CNO and Quality Improvement Projects

Discussion: CNO and Quality Improvement Projects

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There has likely never been a time in which healthcare organizations have had to face challenges greater than those in the twenty-first century. For example, in previous decades, bedside nurses cared for patients and were promoted into nursing leadership and nurse executive roles based on the fact that they were “good nurses.” This paradigm no longer exists in contemporary healthcare delivery settings including long-term care, acute care, and community-based settings. The CNO must be prepared to lead and have competency in guiding, leading, and restructuring healthcare delivery systems that are competitive and provide safe, affordable, and efficient quality care at the right time, each time, and every time. CNOs must have skills and competencies that allow them to drive healthcare system changes to meet societal healthcare needs for diverse populations. You are the CNO in your healthcare organization. Considering this, use the readings for the week, the South University Online Library, and the Internet to respond to the following:

Provide a list of guidelines you would use to develop the quality falls program and the medication safety performance improvement project in your organization.

What challenges would you face in the development of these programs?

Evaluate two competencies you must have to successfully develop these programs.

What will you do if a quality improvement project is needed and there is not enough money in the budget at the time or if the project will add costs that exceed the operating budget?

Comment on the postings of at least two peers.

Evaluation Criteria:

Provided a list of guidelines you would use to develop the quality falls program and the medication safety performance improvement project in your organization. Explained the challenges you would face in the development of these programs. Evaluated two competencies you must have to successfully develop these programs. Recommended ways to handle the situation if a quality improvement project is needed and there is not enough money in the budget at the time or if the project will add costs that exceed the operating budget. Justified your answers with appropriate research and reasoning. Commented on the postings of at least two peers.

NSG 6620 Week 2 Discussion Question 2: Nurse Sensitive Indicators and the CNO

Nurse sensitive indicators reflect the structure, process, and outcomes of nursing care in a healthcare organization. Key factors influencing nurse sensitive indicators include the structure of nursing care, skill level of nursing staff, and education or certification of nursing staff. Greater quality or quantity of nursing care results in an improvement in patient outcomes that are closely linked to nurse sensitive indicators. Using the readings for the week, the South University Online Library, and the Internet, respond to the following:

Examine the role of a CNO in relation to nurse sensitive indicators, such as the following:

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)

Pressure ulcers

As a CNO, what process will you use for developing a nurse sensitive indicator?

Estimate the time it takes to create and approve a nurse sensitive indicator.

Comment on the postings of at least two peers.

Evaluation Criteria:

Examined the role of CNO in relation to nurse sensitive indicators, such as CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP, and pressure ulcers. Described the process utilized for developing a nurse sensitive indicator. Estimated the time it takes to create and approve a nurse sensitive indicator. Justified your answers with appropriate research and reasoning

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Introduction

The quality improvement process is a way to continually improve the care you provide. It involves identifying areas where there are opportunities for improvement and then implementing strategies to achieve those goals. One of my favorite concepts in health care is “black box” testing, which means that when you have a patient who comes into the emergency department with chest pains or nausea, we don’t know what caused it right away—it could be something as simple as indigestion. So if we treat them for what appears to be a simple condition but then later learn that this was actually something more serious that required further testing or treatment at another hospital (and potentially a much higher bill), why didn’t we just treat them correctly from the start? Because it’s always easier—and cheaper—to treat someone who hasn’t been diagnosed correctly by asking questions such as: “Have you ever experienced this symptom before?”

How do I find and select a suitable quality improvement project?

It is always important to select the right quality improvement project. This can be difficult, because there are many different types of projects and each one has different goals, requirements and benefits.

The following are some examples of quality improvement projects that were not successful:

A large organization that wanted to improve their customer service by interviewing employees about their experiences with their customers. The results showed that 85% of employees knew nothing about any problems they might have encountered with customers in order to resolve them correctly; however, they did know how long it took them to resolve those problems and whether or not they were satisfied with the outcome (i.e., the number one reason why they would recommend this company). Thus this project was unsuccessful because it did not yield any actionable information on how best practices need improvement within a specific area within an organization; moreover at least half of all employees had never interacted directly with customers so there was no guarantee any changes would actually occur as a result!

Where do I find the clinical protocols?

Clinical protocols are often found in the medical library. They can also be found in patient care areas, technology departments and nursing departments.

If you have questions about clinical protocols or have trouble accessing them online, contact your local reference librarian.

Who should I ask to be on my team?

Who should be on your team? The project team should include the CNO and other leaders, but also nurses and doctors. This will ensure that everyone has a good understanding of what’s going on in their area, which can help them make decisions about how best to improve things.
Is there anyone else who would be useful? If so, who? It may be helpful to have someone from marketing or IT on board so they understand how their departments fit into this whole scheme of things. Also consider whether some specialists could be recruited for their knowledge about specific problems or issues; these people may not have direct involvement with patient care but might still provide insight into areas where changes need making now rather than later.

Why do I need a nurse champion on my team?

Nurses are the experts on patient care, so they have a unique perspective on what makes for a good quality improvement project.
They can help you find the right projects to implement, which will give you an overview of what’s possible and what has been done in similar situations. You can also use their knowledge of how other health systems work as a model for yours.
Having nurses on your team will give you credibility when talking with others about why this is such an important issue for patients and families; it also helps ensure that everyone is working toward common goals rather than individual ones (which means fewer conflicts along the way).
Nurses have the connections needed within hospitals or clinics where they work; if there isn’t someone available from another department who knows something about implementing such projects, then this might be another reason why someone else may need to step in instead!

How should I document my progress and findings?

You should document your progress and findings in a way that’s easy to find and update. Make sure you have a format that is clear, concise, and easy-to-read. This can include:

A checklist of all tasks completed or remaining;
A list of any issues found during testing;
An outline of what will be done next (e.g., “Next step: X”).

Why is evaluation important?

Evaluation is important because it allows you to:

Determine if the project is working. If you’re not getting results, then it’s time to reevaluate your approach and make adjustments.
See if there are changes that need to be made in order for the project to be successful (or continue). For example, if your employees aren’t interested in participating or don’t think they can contribute anything meaningful, then maybe there’s something else at work here—maybe they just need more training or support from their managers!
Determine whether or not this particular type of improvement is worth pursuing further with this organization or department/unit within an organization as a whole.”

The most effective quality improvement projects can be implemented throughout the hospital.

Quality improvement projects are more effective when they are implemented throughout the hospital, not in one area alone. The CNO is responsible for implementing quality improvement projects throughout the hospital, including all departments and services that provide care to patients or perform clinical activities.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the steps to take on your own quality improvement project and that it has inspired you to start a new initiative in your hospital. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Nursing Worker