Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators for Healthcare Organizations NURS FPX 4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

Like other hospitals, our organization is also interested in providing quality care to the patients, especially in terms of decreasing the incidences of  pressure ulcers. Nurses being the frontline care providers have this responsibility to ensure care quality and patients’ safety (Vaismoradi et al., 2020). The data received from NDNQI about the prevalence of pressure ulcers helps nurses and nurse leaders to examine and evaluate current hygiene care practices and the positioning of high-risk patients. Then this information can be used by the nurses to improve their nursing care which eventually impacts positive patient outcomes.

Moreover, hospitals use this data to launch organizational goals for improvements at the unit and hospital level, which improves the overall performance of an organization to reduce hospital-acquired pressure injuries. Nurse leaders can use it to educate nurses about patient-centered, safe, and beneficial care to improve patient outcomes, decrease pressure ulcer complications, and increase patient safety and satisfaction levels ultimately decreasing accountability issues (Sevy Majers & Warshawsky, 2020). 

Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Guidelines for Nurses 

Technological advancements for evidence-based practices in nursing have been beneficial in terms of improving patient outcomes if used effectively. Nursing-sensitive quality indicators help in developing evidence-based guidelines for using patient care technologies. In a study, participants mentioned that quality indicators are assessment tools for their practices. They help nurses to know their care levels and make a decision related to evidence-based health practices (Báo et al., 2019).

These quality indicators act as guiding principles for nurses to improve their knowledge about current and new technologies in their hospitals so that they are used effectively for patients’ safety. For example, the Pressure Ulcer Monitoring Platform (PUMP) is a non-contact device that records the repositioning of patients. It was developed after finding high incidences of pressure ulcers in NDNQI. These quality indicators helped nurses and nurse leaders to identify patients with higher risks and ensure they are timely repositioned (Minteer et al., 2020). Thus these technologies when used by following guidelines can improve patients’ safety, and outcomes and eventually improve quality care. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, nursing quality indicators are helpful for hospitals to develop evidence-based practices, improve patient outcomes, enhance patients’ safety, and improve the organization’s healthcare quality. I hope today’s session was insightful for you all as newly trained nurses and you would have learned about nursing quality indicators and their importance. I hope you will incorporate these learnings in your clinical practice to ensure patients are in safe hands. 

References

Báo, A. C., Amestoy, S. C., Moura, G. M., & Trindade, L. de. (2019). Quality indicators: Tools for the management of best practices in health. Revista Brasileira De Enfermagem, 72(2), 360–366. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2018-0479 

Barchielli, C., Rafferty, A. M., & Vainieri, M. (2022). Integrating key nursing measures into a comprehensive healthcare performance management system: A Tuscan experience. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031373 

Ebi, W. E., Hirko, G. F., & Mijena, D. A. (2019). Nurses’ knowledge to pressure ulcer prevention in public hospitals in WOLLEGA: A cross-sectional study design. BMC Nursing, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-019-0346-y