NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators – Step-by-Step Guide

The first step before starting to write the NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment. 

It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.

How to Research and Prepare for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list. 

You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.

How to Write the Introduction for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.

How to Write the Body for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.

How to Write the In-text Citations for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:

The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.

How to Write the Conclusion for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.

How to Format the Reference List for NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication. 

Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:

References

Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456

Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators Sample Paper 

Nursing informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing and analytical and information sciences to communicate and manage data in nursing practice. It involves the application of information technology in nursing education, research, and nursing services (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2021). Therefore, nurse informaticists are nurse practitioners who incorporate information technology in nursing services to improve the quality of healthcare services. 

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators

Role of Nurse Informaticists

With the advancing technology in the world, there is a need for healthcare providers who are experts in information technology, such as nurse informaticists. According to American Informatics Association, the roles of nurse informaticists include creating protocols for data retrieval and data presentation to promote patient-centered care.

Secondly, nurse informaticists should do further studies on informatics to add new information and knowledge. Lastly, informaticists should actively promote health facility infrastructure by developing standards for communication and even advocating for evidence-based practice in the service provision (Wu et al., 2019).

Additionally, nurse informaticists should also be responsible for data validation using variety, volume, and velocity to promote a data-dependent decision-making process in the nursing practice (Garcia, 2021).

The informaticists should also be in charge of implementing the new technologies in the health facility by motivating and inspiring other healthcare providers to adopt the use of technology in clinical practice. From the above-described roles, it is apparent that the healthcare industry should promote nursing informatics expertise. This can be done by encouraging nurses to advance their studies in nursing informatics.

Nurse Informaticists and Other Health Organizations

There are several health organizations and institutions with nurse informaticists. Nurse informatics specialists can identify measures promoting transformation since they can identify existing gaps in healthcare. An example of a healthcare organization with nurse informaticists is the John Peter Smith Hospital, located in Texas.

The facility assists in recognizing red flags for domestic violence and human trafficking by applying Mobile Health and Electronic Medical records to monitor patients’ progress (Azoui et al., 2021). This method has greatly improved the nurses’ workflow and has also provided nurse practitioners with guidelines and measures for problem-solving.

Another organization of note is the Texas Hospital. The hospital has nurse informaticists who leverage technology to validate and evaluate the clinicians’ work through Electronic Medical Records. For this reason, the hospital has experienced a reduced workload from handwritten documentation to electronic health records.

The nurses in the hospital have also positively influenced the predictive model through the integration of technology and analytical strategies in clinical practice. This technique has significantly improved identifying patients who require palliation and those at high risk of mortality, hence reducing mortality rates.

Interaction Between Nurse Informaticists and other Professional Team Members

The nurse informaticists interact with the other nursing staff and the interdisciplinary team in several ways. For example, the nurse informaticists in Texas Hospital and John Peter Smith Hospital interact with staff from different disciplines by planning joint meeting sessions to equip them with technology concepts to improve healthcare outcomes.

The interdisciplinary team was enlightened on the use and advantages of adopting Electronic Medical records and Mobile Health (mHealth) (Azoui et al., 2021). Furthermore, the patients were also trained on using the tools to ease sharing and storage of data.

Impact of Nurse Engagement in Health Care Technology

The engagement of nurses in the implementation of technology tools such as the electronic medical record and mobile health has contributed a lot to improving healthcare service provision and patient outcomes. According to (Azoui et al., 2021), using mHealth has assisted in patient motivation, engagement, and behavior change. For example, healthcare workers use mHealth to monitor patient health progress through Electronic Medical Records. 

In addition, the tools also enable the healthcare workers to be among themselves and with the patients. Throughout their practice, the nurse informaticists must ensure that the patients’ data recorded is per HIPAA privacy policies because the mHealth and Electronic Medical Record store confidential information about the patients. Engagement of nurses in healthcare technology has also decreased the costs of workflow.

Challenges and Opportunities

The roles of the nurse informaticists and their interaction with the interdisciplinary team have both opportunities and challenges. With nurse informaticists, health information has been easily accessible because the nurses participate in promoting healthcare technology adoption (Garcia, 2021). For this reason, the workflow will be enhanced, making it easy to minimize errors while dealing with complex duties. With information technology, nurses and other medical practitioners can carry out services such as drug prescription, the booking of patients, and patient monitoring by using the mHealth and Electronic Medical Record tools.

