How to write an essay on Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes in nursing

How to write an essay on Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes in nursing

Part 1: Aim
My personal improvement project deals with time management. The aim of the project was to improve time management by building a habit of finishing tasks earlier within six weeks. using a time audit tool, the target was to finish each task on time and ensure no extra work was carried home.
Part 2: Process Analysis
The process leading to the results that I aimed to improve can be described using the process map shown below. (See Appendix A).
Part 3: Measurement
The data collection method utilized in this project involved using a time audit tool. Time audit represents the process of tracking how one spends time for a consecutive period and the steps that can be used to rectify errors. During the project, I used an electronic time audit tool that enabled the gathering of data on the aspects of time spent on certain duties. The tool contained columns for the time of arrival at work, key tasks for the day, time allocated for each task, and time for leaving the workstation. The actual time spent was recorded to ensure each task was accomplished on time. To monitor progress, I used a Pareto chart to incorporate each day’s findings. This chart helped to identify where more time was spent and the days that recorded poor time management. The data collected can be observed in the attached table.
Part 4: Changes
Not all changes lead to improvement, yet changes must be made to improve on certain aspects (Stausmire & Ulrich, 2015). During the project, I realized that time management is a skill that takes a significant amount of time to be mastered. The data collected demonstrated improvement in areas like reporting to work, taking breaks, and accomplishing duties in the morning. However, I observed that completing my tasks in the afternoon was a challenge. I also experienced challenges with delegating my duties because of certain perfection issues. Despite making a few changes to my time, I still experienced challenges finishing my tasks early in the evening.
Part 5: Reflection and Application
Time management is an important skill for nurses and nurse leaders that can guide the organization and prioritization of patient care 9Neuhauser et al., 2004). Although the nursing profession is demanding, effective time management can help to improve issues with stress and address challenges with productivity. What I learned during my project is that setting achievable goals can help in improving time management. For example, allowing myself to wake up early and plan for the day’s activities helped to improve my time management skills. I also learned that delegation of tasks is an important quality of nurse leaders that can help in improving time management (Johnson & Sollecito, 2020). Although I did not manage to delegate all my duties during the project as required, the few times I utilized this strategy greatly improved my time management skills.
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. I will engage in research and look for more strategies that can be used to improve my time management skills. The knowledge from this experience can be used to facilitate unit-level and organizational-level change by demonstrating effective strategies to manage time for nurses. This project can be used as a reference for nurses and nurse leaders to use time audits to manage their tasks and delegate effectively.

References
Johnson, J. K., & Sollecito, W. A. (2020). McLaughlin & Kaluzny’s continuous quality improvement in health care (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Neuhauser, D., Myhre, S., & Alemi, F. (2004). Personal continuous improvement workbook (7th ed.). McLean, VA: Academy for Healthcare Improvement.
Stausmire, J. M., & Ulrich, C. (2015, December). Making it meaningful: Finding quality improvement projects worthy of your time, effort, and expertise. Critical Care Nurse, 35(6), 57–61. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/docs/cemedia/C1563.pdf

Appendix A: Process map

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