...Abstract Nursing Informatics as we have learned over the course of this class is defined as computer science mixed with nursing and information science. This paper will present my view of the advantages of nursing informatics and how it has enhanced the quality environment in which we work as nurse's work and has changed how we care for our patients. The most basic advantage is that it improves communication between all disciplinarians of the health care industry and I will make my statement of how I believe this communication can be of advantage to all of the healthcare industry. The Advantages of Nursing Informatics and Quality Improvement The world of nursing is changing on a daily basis and we, as nurses need to adapt and change in order to provide our patients with the ultimate care they deserve. The hospital environment as a whole has changed over the years and is now a business and the patients are our customers. The advances and advantages of nursing informatics in my opinion will deliver safe and superior quality care for our customers in the health care industry. In 2008 a landmark report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, "Nursing Time and Motion Study" it was revealed through a 36 hospital study, how important the workflow optimization is in the nursing field. I found this to be a very eye opening report as it revealed that less than 20% of a nurses' time is spent on patient care activities and only 7 % of the nurse's...
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...Advanced Nursing Kaplan University March 10, 2014 The concept of Quality has a close relation with nursing practices. Higher quality healthcare is the common goal of all healthcare team and improving healthcare quality has become the common focal point of all healthcare organization. Quality has become an important issue for healthcare facilities facing a changing of healthcare environment (Tsai, & Wu, 2013). Quality is derived from the Latin “quails” and is defined as essential character of nature…an inherent or distinguishable attribute or property, a character “trait” and is defined as superiority of kind and degree or grade of excellent (Wicks, & Roethlein, 2009). Every quality expert defines quality somewhat differentially, and there are a variety of perspectives than can be taken in defining quality. The most widely concept of quality is the Industrial Organization Society (IOS) definition as “the degree to wish a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements” (Wicks, & Roethlein, 2009, p. 85). The psychological concept is closely aligned with the dictionary definition when quality relates to logic: “quality is the positive or negative character of a proposition” (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2014). Quality is a set of characteristics or properties, as supported by the multidimensional definitions of quality. Quality can focus on excellence or can be viewed as the degree of a services attained (Golder, Mitra, & Moorman, 2012). Quality is perhaps...
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...Quality and Values Initiatives in Health Care Introduction The relationship between the external quality and value initiatives in health care has been widely discussed in academic literature. Actually, this issue is of great importance as it reflects the role of patient satisfaction in healthcare. According to researchers, “in health care, the whole notion of quality has become a source of confusion and sometimes a distraction from genuine value improvement” (McClellan, 2008, p. 23). Quality is affected by patient outcomes and satisfaction. At the same time, quality helps to determine the value in healthcare. Many quality and value initiatives are aimed at reducing health care disparities that exist in American healthcare system, as well as at improving the quality of care (McClellan, 2008). Generally speaking, various quality of care initiatives contribute to the overall success of any health are organization, including financial success and success of nursing practices. To achieve higher level of quality of health care services, it is necessary to use effective mechanisms, which involve certain changes, such as additional staffing, new equipment, adequate audits, and other changes. Health care organizations should be focused on overcoming any barriers to successful quality improvement. Quality and values initiatives in health care help to achieve this goal. The major goal of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the external quality and value...
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...developing a quality improvement plan for any health care facility or organization. Measuring performance assessments establish a working foundation and insight as to how the foundation is doing respectively to taking on the quality improvement project. During the measurement phase of a quality improvement project, the health care organization gathers performance data and information to determine how the organization is doing respectively to quality. After an organization gathers the necessary data and information pertaining to quality improvement, the organization can move into the assessment phase of a quality improvement project. The assessment phase helps the organization establish whether quality performance...
