Quality and Sustainability Paper: Part 1

Quality and Sustainability Paper: Part 1

This assignment will be completed in two parts, which will be synthesized into a final paper.

The purpose of this assignment is to investigate a quality and/or safety issue in a health care entity. You will use the issue and health care entity that you select in this assignment for Part 2 of the paper and for the sustainability assignments. You may use an issue identified at the practice site in your DPI Project.

General Guidelines:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments.
• This assignment requires that you support your position by referencing six to eight scholarly resources. At least three of your supporting references must be from scholarly sources other than the assigned readings.

Write a paper (1,500-1,750 words) discussing the role of quality or safety in nursing practice. Include the following:

1. In your own words, define quality and safety measures and describe their relationship and role in nursing practice today.
2. Create a table that identifies three barriers, and three facilitators or methods for addressing the barriers, in today’s health care that impact both patient outcomes and organizational outcomes. Evaluate two of the barriers and provide solutions for how health care organizations can overcome them. Describe two of the facilitators or methods and explain how the facilitators or methods will assist overcoming or reducing barriers. Attach the table as an appendix to your paper.
3. Identify a health care entity. Provide an overall description of this entity without using the real name (e.g., location, size, profit or nonprofit, years in operation). In addition to not using the name of the health care entity, do not use the name of any person described.
4. Select a specific contemporary quality and/or safety issue that is measured at the health care entity and explain how that measure is applied in nursing practice. You will use this selected issue for all quality and sustainability assignments.
5. Describe the current quality and/or safety program the health care entity has in place to address the quality and/or safety issue you selected. Describe the key quality measures or components currently used to analyze the health care program’s outcome. Discuss what is working and what is not working.
6. Summarize the specific variables used to track improvement of the health care quality and/or safety program’s outcome.

 SOLUTION:Measuring Quality and Safety in Healthcare 

Quality and safety measures are essential for ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care and are protected from harm. Measuring and monitoring these variables is critical in healthcare for identifying areas for improvement and making changes that will result in better patient outcomes. This paper delves into the specific context of quality and safety measures in dialysis care and how they are applied in nursing practice today. The emphasis on dialysis patients is especially significant since dialysis is a complex and frequent long-term therapy that needs continuous monitoring and management to guarantee patient safety and positive outcomes. The paper aims to explore the current state of quality and safety measures in dialysis care and how they can be improved to serve patients and healthcare providers better.

Definition of Quality and Safety Measures and their Relationship and Role in Nursing Practice Today

Quality and safety protocols are designed to ensure that patients get the best possible treatment while also being safeguarded from harm. Quality measures are concerned with the outcomes of care and strive to enhance the entire patient experience, while safety measures are concerned with avoiding errors and adverse events (Sherwood, 2021). Both are critical in today’s nursing practice because they assist in guaranteeing that patients get the best possible care and that nurses can offer that care in a safe and effective way.

The relationship between quality and safety is closely linked, as safety measures help to prevent errors that can negatively impact the quality of care. For example, implementing a process to verify that the proper drug is administered to the correct patient is a safety precaution that simultaneously enhances care quality by lowering the risk of medication errors. Quality and safety measures play a crucial role in nursing practice today, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care and that nurses can provide that care safely and effectively. Quality and safety measures also assist in the management and administration of healthcare organizations by informing and guiding care delivery, monitoring and evaluating results, and informing and guiding care delivery.

