The healthcare industry in Australian is under considerable pressure from consumers and third party stakeholders to improve the standards of quality and safety (Faloudah, Qasim & Bahumayd, 2015). This entreaty emerges as the cost and demand of health services continues to rise and a growing body of literature suggests that there is a significant gap between what has been identified as best practice and what consumers are receiving in the clinical setting (Kronick, 2014; McFadden, Stock & Gowen, 2015). Nurses make up a significant percentage of healthcare professionals and are therefore in principal position to promote the improvement of quality and safety in healthcare. This essay will promote quality and safety as a core business of healthcare …show more content…
The data that is most relevant to clinical improvement is process and outcome data. The work of Donabedian (1988) will now be drawn upon to explore this topic further. The Donabedian model first published in 1988, is framework that has been identified as the most effective paradigm for assessing safety and quality in healthcare (Gardner, Gardner & O 'Connell, 2014). The model is a three-part approach that incorporates; structure, process and outcome. This essay will primarily focus on analysing both process and outcomes data however a short explanation of structure data will be given to appropriately illustrate the model. Structure is a description of all the elements that makeup the setting for which healthcare can take place. This includes material resources, human resources and organisational resources (Donabedian, 1998; Gardner et al., 2014). Process is the physical action and progression of a consumers receiving care. This includes the activities and motivations of the consumer seeking healthcare, the health practitioner assessing the patient and finally the treatment being recommended or provided to the consumer (Donabedian, 1998; Gardner et al., …show more content…
Gardner et al., (2014) explains that understanding and using process and outcome data can prevent adverse events from occurring by providing insight into previous clinical situations and assisting the implementation of change strategies and education. Utilising process and outcome data calls for clinicians to gather, analyse and interpret data, followed by interpreting the results (Sidani & Doran 2010). This process can lead to necessary changes being made for treatment protocols and nursing interventions, which can inturn improve the quality and safety of care being provided to consumers (Donabedian,
Standards are important aspects of nursing that a nurse must learn and implement every day for the rest of their nursing career. These standards provide for a nurse’s competence in the quality of care they deliver to the public. Standards offer a necessary guidance to nurses everywhere in an effort to ensure that people are treated correctly and ethically. Patients expect nurses to have a general knowledge of the medical realm and to know exactly what it is they –as nurses- are responsible for. Nurses need to have a sense of professionalism that enable the patient to feel safe and secure, knowing that a competent person is caring for him. A lack of professionalism does the opposite, making it impossible for a patient to trust or respect the nurse caring for him. Standards of nursing, if utilized correctly, give the nurse that sense of professionalism the patient is expecting. It insures for the safety of the patient and allows the nurse to provide quality health care that is expected of a medical professional.
Implications for nursing practice are as follows. First, the study indicated that additional medical intervention is not always supportive of positive patient outcomes. Instead, it
The Australian Commission On Safety And Quality in Health care was founded as a powerful body to reform Health care system in Australia. It was established on 1st june 2006 in an incorporated form to lead and coordinate numerous areas related to safety and quality in healthcare across Australia (Windows into Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2011). The commission’s work programs include; development of advice, publications and resources for healthcare teams, healthcare professionals, healthcare organisations and policy makers (Australian Commission On Safety And Quality in Health care). Patients, carers and members of public play a vital role in giving shape to commission’s recommendations thereby ensuring safe, efficient and effective delivery of healthcare services. The commission acknowledges patients and carers as a partner with health service organisations and their healthcare providers. It suggests the patients and carers should be involved in decision making, planning, evaluating and measuring service. People should exercise their healthcare rights and be engaged in the decisions related to their own healthcare and treatment procedures. ...
Dimension1.2- “Clinical Effectiveness” takes part in better resource utilization; attempt to accomplish “more for less” through evidence based practice to improve the care. Providing effective and safe care is necessary in achieving the best clinical care outcome especially in an acute care hospital, and will help provide the best possible patient experience
Rush, S., Fergy, S., Wells, D., 1996. Nursing Process. [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 05 December 2013].
The purpose of this paper is to identify a quality safety issue. I will summarize the impact that this issue has on health care delivery. In addition, I will identify quality improvement strategies. Finally, I will share a plan to effectively implement this quality improvement strategy.
