Nursing quality indicators (NQIs) are a set of metrics used to measure the quality of nursing care. They are designed to help nurses identify potential problems with individual nurses, specific units or departments, or even entire hospitals and take corrective action to improve the quality of care. There are various nursing quality indicators (NQIs), such as patient satisfaction, nurse turnover, and medication errors (Krachtus, 2020). Still, they all have common goals: to reduce healthcare costs, accelerate healthcare quality, and improve Americans’ health. In addition, NQIs are used to compare the quality of care between different facilities. NQIs can be applied to measure various aspects of nursing care, including patient outcomes and nurse-patient interactions, and compare the quality of care between different hospitals or nursing units. NQIs can be a valuable tool for nurses to identify potential patient care problems. Fundamentally, implementing NQIs in the hospital would facilitate effective data collection and the advocation of an appropriate code of ethics. Using NQIs, nurses of the hospital where Mr. J was admitted could identify issues interfering with his care.
The supervisors could apply NQI to carefully collect and critically analyze data regarding the nature of services accorded to Mr. J by healthcare providers (Krachtus, 2020). Then use the findings obtained to identify areas where quality improvement is needed. For instance, to resolve the issue of Mr. J’s care, the supervisor should ask him and his daughter how the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) accorded him services. Thus, the information at hand, the supervisor could ensure that regardless of Mr. J’s restrictions, he received profound help in carrying out personal hygienic activities such as bathing. In addition, the supervisor on shift could ensure that Mr. J got regular visits by CAN to turn him into different positions, hence, promoting comfort while in his restricted bed. Taking the precautions mentioned above would play a fundamental role in identifying and resolving issues being faced by Mr. J, thus, improving the overall quality of healthcare services offered in the hospital.
Another way that the nursing shift supervisor could apply NQI to respond to Mr. J’s scenario is to consult with the hospital’s ethics committee. Fundamentally, the NQI’s approach would help depict ethical issues hindering the attainment of the hospital’s goals. In Mr. J’s case, the supervisor could consider discouraging the unethical behaviors of the CNA and dietary workers and ensure that all departments consist of competent service providers. The specific referrals could be to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, Position Statement on the Use of Restraints, and Position Statement on the Use of Nutrition Therapy (Krachtus, 2020). The ANA Code of Ethics guides how nurses conduct themselves professionally and ethically. Ultimately, the decision would need to be made based on the specific details of Mr. J’s situation and what would be in his best interest.
Overall, NQIs are fundamental drivers of quality improvement and should be considered in any quality improvement initiative. In essence, quality systems and quality leadership are integral to ensuring that NQIs are met. By establishing a quality system and appointing quality leaders, organizations can ensure that NQIs are given the attention they deserve and that potential issues are identified and addressed swiftly. While there is no silver bullet for quality improvement, NQIs provide a useful framework for identifying opportunities and tracking progress. When used in conjunction with other quality improvement tools and techniques, NQIs can help organizations to continuously foster the quality of services they provide.
Reference
Krachtus, D. (2020). Integrating quality improvement concepts into the nursing curriculum: Perspectives of associate degree nurse faculty. [Doctoral dissertation, Northern Illinois University]. ProQuest. Web.