Nursing-Quality Indicators
Discuss how the application of nursing-quality indicators could assist the nurses in this case in identifying issues that may interfere with patient care.
Nursing quality indicators are elements of patient care that are influenced by the nursing practice. The indicators are reflected in three components: structural, process, and outcome indicators. The structural indicators reflect the supply of nurses in the healthcare facility and the skills they possess (ANA, 2015). The process indicators are concerned with patient assessment, nurses’ job satisfaction, and nursing intervention. The outcome indicators reflect the patients’ outcomes due to the quality and quantity of nursing care provided (The Sentinel Watch, 2020).
In Mr. .J scenario, some nursing quality indicators could have helped with the patient’s satisfaction and the outcomes. Lack of knowledge is the problem that the nurse assistant and the workforce of the hospital faced. In this case, the victim, Mr. J, was restrained on the bed to minimize his movement. That was a good move if it did not have severe consequences. Immobility is the root cause of deep vein thrombosis, pressure ulcers, and healthcare-acquired pneumonia. The restrains used to ensure Mr. J was not moving resulted in pressure ulcers. When his daughter showed the nurse the depressed sunburned area, the nurse responded it would go away. That meant she did not have a clear understanding of pressure ulcers as a nursing health indicator.
The nurse should have put pillows for him to ensure the easing of the pressure ulcer. The nurse could also have reassessed the restraint to know if the patient was a threat to falling due to dementia and hip fracture. The nurse could have liaised with the physician to install a bell or alarm to help the patient not develop pressure ulcers. In this case, the patient’s family was not satisfied with the care they offered her father and the lack of a clear understanding of nursing quality indicators.
- Analyze how hospital data of specific nursing-quality indicators (such as incidence of pressure ulcers and prevalence of restraints) could advance quality patient care throughout the hospital.
Healthcare facilities can collect data concerning nursing quality indicators to help improve patient care. The hospitals can measure the rate of pressure ulcers, falls, and the need for restraints. All these indicators are essential for patient care. When research is done on these indicators, the result will determine the action of the hospitals. In case the rate of falls and pressure ulcers is high that the nation’s average, then the hospital management needs to do something to address the same. Once the data collected is analyzed, and a problem is identified, the hospital management can develop a policy that addresses the issues of falling and pressure ulcers in the hospital. Such policies are essential since they will guarantee quality patient care (American Sentinel University Blog, 2011).
- Analyze the specific system resources, referrals, or colleagues that you, as the nursing shift supervisor, could use to resolve an ethical issue in this scenario.
From the scenario, it is clear Mr. J and his daughter are unsatisfied with the hospital’s services. Therefore the nurse and the physician must offer them an apology accompanied by a guarantee that the mistakes will not occur again. The information technology department should also be called upon to solve the electronic health record system’s problem if it is responsible for mixing up orders.
The dietary supervisor should also be informed of the mistakes from the department so that they can be addressed. Whether the kitchen staff lacks knowledge or understanding or label should be placed on the trays and patients room to avoid confusion. Patient satisfaction is essential, and hospitals should ensure they do that, unlike Mr. J and his daughter.
Finally, it is essential to note that nursing quality indicators are essential in every healthcare facility. The hospital management and nurse leaders should ensure that the nurses and nurse assistants clearly understand all the indicators. With such indicators, it will be easy for them to ensure patients satisfaction.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015, January). Nursing-Sensitive Indicators. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from Nursing World:http://www.nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNurses/Research-Measurement/The-National-Database/Nursing-Sensitive-Indicators_1
American Sentinel University Blog. (2011, November 02). Health Care On Call. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from American Sentinel University Blog: http://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2011/11/02what-are-nursing-sensitive-qualityindicators-anyway/
The Sentinel Watch. (2020, March 5). What are the nursing quality indicators? https://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2011/11/02/what-are-nursing-sensitive-quality-indicators-anyway/