quality improvement plan

Quality Improvement Clinical Project Guidelines
In the clinical portion of Leadership (NURS 4371), you will be responsible for
developing a Quality Improvement Plan. This clinical project is a focus of your
clinical experience. This will involve identifying a problem, developing a quality
improvement plan and then implementing the plan and gathering data to assess
your plan.
You will need to identify a problem based on the six aims for improvement from
the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2001):
• safe
• effective
• patient-centered
• timely
• efficient
• equitable
You will write an aim statement based on your assessment of current data. The
aim statement is based on IOM’s six aims for improvement. It is a concise
sentence that includes the following:
• What will improve?
• When will it improve?
• How much will it improve?
• For whom will it improve?
You will use the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method to complete this assignment
(Institute for Healthcare Improvement [IHI]).
• Plan: strategize and develop plan of action; review current data or
collect data based on current policies and structure. Include outcomes
based on clinical practice standards and guidelines (see above for
examples). Collaborate with your mentor and all levels of co-workers.
• Do: implement plan (collect data using some type of measure such as
flowchart, histogram, bar chart, fishbone diagram); Measures used: Outcome,
Process, Structural, Balancing)
• Study: analyze new data; how did they compare to predictors?
• Act: determine what modifications should be made to the plan; if outcomes are
within goal, enact changes on larger group
You will need to critically think through some ways to develop a plan for
improvement. Improvements must be based on measureable outcomes from
current clinical practice guidelines and standards (examples: ANA, TJC, ANCC,
AHRQ, CMS, CDC, IOM, QSEN, state nurse practice acts, professional
organizations, internal policies & procedures, internal or external performance
measurement such as patient satisfaction surveys, employee opinion surveys).
Collaboration with your preceptor and others in the focus area is required for
guidance. Find the newest and most evidence-based research to determine the
solution.
Using the information included in the articles below from the US Department of
Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration and the
Institute for Healthcare Improvement should be used to develop and implement
your own Quality Improvement plan.
Please know that your grade is not determined by the resolution of the problem.
It is based on your ability to observe, collaborate, and identify a specific need for
a particular area, determine appropriate solutions based on collaboration with
others and thorough research and implementation of interventions to resolve the
problem and measuring the outcome.