A nurse-driven system for improving patient quality outcomes

J Nurs Care Qual. 2006 Apr-Jun;21(2):168-75. doi: 10.1097/00001786-200604000-00013.

Abstract

Improvements in nursing care are dependent on key decision makers receiving ongoing and reliable information about outcomes as well as the support of clinical care providers in making change. This article describes the work of one hospital to develop a reporting tool and provides examples of how timely and appropriate reporting of data, combined with a staff-driven improvement process, has resulted in positive nursing and patient outcomes. Recommendations for future improvements in the system and applications to other hospitals are provided.

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls / prevention & control
  • Data Collection
  • Decision Making, Organizational
  • Documentation / standards
  • Hospitals, Community / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Medication Errors / nursing
  • Medication Errors / prevention & control
  • Nursing Care / organization & administration*
  • Nursing Records / standards
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / organization & administration*
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Patient Care Team / organization & administration
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Professional Staff Committees / organization & administration
  • Quality Assurance, Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Quality Indicators, Health Care
  • Systems Analysis
  • Total Quality Management / organization & administration*