How to discuss Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes essays

How to discuss Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes essays

As I mentioned in my last journal entry, my personal improvement project deals with improving time management skills. I am working to ensure that I am able to manage time by completing tasks early and avoiding carrying work home.  I will like to create adequate time to do personal things because the busy work schedules often consume my days.

Part 1: Aim

  • What is the topic of your project?

The topic of focus in this project is time management.

  • What is the aim(s) of your project? Make sure the aim is measurable (e.g., Improve in X way by X%).

My project aims to improve time management by building a habit of finishing tasks earlier within six weeks. I will build this habit by using a time audit tool and ensure I do not carry any tasks home.

Part 2: Process Analysis

  • What is the process you are studying?

I will be studying the amount of time taken to accomplish important tasks at work. During this period, I will monitor how I prioritize tasks and delegate appropriately to avoid piling of work. I will also be working to reduce the amount of time taken to prepare for work in the morning so that I can arrive at work early. These two aspects form the main reason why I have issues with time management including carrying a few tasks home.

  • Who are the people involved?

At this time I am the only person involved in this project.

  • Where does the process start and end?

The process will begin with a daily record of the time I wake up to prepare for work. Before the beginning of the day’s duty, I will record the day’s activities and allocate time appropriately. By the end of my shift, I intend to complete at least 90% of my daily tasks and delegate the rest to avoid overtime or carrying tasks home.

Part 3: Measurement

  • What are you measuring?

I am measuring the amount of time taken to arrive at work as well as how long it will take to accomplish key tasks at work.

  • How are you collecting the data?

I will collect data using an electronic time audit worksheet. This tool contains recorded data about the time I arrive at work, key tasks for the day, the time required to complete each task including breaks, and the time of leaving my workstation.  For easy comparison of results, I will incorporate each day’s findings into a Pareto chart. The chart can be an important tool to analyze data about the frequency of problems and communicate findings to others (American Society for Quality, n.d.).

Part 4: Changes

  • What changes do you anticipate making based on what the data reveal?

The first change I anticipate making is the delegation of more tasks than usual to my colleagues. Delegation is important because it helps nurse leaders to develop professionally, manage time, and manage larger teams. I am not used to delegating my duties because I am a perfectionist who always wants things done my way. The second change that I will need to make is adjusting my waking hours so that I can arrive at work early to plan for the day’s activities.

Part 5: Reflection and Application

  • How might you extend the project long-term?

I think after completing this project, I will continue to use the time audit tool to track my activities and allocate adequate time for each task at work. This project is also a means to grow professionally because time management and its aspects like delegation form the top qualities of a good manager (Neuhauser et al., 2004). After a successful implementation of the project, I will use the findings to educate other nurses about time management.

  • How might the experience of this personal project inform a quality project in nursing?

The successful implementation of the project will serve as evidence to utilize quality tools in improving processes in healthcare. Addressing the aspect of quality in healthcare requires the people who work to be the ones changing how they work (Silver et al., 2016). Time management is an important skill that should be present in every nurse to avoid waste and address issues with work-related stress. Neuhauser et al., (2004) explain that understanding quality improvement on a personal level can translate to quality improvement in others. Accomplishing this project on a personal level will open avenues to apply the same principles  in improving time management in the workplace.

References

American Society for Quality. (n.d.). Quality tools A to Z. Retrieved from https://asq.org/quality-            resources/quality-tools

Neuhauser, D., Myhre, S., & Alemi, F. (2004). Personal continuous improvement workbook (7th

ed.). McLean, VA: Academy for Healthcare Improvement.

Silver, S. A., Harel, Z., McQuillan, R., Weizman, A. V., Thomas, A., Chertow, G. M., Nesrallah, G., Bell, C. M., & Chan, C. T. (2016). How to begin a quality improvement project. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN11(5), 893–900.

https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.11491015

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