NURS 8300 Week 2 Definitions of Quality Essay Assignment
NURS 8300 Week 2 Definitions of Quality Essay Assignment
How will you know where you are going if you do not know where you have been? This common cliché is reflective of the influence that early theorists of quality improvement have on health care practices today. Building on theories and philosophies of quality from the field of management, successful health care organizations recognize that quality assessment and improvement are central to clinical service delivery. These organizations integrate this perspective into their day-to-day operations. Leaders in health care and nursing practice benefit from implementing those practices that have been developed by prominent theorists within the management field.
This week, you examine the influence of early theories of quality improvement. You also identify and evaluate health care quality and nurse-sensitive indicators.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this week, you will be able to:
- Analyze the historical development of the theories and philosophies of clinical quality and safety in health care
- Evaluate the influence of nurse-sensitive indicators of quality
Discussion: Quality Indicators
How do you define quality as it pertains to health care and the practice of nursing? Some nurses may define quality as effective interdisciplinary teamwork that results in better patient-health outcomes, while hospital administrators may define quality as appropriately delegated responsibilities, completion of tasks, and effective patient flow. Due to the subjective nature of the term, quality is a topic of great debate.
In an effort to define quality in health care, standards have been developed to establish consistency and provide guidance. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) outlines nursing-sensitive indicators that encompass measurement scales for quality of nurse professionals as well as quality of the services provided by nurses to patients. In this week’s Discussion, you evaluate the determinants of quality,m based on the NDNQI indicators and the theoretical underpinnings of these quality indicators. You apply nursing-sensitive indicators to your current setting and assess how each definition of quality contributes to the idea of quality overall.
To prepare:
- Review the NDNQI indicators presented in the Learning Resources that emphasize quality. Focus on those indicators that pertain to your practice setting.
- Consider the influence of early quality improvement theories and philosophies on the development of those quality indicators.
- Using the Walden Library, locate at least two scholarly research articles that discuss how quality indicators influence your practice setting.
- Select one definition of quality published by any peer-reviewed source that particularly resonates with your thinking about quality.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
- Identify two nurse-sensitive indicators of quality that relate to patient care and analyze the influence of early quality improvement theories and philosophies on the development of those indicators. For this exercise, do not choose nurse sensitive indicators that relate to staffing levels.
- Find and cite at least 2 nursing research articles you located and evaluate how these indicators influence a practice setting.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 7
Respond to two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
- Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
- Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
- Offer and support an alternative perspective, using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
- Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
- Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
- Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues.
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