C489 WGU Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership

Application of Nursing Quality Indicators

Nursing quality indicators are indicators used to assess the quality of care given to the patients, improve quality of care, and strategies that can be used to achieve goals (Ferrell et al., 2018). For this case scenario, a complications indicator, i.e., pressure ulcers, could have been implemented, and it would have prevented Mr. J from bedsores. The nurses could have evaluated the risk factors for pressure ulcers and put appropriate measures in place. This includes repositioning Mr. J two hourly, offloading body pressure on the mattress using a pillow or other pressure materials, emphasizing good nutritional status, and taking adequate fluids to improve wound healing (Ferrell et al., 2018). They could ensure Mr. J’s skin is conditioned and not exposed to urine, stool, or moist surface.

Patient satisfaction has an impact on clinical outcomes. It affects the delivery of patient-centered quality health care. For this case, Mr. J was served with “chopped pork cutlet” instead of “regular, chopped meat,” which he ordered. The confusion about not serving the ordered meal was not communicated effectively to Mr. J or her daughter. Implementation of Patient satisfaction as a nursing health indicator would allow gathering feedback from patients, patient check-ins to confirm orders, and effective communication to satisfy Mr. J and her daughter. All this will impact the delivery of care and patient outcomes positively.

Nurse satisfaction and staffing are considered indicator because the quality of care and patient outcomes depends on the quantity and quality of nursing care provided. For instance, nurses attending to Mr. J were unable to put enough measures to prevent bedsores and were insensitive to Jewish culture and beliefs of not consuming pork. Considering this nursing quality indicator, they could have second thoughts and self-insight; hence this could have been avoided and generally improved the quality of care and patient outcome.

Hospital data on the incidence of pressure ulcers

Data on the incidence of pressure ulcers will serve as a reference point when preventing pressure ulcers and the associated complications. The data on the incidence of pressure ulcers includes the age groups of individuals who are most likely to suffer from pressure ulcers, the duration of hospital stay that is associated with individuals suffering from pressure ulcers, the conditions that are mostly associated with pressure ulcers, the shearing and friction forces that results to pressure ulcers and the surfaces that is most likely to cause pressure ulcers (Ferrell et al., 2018). When health care providers consider immobility associated with old age or conditions that result in the problem of sensory perception, they will be able to frequently turn patients and apply pressure-reducing devices to immobile patients and the elderly. The health care providers will be aware of the surfaces and the forces involved in the development of pressure ulcers and take note of incidences of pressure ulcers and their relationship to the duration of hospital stay. Through this, the health care providers taking care of Mr. J would be aware of risk factors for pressure ulcers and how they can be avoided. This would have a positive impact on delivering quality care.

Hospital data on patient satisfaction

Patient satisfaction is the degree of happiness expressed by the patient due to the quality of care provided both inside or outside health institutions. Records on patient satisfaction will give health care providers insights into numerous fields of medicine; this includes the effectiveness of providing health care services and expressing empathy to patients seeking care. The nurse demonstrated a low level of empathy when she told Mr. J’s daughter, “Half a pork cutlet never killed anyone,” which was against Jewish culture. This event would negatively impact the delivery of quality care. With data on patient satisfaction, the health care providers and staff will identify areas for modification and what they should avoid while providing quality care.

Resolving the ethical issue

One of the resources that the nursing shift supervisor could have used is unit-based ethics mentors, who help in addressing routine ethical concerns that arise. These mentors help tackle conflicts from a preventive perspective and contribute to avoiding further conflicts. In this case, a reminder of the patient’s culture could have prevented the mix-up in meal orders. Additionally, the supervisor can cultivate an education-friendly environment where they regularly discuss common ethical issues. Open dialogues on ethical issues promote learning from other people’s mistakes and new approaches to certain ethical issues. Also, the supervisor could utilize electronic health record alerts where sensitive ethical issues such as Mr. J’s diet could be put on alert. This way, it would constantly remind the care providers of what meals to avoid when attending to him. These resources and systems go a long way in preventing ethical mistakes and enhancing patient satisfaction, which is the primary goal of healthcare.

Reference

Ferrell, B. R., Twaddle, M. L., Melnick, A., & Meier, D. E. (2018). National consensus project clinical practice guidelines for quality palliative care guidelines. Journal of palliative medicine, 21(12), 1684-1689.