Safety is a primary concern in the health care environment, but there are still many preventable errors that occur. In fact, a study from ProPublica in 2013 found that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year suffer preventable harm in the hospital (Allen, 2013). Safety in the healthcare environment is not only keeping the patient safe, but also the employee. If a nurse does not follow procedure, they could bring harm to themselves, the patient, or both. Although it seems like such a simple topic with a simple solution, there are several components to what safety really entails. Health care professionals must always be cautious to prevent any mishaps to their patients, especially when using machines or lifting objects, as it has a higher
Safety competency is essential for high-quality care in the medical field. Nurses play an important role in setting the bar for quality healthcare services through patient safety mediation and strategies. The QSEN definition of safety is that it “minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.” This papers primary purpose is to review and better understand the importance of safety knowledge, skills, and attitude within nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing research. It will provide essential information that links health care quality to overall patient safety.
Evidence-based practice integrates best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for the delivery of optimal health care (qsen.org). Like most medical professions, nursing is a constantly changing field. With new studies being done and as we learn more about different diseases it is crucial for the nurse to continue to learn even after becoming an RN. Using evidence-based practice methods are a great way for nurses and other medical professionals learn new information and to stay up to date on new ways to practice that can be used to better assess
The nursing process is one of the most fundamental yet crucial aspects of the nursing profession. It guides patient care in a manner that creates an effective, safe, and health promoting process. The purpose and focus of this assessment paper is to detail the core aspects of the nursing process and creating nursing diagnoses for patients in a formal paper. The nursing process allows nurses to identify a patient’s health status, their current health problems, and also identify any potential health risks the patient may have. The nursing process is a broad assessment tool that can be applied to every patient but results in an individualized care plan tailored to the most important needs of the patient. The nurse can then implement this outcome oriented care plan and then evaluate and modify it to fit the patient’s progress (Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P., 2011). The nursing process prioritizes care, creates safety checks so that essential assessments are not missing, and creates an organized routine, allowing nurses to be both efficient and responsible.
Patient’s safety will be compromised because increase of patient to nurse ratio will lead to mistakes in delivering quality care. In 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted a metanalysis and found that “shortage of registered nurses, in combination with increased workload, poses a potential threat to the quality of care… increases in registered nurse staffing was associated with a reduction in hospital-related mortality and failure to rescue as well as reduced length of stay.” Intense workload, stress, and dissatisfaction in one’s profession can lead to health problems. Researchers found that maintaining and improving a healthy work environment will facilitate safety, quality healthcare and promote a desirable professional avenue.
In today’s health care system, “quality” and “safety” are one in the same when it comes to patient care. As Florence Nightingale described our profession long ago, it takes work and vigilance to ensure we are doing the best we can to care for our patients. (Mitchell, 2008)
The overall goal for the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) plan is to meet the challenge of educating and preparing future nurses to have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential to frequently progress the quality and safety of the healthcare systems in the continuous improvement of safe practice (QSEN, 2014).Safety reduces the possibility of injury to patients and nurses. It is achieved through system efficiency and individual work performance. Organizations determine which technologies have an effective protocol with efficient practices to support quality and safety care. Guidelines are followed to reduce potential risks of harm to nurses or others. Appropriate policies
In the health care industry, gathering information in order to find the best diagnosis route or even determine patient satisfaction is necessary. This is complete by conducting a survey and collecting data. When the information is complete, we then have statistical information used to make administrative decision within the healthcare field. The collection of meaningful statistics is an important function of any hospital or clinic.
In the healthcare setting, a systematic process to ensure maximum care and maximum recovery in patients is needed, which is called the nursing process. This process consists of four steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation (Walton, 2016). The nursing process is important to ensure quality care and to get the preferred outcome. In the nursing process, critical thinking is used to recognize the issue and come up with a logical solution to solving it. One important aspect of the nursing process is that the plan is not set in stone; it is meant to be manipulated in order to better suit the patient. Nurses must be able to think critically in order to recognize the issue, develop a way to correct it, and be able to communicate the issue to others. Throughout the nursing process, critical thinking is used to determine the best plan of care for a patient based on their diagnosis.