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...CURRICULUM VITAE Profile Goal directed, results-oriented, professional Healthcare Manager successfully managed in diverse areas including Nursing Leadership, Clinical Audit, Quality Management, Training and Education. Personnel Information Name: Fatme Khodor Elrifai Sex: Female Date & place of birth: 09-01-1978 Lebanon Address: Specialized Medical Center Hospital -Riyadh Phone work: 0114343800 x 3990 Mobile number: 0502855808 E-mail: f.alrifai@hotmail.com Languages Arabic Fluently written and spoken English Fluently written and spoken French Fluently written and spoken Education 2013- 2014: Ongoing Masters in Healthcare Administration/ Quality Management – Al Jinan University, North of Lebanon 2006 -2007: BS Degree in Nursing Sciences – Bridging Program 2000 – 2003: Three years in the TS-Nursing program, Technical Superior Degree 1997 – 2000: Three years in the Nursing program, Technical Baccalaureate Degree 1993 – 1995: High school education in Saint Joseph, North of Lebanon 1989 – 1993: Secondary school education in Saint Joseph, North of Lebanon - Nursing Leadership & Management (Deputy Director of Nursing at Kingdom Hospital Consulting Clinics, KSA/ Riyadh, 130 Beds, private, CBAHI and JCIA accredited primary healthcare institution. KHCC is providing various range of medical services including, but not limited to, Internal Medicine,...
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...According to a recent survey, the quality of service of Davis Health Care needs improvement. Research suggests that patient safety measures like hourly rounding by nursing personnel positively impacts patient fall rates, call light usage and overall patient satisfaction (Olrich et al., 2012, p. 25). Patients are likely to recover and thrive in an environment where they know that they are being acknowledged, monitored and their concerns are being addressed. Health care facilities that have instituted hourly rounding, where nursing staff (e.g. registered nurses, licensed practical/vocational nurses and nurse aides) check in on the patients and inquire of the needs of patients on an hourly basis, have been faced with barriers prior to implementation. Many of the nursing staff would reluctant toward the idea of practicing hourly rounds as this is often perceived as time-consuming strategy. However, if we institute hourly rounding at Davis Health Care, we will notice remarkable improvement in our next survey scores. The Model for Evidence-Based Practice Change by Rosswurm and Larrabee (1999) suggests that the initial step is to search for where there is a need for change in the clinical setting. Once an improvement team (consisting of unit managers, nurse researchers, quality improvement nurses, a statistician, etc.) forms, we find ways to identify an improvement goal. Unstructured brainstorming allows the team to contribute ways in which to improve the quality of services at Davis Health...
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...Organizational Systems Task 1 Western Governors University Task 1 A. Nursing-sensitive indicators By understanding nursing sensitive indicators, the nurses in this case could improve the structure, process, and outcomes of their nursing care. The structure of nursing care is indicated by the supply of nursing staff and the skill level of the nursing staff. By the nurses having increased knowledge of the issues hip fracture patients are prone to having, such as decrease mobility, increase need for surgical intervention, and increase risk of falls, could help improve the quality of patient care. A patient with decrease mobility is at higher risk for pressure sores. The nurses in this case may have prevented the one by proper padding and repositioning every 2 hours. The nurses in this case should aim to prevent surgical complications and infection (Sauls, 2013). With proper knowledge of dementia, fall prevention, restraint prevalence could lead to improved patient safety and satisfaction. Maybe with an understanding of dementia the patient could have been reoriented, medicated, moved to a room across from the nurses desk, or had a CNA sit with the patient to prevent the need for restraints. If the patient was drowsy there is a good chance the restraints in this case were not medically indicated. Dementia patients are more prone to weight loss and inadequate nutrition which could lead to other risk. In this case the staff should have offered a variety of foods the...
