Nursing Quality Initiatives: A Case Study

There is a need for quality and safety improvement initiatives within healthcare and many organizations often seek performance improvement initiatives in order to improve clinical outcomes. As well as patient satisfaction levels in addition to reducing any operational costs that may be incurred. However if efforts are not executed properly they can become issues that exhausts the healthcare organizations resources time, and money without showcasing any real sustainable improvements. One of the reasons performance initiatives fail to produce the desired results, is that organizations can mistake performance improvements as a series of one off projects. In order for organizations to be sustainable performance initiatives need to be conceived and performed within the context of the performance program in order to ensure that quality healthcare is being delivered. Some may question what quality healthcare is comprised of ? Quality health care is defined as “the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge”
(Sciences, 2013). Many
errors resulting from either faulty systems and processes that are sometimes inefficient and have different variables as well as the changing case mix of patients and health insurance. In addition to differences with provider experiences and education can contribute to the complexity of healthcare. Nonetheless, there are many healthcare organizations that have developed strategic healthcare quality initiatives, and one of them is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement which is an “independent not-for-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a leading innovator, convener, partner, and driver of results in health and health care improvement worldwide. At our core, we believe everyone should get the best care and health possible. This passionate belief fuels our mission to improve health and health care” (Institute & Improvement, 2016). They have implemented strategic initiatives in which they hope to improve quality standards, some of the statistical initiatives that they have implemented is the 100 million healthier lives it is a global initiative that aims to fundamentally transform the way the world thinks and acts in order to improve health and well-being. Another strategic quality initiative that the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has put in place is the leadership alliance, in which they believe that healthcare is have two major job functions which is to deliver great healthcare and high values. This initiative provides exclusive leadership models for executives and healthcare system teams that are particularly ambitious. They also have a strategic initiatives that aims to transform care at the bedside which is a “unique innovation that aims to create, test, and implement changes that will dramatically improve care on medical/surgical units, and improve staff satisfaction as well” (Institute & Improvement, 2016). ANCC Magnet Recognition Program also has several strategic healthcare quality initiatives in place to improve outcomes for patients and staff members alike. ANCC Magnet Recognition Program "recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice” (Budin, 2012). Some of the initiatives that are in place are transformational leadership in where the ANCC insures that there is effective senior leadership which they believe is critical in a facility is growth in order to achieve magnets standards. Another initiative that they have is using evidence-based practices that are related to patient care as well as incorporating new ideas and innovations and interventions major components in achieving magnet status (“Improving the culture of patient safety through the Magnet® journey,” 2011).
Nonetheless there are some strategic quality issues that can be improved within the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and ANCC Magnet Recognition Program.
Some can argue that magnet status is nothing more than a promotional tool for hospitals since there is no evidence to suggest that nurses that are found in hospitals that have achieved magnet status are better than those in healthcare organizations that do not have such a status (Administrator, 2011). However there are some benefits to this program as hospitals that possess the magnet status can demonstrate high levels of nursing staff retention when compared to other hospitals. They also have a better chance of recruiting more competent and qualified nurses when compared to other area hospitals within the marketplace, this can lead to a higher quality of
care. Within the Institute for Healthcare Improvement some of the strategic quality issues that can be noted are how will the organization see to make 100 million lives healthier. There is no real explanation attached to it as how to accomplish this goal. Another issue is with the leadership alliance, does this alliance only have to be tied with healthcare leaders? Or can other healthcare professionals and staff members participate as there are different levels of employees that do interact with patients and do have an impact on the quality standards. In evaluating the elements of the initiatives which are crucial to quality improvement opportunities within my healthcare organization is the transforming care at the bedside. I think it is a great initiative since patients do measure a quality based on the care that they receive during hospitalizations and visits with their doctor. This is a great initiative since it evaluates the level of care that is being provided, it deploys new systems and allows changes to be implemented so that improvements can be made. This is an initiative that is beneficial to all healthcare systems alike since quality of care is usually the focal point for many. Overall quality healthcare is something that should be provided to all patients and the initiative that these two organizations are putting in place are geared towards making quality standards the focal point of their day-to-day operations. Having quality healthcare improves not only improves efficiency levels, but safety the levels and this is one of the most important are within the healthcare industry.