Addressing Barriers and Facilitators to Quality and Safety in Healthcare: Strategies for Improving Patient Outcomes and Organizational Performance

Table 1

Barriers and Facilitators/Methods in Today’s Health Care

Barriers	Facilitators/Methods
1. Lack of patient engagement	1. Patient education and empowerment programs
2. Limited access to care	2. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring
3. Inadequate communication and coordination between healthcare providers	3. Electronic health records and care coordination systems

 

Evaluation of Barriers and Solutions to Overcome them

Lack of patient engagement. Patients who don’t actively participate in their own healthcare may not follow treatment plans or take medications as prescribed, resulting in poor outcomes. According to a study by Chegini et al. (2020) in Iranian hospitals, the reasons for low patient engagement can include patient-related factors such as low health literacy and staff-related barriers such as negative attitudes towards involving patients in healthcare decisions, as well as barriers caused by limited resources and inadequate information dissemination through mass media. To address this issue, patient education and empowerment programs can be implemented to give patients the information and resources they need to take an active role in their care, including information about their condition, treatment options, and symptom management. These programs can also provide patients with tools and resources to make informed decisions about their care, such as decision aids and shared decision-making tools.

Limited access to care. Many patients, particularly those living in rural or underserved areas, face barriers to accessing care. These might include restricted transit alternatives and significant appointment wait times. The use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring is one answer to this hurdle. Telehealth enables patients to consult with healthcare practitioners through video conferencing or other technologies from a distance (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). On the other hand, remote patient monitoring uses technology to track and communicate patient data to healthcare practitioners in real time, allowing problems to be identified early and prevented from becoming more severe (Volterrani & Sposato, 2019). The current era has seen a significant increase in the use of technology in healthcare delivery, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made non-physical patient-provider communication necessary.

Evaluation of Facilitators/Methods, and how they assist in overcoming Barriers

Patient education and empowerment programs. Patient education and empowerment programs give patients the information and resources they need to take an active role in their own care. This can help to improve patient outcomes by increasing adherence to treatment plans and medication regimens. Additionally, these programs can help to reduce the number of unnecessary hospital readmissions and lower healthcare costs.

Electronic health records and care coordination systems. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and care coordination systems are vital for successful communication and coordination among healthcare professionals. EHRs enable healthcare practitioners to access and exchange patient information in real time, which may enhance care continuity (Atasoy et al., 2019). Care coordination systems, on the other hand, enable healthcare practitioners to interact and exchange information, thereby lowering the risk of errors and improving patient outcomes.

Description of the Healthcare Entity

DaVita Kidney Care is a dialysis facility that specializes in treating patients with kidney disease. It is a large national organization with locations in multiple states. The facility has been operating for several decades and is a for-profit organization. It offers a range of services, including in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. The facility also provides education and support services for patients and their families. The facility is accredited by various accrediting bodies and is committed to providing high-quality care to its patients. The healthcare facility employs a diverse range of healthcare professionals, including nephrologists, physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, healthcare technicians, social workers, and dietitians. DaVita Kidney Care is open seven days a week and typically operates during daytime hours. The facility may offer extended hours for patients who require treatment outside regular business hours.

Selected Quality and Safety Issue in Healthcare: Understanding its Measurement and Application in Nursing Practice

Patient cannulation is one quality and safety concern measured in the healthcare organization. Cannulation is the procedure of putting a needle into a patient’s vein to access their circulation. This is an important phase in the dialysis procedure because it enables the blood to be filtered and purified before returning to the patient’s body. It does, however, increase the risk of complications and infections. DaVita Kidney Care monitors and evaluates the procedure to ensure that patient cannulation is conducted safely and properly. The facility, for example, keeps track of the number of successful vs. unsuccessful cannulations, as well as the number of complications or infections (central line-associated bloodstream infections [CLABSI]) that arise as a consequence of cannulation. Furthermore, the institution employs quality improvement programs to teach nurses about appropriate cannulation techniques and give continuous education and support to ensure that the procedure is carried out consistently and safely.

