Project management is the term commonly utilized for business processes’ explanation; however, nurses and other healthcare providers can implement its practices to address the quality improvement gaps at their facilities. Such execution allows to timely achieve certain results with optimal use of resources and stakeholders (Sipes, 2020). Furthermore, project management includes the implementation of the SMART objectives crucial for initial planning and goal setting. Developing specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and timely strategies for addressing an outpatient clinic’s issues are beneficial because evidence-based practices and tools can be structurally implemented (Sipes, 2020). This paper aims to discuss how project management and SMART objectives approaches can be applied for addressing the quality improvement practice gap for nurses involved in an MRI procedure.
The outpatient clinic nurses have different experiences and scope of knowledge about MRI, and this frequently used type of imaging can harm both healthcare provider and a patient. Equipment and algorithms required for the procedure continuously change due to technological development, contain dangerous radiologic processes, and missing crucial aspects is unsafe (Talbot, 2019). It is challenging to retrieve the exact areas of MRI performing that require clarification or additional education for nurses without gathering their and clients’ feedback or conducting data-driven research (Nash et al., 2019). Consequently, the need for identifying the quality improvement practice gap and addressing it is an urgent problem.
The complicated task of formulating and resolving the quality improvement practice gap for the MRI procedure in the outpatient clinic can be completed through project management with SMART objectives. The strategy of identifying the issue, selecting the execution and monitoring approaches, and formulating what conditions would consider the goal achieved is beneficial (Sipes, 2020). The primary task is to gather the data for analysis; therefore, the initial objective must address the benchmarks and measurement standards-setting for evaluating nurses’ knowledge and experience related to MRI (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018). Information collection is necessary for identifying the specific quality improvement practice gaps and for formulating a particular goal to achieve through project management. Based on the aim to retrieve the required data correctly, the SMART objective is to, in eight weeks, survey 36 nurses who participate in MRI and identify four general areas where the improvement is necessary.
After identifying problematic areas of performing MRI, such as lack of knowledge about radiology hazards or inability to use the novel software correctly, a strategy for planning a resolution can be initiated. The two beneficial methods for addressing this quality improvement practice gap are to develop a responsible team and to provide nurses with comprehensive specified education (Nash et al., 2019). Consequently, a planning phase SMART objective to get these tools to work is to select one person from each department to create a control team within the next ten days. Establishing a responsible group must happen before the nurses’ surveying ends because the chosen employees would set the goals related to extending education based on the data gathered from interviews.
The planning objectives, once completed, would initiate the actual work on addressing the quality improvement practice gap for nurses who perform MRI. The project management execution phase includes the activities such as scheduling and selecting the outcomes that would consider the goal is achieved (Sipes, 2020). Creating a timetable with all events to occur throughout the project must view the involved personnel’s availability. Moreover, analyzing the volume of plan execution and comparing it to the nurses’ ability to participate is necessary for setting realistic time for achieving the goal. The planning activity would provide the best support for proper project execution because strict scheduling allows implementing quality improvement gaps addressing into the overall workflow without interrupting it (Rew et al., 2020). It is crucial for an outpatient clinic and its employees to have well-structured timing for maintaining a high-performance level.
Selecting the outcomes that would consider a goal as achieved is the project management activity necessary for optimal selection of educational programs about MRI for nurses and ways to measure their effectiveness. For instance, most of the surveyed would mention the difficulties in working with the novel software. This quality improvement gap would require prioritizing computer-based training over a lecture about radiology (Talbot, 2019). If nurses show significant enhancement in operating with software, the goal would be considered achieved even if their scores about other subjects would be lower. The outcomes selection would provide beneficial support because MRI-related education requires identifying topics vital to study to avoid making a project overextended.
Indeed, the activities such as goal setting, planning, and executing can help timely achieve significant results. Managing the quality improvement practice gap for nurses involved in an MRI procedure can be turned into a strategic program with SMART objectives for gathering information and preparing a responsible team. Furthermore, the project management activities such as scheduling and selecting the control qualifiers for achievement can significantly improve the work on the chosen practice gap issue.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2018). Key driver 2: Implement a data-driven quality improvement process to integrate evidence into practice procedures.
Nash, D. B., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press.
Rew, L., Cauvin, S., Cengiz, A., Pretorius, K., & Johnson, K. (2020). Application of project management tools and techniques to support nursing intervention research.Nursing Outlook, 68(4), 396-405.
Sipes, C. (2020). Project management for the advanced practice nurse (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.
Talbot, N. (2019). MRI Technologist expanded practice: maintenance of CADD (continuous ambulatory delivery devices). Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, 50(3), S5-S6.