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Nursing Quality Improvement
Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is the responsibility of all nurses and is vital when addressing the challenges of the health care industry. Provide an example of how you would apply CQI in your current or past position. If you are new to health care, select a nurse practice issue and discuss how you would apply CQI to address the issue. Discuss a quality improvement method that could be used to support CQI in your example.
Please do not provide so much research and instead, support the research, by using your own analysis and examples. How can you tie what you are writing into clinical examples you and your RN team face each day?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education
This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competency 5.1.
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Answer
Applying Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Nursing Practice
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a structured approach for evaluating and improving patient care processes. In my nursing practice, one common issue that required CQI was reducing medication administration errors, which can impact patient safety and care outcomes. Errors may arise from various factors, including time constraints, high patient-to-nurse ratios, and complex medication regimens. Addressing this issue required a CQI approach to identify root causes, implement practical solutions, and monitor improvements. Nursing Quality Improvement
To apply CQI in this situation, I would gather my team and use the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, a widely used CQI method, to evaluate and improve the medication administration process. First, in the Plan phase, we would assess specific areas contributing to errors, such as lack of time for double-checking or unclear medication orders. Next, in the Do phase, we could test interventions like implementing “quiet zones” around medication carts, establishing set protocols for medication administration, and scheduling regular training sessions on proper handling techniques. In the Study phase, we would review error rates and gather feedback from the nursing team about the interventions. Finally, in the Act phase, based on our findings, we could refine or continue the interventions, integrating them as routine practice if they proved effective. Nursing Quality Improvement
In clinical practice, CQI benefits not only patients but also improves team confidence and efficiency. Nurses experience fewer stressful moments associated with potential errors, and patient trust increases with more accurate medication administration. This approach is essential to align with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Core Competency 5.1, which emphasizes the importance of improving healthcare quality and safety. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, CQI empowers nurses to provide better care and build a supportive, effective work environment.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2020). How to improve with the Model for Improvement.