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...Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership Task 1 Western Governors University Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership RTT1 Task 1 Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership Task 1 A. Nursing-Sensitive Indicators Nursing-sensitive indicators reflect the structure, process and outcomes of nursing care. The structure of nursing care is indicated by the supply of nursing staff, the skill level of the nursing staff, and the education/certification of nursing staff. Process indicators measure aspects of nursing care such as assessment, intervention, and RN job satisfaction. Patient outcomes that are determined to be nursing sensitive are those that improve if there is a greater quantity or quality of nursing care (e.g., pressure ulcers, falls, and intravenous infiltrations). (Nursing, 2014, para. 1) In the instance of Mr. J’s hospitalization there are many areas for improvement as it applies to nursing-sensitive indicators. Some of these areas can be improved by implementing new protocols or by simply educating the staff about specific indicators. Other areas that need improvement such as staff communication as well as attitudes may be a little more difficult to correct. Patient restraints can be an effective intervention to promote patient safety only if used when appropriate. Restraints can have a negative effect on patient safety, morbidity, and mortality if used inappropriately. The story of Mr. J isn’t really clear on the rationale for the restraints...
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...examined to be familiarized about how these quality initiative surveys were structured including goals, methods, how they used their results and how they are impacting healthcare organizations specifically hospitals and nurses. Also the author personally reflects on HCAHPS and NDNQI. Keywords: HCAPS, NDNQI, quality initiative, survey, ` Rising health care costs and limited health care resources has produced a need of utilization of data. Moreover data management and monitoring is essential in order to ensure that implementations are being made to change and improve nursing practice and patient care and outcomes. One specific way that this was employed was when the health care system was transformed from a system that was based on the number of admissions to the quality of care (Sewell & Thede, 2013). This was made more evident in 2007, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, (CMS) mandated required participation in improvement initiatives in order for hospitals to receive full reimbursements for patient care (Sewell et al. 2013). These mandated programs that determine quality and the achievement of best outcomes for healthcare organizations are Health Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). The initiation and utilization of these tools has encompassed an environment where quality improvement is a goal to improve patient care. HCAHPS ...
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...Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Inpatient Quality Indicators xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx March 2, 2015 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Inpatient Quality Indicators The purpose of this capstone paper is to discuss the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) approach to quality and safety as this pertains to inpatient quality indicators. This will assist with better understanding what efforts are being taken within the contemporary healthcare system and by contemporary healthcare organizations in order to maximize the quality of care delivered to patients. The discussion within the essay will have three main parts. The first part will explain and analyze the significance of the topic under consideration here for clinical nursing practice. The second part will discuss information from the selected topic that can be applied in order to improve professional nursing practice and complex client care. The third part will evaluate the potential outcomes that may result from the application of the information from the topic to nursing practice. Before shifting into the body of the main discussion, though, it may be appropriate to discuss the AHRQ itself in greater detail. In the AHRQ's (2015a) own words, the organization's mission "is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, affordable, and to work within the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
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...RTT1 TASK 1 RTT1 TASK 1 A. Discuss how an understanding of nursing-sensitive indicators could assist the nurses in this case in identifying issues that may interfere with patient care. Nursing-sensitive indicators are determinations used to delineate the excellence of nursing interventions and positive patient outcomes. This is not a new concept. In the 1800’s, Florence Nightingale, a promoter of outcomes, revealed such indicators when she revealed her statistical findings of soldier’s mortality rate associated to environmental conditions during the Crimean War (Fee & Garofalo, 2010). Over the past decades, various studies world-wide have been conducted on the connection of nursing quality indicators and their outcomes. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognized these studies were an important focus in evidenced-based practice among the nursing profession; and in 1998, they established a program for implementing, developing and storing these nursing-sensitive indicators, known as the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) (ANA, 2014). The NDNQI serves as a valuable resource for hospitals nationwide at the acute level for administrators and nurses alike to compare various indicators and outcomes with that of other facilities to determine best practices for patients and staff. In the case of Mr. J, it is clear the nurse caring for this patient had little or no knowledge of indicators of restraint prevalence. However, my initial concern...