On the other hand, the challenges facing nursing informatics include difficulty in adopting technology changes but the older nurses. The older nurses during their training were not exposed to technology, and they, therefore, do not know the importance of using technology in health service provision (Luo, 2019). The other challenge is the violation of the HIPAA privacy policies by the interdisciplinary team during the early phase of technology adoption. Additionally, the multidisciplinary team can also be influenced when an external party leaks information due to illegitimate applications.

Recommendations

This proposal has highlighted the importance of having nurse informaticists, especially for the organization that plans to adopt the healthcare technology tool to provide healthcare service. Both Texas and John Peter Smith Hospital have adopted two technology tools, the mHealth and Electronic Medical Records. Embracing technology in healthcare will enable smooth interaction between healthcare providers and patients by virtually linking up the facility services.

Based on this proposal, the following are the recommendations I would propose: First, I would advise the nurse managers and leaders to encourage the adoption and implementation of new technologies. Secondly, I would propose that the nurse administrators organize regular conferences and training to educate and train the nurses on the implementation of the latest technologies and their advantages.

I would advise the new nurses to be introduced to user-friendly technology tools to support their morale in technology adoption. Lastly, I would recommend that the nurse leader organize mentorship programs to help change the nurses’ perception of the new technologies.

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators References

Azoui, A., Abdelouhab, K. A., & Idoughi, D. (2021, November). Design and Implementation of Cloud-Based M-Health Application for an Electronic Medical Record System. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Renewable Energetic Systems (pp. 458-467). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92038-8_46

Garcia-Dia, M. J. (2021). Nursing informatics: An evolving specialty. Nursing Management, 52(5), 56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000743444.08164.b4

Luo, S. (2019). Special focus issue on nursing informatics: Challenges of utilizing electronic health records. International Journal Of Nursing Sciences, 6(1), 125. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ijnss.2018.11.001

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2021). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 128422046X, 9781284220469.

Wu, D. T., Chen, A. T., Manning, J. D., Levy-Fix, G., Backonja, U., Borland, D., Caban, J. J., Dowding, D. W., Hochheiser, H., Kagan, V., Kandaswamy, S., Kumar, M., Nunez, A., Pan, E. & Gotz, D. (2019). Evaluating visual analytics for health informatics applications: a systematic review from the American Medical Informatics Association Visual Analytics Working Group Task Force on Evaluation. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(4), 314–323. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocy190

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators Instructions

Prepare an 8-10 minute audio training tutorial (video is optional) for new nurses on the importance of nursing-sensitive quality indicators.

Introduction

As you begin to prepare this assessment you are encouraged to complete the Conabedian Quality Assessment Framework activity. Quality health care delivery requires systematic action. Completion of this will help you succeed with the assessment as you consider how the triad of structure (such as the hospital, clinic, provider qualifications/organizational characteristics) and process (such as the delivery/coordination/education/protocols/practice style or standard of care) may be modified to achieve quality outcomes.

The American Nursing Association (ANA) established the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI®) in 1998 to track and report on quality indicators heavily influenced by nursing action. Have a look at NURS-FPX4050 Assessment 1 Preliminary Care Coordination Plan

NDNQI® was established as a standardized approach to evaluating nursing performance in relation to patient outcomes. It provides a database and quality measurement program to track clinical performance and to compare nursing quality measures against other hospital data at the national, regional, and state levels. Nursing-sensitive quality indicators help establish evidence-based practice guidelines in the inpatient and outpatient settings to enhance quality care outcomes and initiate quality improvement educational programs, outreach, and protocol development.

The quality indicators the NDNQI® monitors are organized into three categories: structure, process, and outcome. Theorist Avedis Donabedian first identified these categories. Donabedian’s theory of quality health care focused on the links between quality outcomes and the structures and processes of care (Grove et al., 2018).

Nurses must be knowledgeable about the indicators their workplaces monitor. Some nurses deliver direct patient care that leads to a monitored outcome. Other nurses may be involved in data collection and analysis. In addition, monitoring organizations, including managed care entities, exist to gather data from individual organizations to analyze overall industry quality. All of these roles are important to advance quality and safety outcomes.

The focus of Assessment 4 is on how informatics support monitoring of nursing-sensitive quality indicator data. You will develop an 8–10 minute audio (or video) training module to orient new nurses in a workplace to a single nursing-sensitive quality indicator critical to the organization. Your recording will address how data are collected and disseminated across the organization along with the nurses’ role in supporting accurate reporting and high quality results.

Reference

Grove, S. K., Gray, J. R., Jay, G. W., Jay, H. M., & Burns, N. (2018). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice (7th ed.). Elsevier.