In nursing practice, nurses are responsible for performing the cannulation process and ensuring that it is done safely. Before the operation, they will assess the patient’s vital signs, determine the optimum site for cannulation, and ensure that the equipment is sterilized and in excellent working condition (Naik et al., 2021). Following that, nurses perform the cannulation, monitor the patient’s status during the process, and document the procedure in the patient’s medical record. They also monitor patients for any adverse reactions and complications that may occur and report them to the physician in charge.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Patient Cannulation Program at the Healthcare Entity: An Analysis of Current Quality and Safety Measures

To address the problem of patient cannulation quality and safety, DaVita Kidney Care has established a variety of programs and initiatives. One important initiative is utilizing a specialized dedicated cannulation team, which consists of highly trained nurses specializing in cannulation operations. This team is in charge of teaching and educating nurses on effective cannulation methods, as well as monitoring and assessing the outcomes of cannulation procedures.

The facility also uses various quality measures and data analysis tools to evaluate the effectiveness of its cannulation program. For example, the facility tracks and analyzes data on the number of successful cannulations versus the number of unsuccessful cannulations, as well as the number of complications or infections (CLABSIs) that occur as a result of cannulation. Additionally, the facility uses surveys and patient satisfaction data to assess the patient experience and identify areas for improvement.

In terms of what is working well, the cannulation team at the institution has been effective in training and teaching the nursing staff correct cannulation practices, resulting in an increase in the number of successful cannulations and a reduction in the number of problems or infections. The data analysis tools at the facility have also been beneficial in finding trends and patterns in cannulation results, which has aided in the direction of quality improvement programs. The patient experience is one area that the hospital is aiming to improve. While patients report high levels of satisfaction with the care they receive, the facility is looking to further enhance the patient experience by increasing patient engagement and communication. The facility is also working to improve the continuity of care and coordination between healthcare providers, which will help to reduce the risk of errors and improve patient outcomes.

Tracking Progress in Patient Cannulation: Identifying Key Variables for Measuring Quality and Safety Program Outcomes

DaVita Kidney Care tracks a variety of variables to assess the effectiveness of its patient cannulation program. These include the number of successful cannulations versus the number of unsuccessful cannulations, the number of complications or infections (CLABSIs) that occur as a result of cannulation, patient satisfaction data and surveys, data on continuity of care and coordination between healthcare providers, and data on nursing staff training and education on proper cannulation techniques. These factors are utilized to detect trends and patterns in cannulation outcomes as well as to inform quality improvement measures. The institution uses this data to monitor progress and make program modifications to enhance the result. The facility also tracks patient engagement, communication, and the patient experience to improve overall patient care and outcomes.

Conclusion

This paper examines specific safety concerns in patient cannulation in dialysis care and its impact on patient outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of quality and safety measures in nursing practice and proffers recommendations for addressing identified hazards and enhancing patient outcomes. It is imperative for healthcare providers and organizations to continuously evaluate and improve safety protocols, provide ongoing education and training and use technology and data analysis to aid in identifying and addressing hazards. It is crucial for healthcare providers to adopt a proactive stance toward safety to ensure patients receive optimal care in the future.

 

References

Atasoy, H., Greenwood, B. N., & McCullough, J. S. (2019). The digitization of patient care: A review of the effects of electronic health records on health care quality and utilization. Annual Review of Public Health, 40(1), 487–500. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044206

Chegini, Z., Janati, A., Babaie, J., & Pouraghaei, M. (2020). Exploring the barriers to patient engagement in the delivery of safe care in Iranian hospitals: A qualitative study. Nursing Open, 7(1), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.411

Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners: JNP, 17(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013

Naik, R. S., Yadav, A. K., & Sahu, R. K. (2021). Role and Responsibility of nurses in Central Line – insertion and maintenance. International Journal of Research and Review, 8(9), 252–260. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20210935

Sherwood, G. (2021). Quality and safety in nursing – A competency approach to improving outcomes, 3rd edition: A competency approach to improving outcomes (Gwen Sherwood & J. Barnsteiner, Eds.; 3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. https://books.google.at/books?id=KzxKEAAAQBAJ

Volterrani, M., & Sposato, B. (2019). Remote monitoring and telemedicine. European Heart Journal Supplements: Journal of the European Society of Cardiology, 21(Suppl M), M54–M56. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/suz266