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...RTT Task 1 WGU Nursing –Sensitive Indicators In the case of Mr. J, a 72-year-old retired rabbi with a diagnosis of mild dementia, the nursing sensitive indicators include restraint use, hospital acquired pressure ulcers, and patient-family satisfaction with nursing and overall care. Not understanding and identifying nursing-sensitive indicators contributed to adverse outcomes, which included the development of a pressure ulcer and the likely unnecessary use of restraints. Lastly, family dissatisfaction with care was evidenced when the daughter called the patient’s physician to complain that her father had not received the ordered kosher meals. If the hospital nursing staff had understood and identified nursing-sensitive indicators, the negative outcomes cited above may have been avoided. The nurses would know that through data collection, measurement, and evaluation of nursing practice it has been recognized that nursing care has a direct impact on specific patient outcomes. Because of this research, the profession has been able to elevate the quality of nursing care by developing and implementing evidence based practice, which has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes (American Sentinel University, 2014). Quality Patient Care Collecting hospital data from each unit on specific nursing-sensitive indicators could advance quality patient care throughout the hospital. Staffing levels and the mix of nursing personnel (RN, LPN’s, and CNA’s) on a unit can have a...
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...The Driving Force of Change: Magnet Designation The Driving Force of Change: Magnet Designation The healthcare industry has striven to advance the quality of care provided to patients for decades. Pursuing Magnet designation is a journey a hospital can take to acquire this level of excellence. The purpose of this paper is to explain an overview of components making up Magnet designation, the impact Magnet status has on change in healthcare and its organizations, and the benefits and challenges that go hand in hand. Overview of the Magnet Recognition Program The Magnet Recognition Program is not an award but a “performance-driven recognition credential” designed to achieve excellence in patient outcomes and satisfaction of nurses (Drenkard, 2010). Magnet Recognition is the highest and most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and high-quality patient care. The Magnet program model organizes 14 Forces of Magnetism into five model components. The five model components are transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovation, and improvements, and lastly, empirical quality results. The first component, transformational leadership, identifies the need for more involvement with nursing in leadership roles. The second component, structural empowerment, provides an innovative environment where strong professional practice flourishes and relationships and partnerships...
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... As per the Chapter – 6 continuous quality improvement of NABH standards, the group has analyzed the current/existing situation of the nursing department and following is the analysis. 5 standards with objective : - CQI.2 The organization identifies key indicators to monitor the clinical structures, processes and outcomes • Objective elements a) Monitoring includes appropriate patient assessment. b) Monitoring includes diagnostics services’ safety and quality control programmes. c) Monitoring includes all invasive procedures. d) Monitoring includes adverse drug events. e) Monitoring includes use of anaesthesia. f) Monitoring includes use of blood and blood products. g) Monitoring includes availability and content of medical records. h) Monitoring includes infection control activities. i) Monitoring includes clinical research. CQI.3 The organisation identifies key indicators to monitor the managerial structures, processes and outcomes Objective elements • Monitoring includes procurement of medication essential to meet patient needs. • Monitoring includes reporting of activities as required by laws and regulations. • Monitoring includes risk management. • Monitoring includes utilisation of facilities. • Monitoring includes patient satisfaction. • Monitoring includes employee satisfaction. • Monitoring includes adverse events. • Monitoring includes data collection to support further study for improvements. • Monitoring includes data collection...
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...Nursing Sensitive Indicators The American Nurses Association established national initiatives called nursing-sensitive outcome indicators that focus plans/programs to increase quality and safety in patient care. They gauge aspects of direct patient care related to quality of nursing care by reflecting on structure, process and outcomes of nursing care. Structure in regard to staffing and the skill, education and certification of staff; process in regards to measuring aspects of nursing care related to assessment, intervention and RN job satisfaction, and outcomes by improving the rates of specifics in relation to patient outcomes such as in this particular case preventing hospital acquired pressure ulcers, improving patient satisfaction and restraint prevalence. Nursing Sensitive indicators are only specific to nursing and in 1998, ANA developed a National Data base of nursing quality indicators (NDNQI) so they could continue to collect and build on data from studies to expand nursing knowledge related to factors that influence the quality of nursing care. Why is this important? The nursing profession has the responsibility to measure, evaluate and continually improve practice. NDNQI identify where and how the staff is needed and show the need to increase staff in particular areas of nursing care that need improvement. The NDNQI mission is to help the RN in patient safety and quality improvements by providing research based national and comparative data on nursing care...
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