Quality Improvement Paper  University of South Alabama College of Nursing NU 613-804: Organizational and Systems Leadership

Quality Improvement Paper  University of South Alabama College of Nursing NU 613-804: Organizational and Systems Leadership

2Quality Improvement PaperThe successful management of sepsis has emerged as a critical practice issue requiringrigorous attention in modern healthcare. Sepsis, a potentially fatal illness caused by the body'sexcessive response to infection, presents a significant challenge to healthcare providers in termsof prompt detection and intervention (Evans et al., 2021). In this setting, the involvement ofnurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)becomes critical in assisting a quality improvement (QI) initiative to improve sepsis caremethods. This QI project aims to add to the continuing discussion on elevating the quality ofsepsis care through the knowledge and leadership of MSN or DNP-trained nurses by assessingthe status of sepsis care, finding gaps, and providing options for improvement.AHRQ Implementation Tool KitThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) implementation toolkit aimsto provide a thorough and systematic guide for healthcare professionals participating in QIprograms (Agency for Healthcare, 2017). The toolkit intends to make implementing evidence-based practices, measures, and strategies to improve healthcare delivery easier. It provideshealthcare teams with practical tools, resources, and direction to help them plan, execute, andmaintain changes in all aspects of healthcare delivery (Agency for Healthcare, 2017).Interprofessional collaboration is critical to the initiative's success and effectiveness in aQI project (Brugman et al., 2022). Interprofessional collaboration involves healthcareprofessionals from various fields to address challenging healthcare concerns. This collaborationin project planning brings together individuals with diverse knowledge, viewpoints, and abilities.The interprofessional team can provide a full awareness of the issues at hand, allowing for theformulation of more holistic and effective strategies. It encourages a more well-rounded

3approach to enhancing healthcare delivery through effective communication, collaborativedecision-making, and the pooling of varied knowledge and resources (Brugman et al., 2022).Problem, Aim, and Review of the LiteratureAt Howard University Hospital (HUH), the percentage of patients who receivedappropriate care for sepsis is 29% lower than the national average (Hospital, 2023). HUH sepsiscare is also lower than the hospitals in the surrounding area. This QI project aims to increase therate of patients receiving appropriate care for sepsis at HUH by 20% over the next 12 months,aligning it with or surpassing the national average.Sepsis highlights an enormous and complex healthcare concern, emphasizing thesignificance of this systemic response to infection. In 2017, the World Health Organization madeidentifying, preventing, and treating sepsis an international health concern (Font et al., 2020