient safety and quality of care.