Preparation

This assessment requires you to prepare an 8–10 minute audio training tutorial (with optional video) for new nurses on the importance of nursing-sensitive quality indicators. To successfully prepare for your assessment, you will need to complete the following preparatory activities:

  • Select a single nursing-sensitive quality indicator that you see as important to a selected type of health care system. Choose from the following list:
    • Staffing measures.
  • Nursing hours per patient day.
  • RN education/certification.
  • Skill mix.
  • Nurse turnover.
  • Nursing care hours in emergency departments, perioperative units, and perinatal units.
  • Skill mix in emergency departments, perioperative units, and perinatal units.
    • Quality measures.
  • Patient falls.
  • Patient falls with injury.
  • Pressure ulcer prevalence.
  • Health care-associated infections.
    • Catheter-associated urinary tract infection.
    • Central line catheter associated blood stream infection.
    • Ventilator-associated pneumonia.
    • Ventilator- associated events.
  • Psychiatric physical/sexual assault rate.
  • Restraint prevalence.
  • Pediatric peripheral intravenous infiltration rate.
  • Pediatric pain assessment, intervention, reassessment (air) cycle.
  • Falls in ambulatory settings.
  • Pressure ulcer incidence rates from electronic health records.
  • Hospital readmission rates.
  • RN satisfaction survey options.
    • Job satisfaction scales.
    • Job satisfaction scales – short form.
    • Practice environment scale.
  • Conduct independent research on the most current information about the selected nursing-sensitive quality indicator.
  • Interview a professional colleague or contact who is familiar with quality monitoring and how technology can help to collect and report quality indicator data. You do not need to submit the transcript of your conversation, but do integrate what you learned from the interview into the audio tutorial. Consider these questions for your interview:
    • What is your experience with collecting data and entering it into a database?
    • What challenges have you experienced?
    • How does your organization share with the nursing staff and other members of the health care system the quality improvement monitoring results?
    • What role do bedside nurses and other frontline staff have in entering the data? For example, do staff members enter the information into an electronic medical record for extraction? Or do they enter it into another system? How effective is this process?
  • Watch the Informatics and Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators Video Exemplar.

Recording Your Presentation

To prepare to record the audio for your presentation, complete the following:

  • Set up and test your microphone or headset using the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer. You only need to use the headset if your audio is not clear and high quality when captured by the microphone.
  • Practice using the equipment to ensure the audio quality is sufficient.
  • Review the for Kaltura to record your presentation.
  • View Creating a Presentation: A Guide to Writing and Speaking. This video addresses the primary areas involved in creating effective audiovisual presentations. You can return to this resource throughout the process of creating your presentation to view the tutorial appropriate for you at each stage.

Notes:

  • You may use other tools to record your tutorial. You will, however, need to consult Using Kaltura for instructions on how to upload your audio-recorded tutorial into the courseroom, or you must provide a working link your instructor can easily access.
  • You may also choose to create a video of your tutorial, but this is not required.
  • If you require the use of assistive technology or alternative communication methods to participate in this activity, please contact DisabilityServices@Capella.edu to request accommodations.

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators Instructions

For this assessment, imagine you are a member of a Quality Improvement Council at any type of health care system, whether acute, ambulatory, home health, managed care, et cetera. Your Council has identified that newly hired nurses would benefit from comprehensive training on the importance of nursing-sensitive quality indicators.

The Council would like the training to address how this information is collected and disseminated across the organization. It would also like the training to describe the role nurses have in accurate reporting and high-quality results.

The Council indicates a recording is preferable to a written fact sheet due to the popularity of audio blogs. In this way, new hires can listen to the tutorial on their own time using their phone or other device.

As a result of this need, you offer to create an audio tutorial orienting new hires to these topics. You know that you will need a script to guide your audio recording. You also plan to incorporate into your script the insights you learned from conducting an interview with an authority on quality monitoring and the use of technology to collect and report quality indicator data.

You determine that you will cover the following topics in your audio tutorial script:

Introduction: Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicator

  • What is the National Database of Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators?
  • What are nursing-sensitive quality indicators?
  • Which particular quality indicator did you select to address in your tutorial?
  • Why is this quality indicator important to monitor?
    • Be sure to address the impact of this indicator on the quality of care and patient safety.
  • Why do new nurses need to be familiar with this particular quality indicator when providing patient care?

Collection and Distribution of Quality Indicator Data

  • According to your interview and other resources, how does your organization collect data on this quality indicator?
  • How does the organization disseminate aggregate data?
  • What role do nurses play in supporting accurate reporting and high-quality results?
    • As an example, consider the importance of accurately entering data regarding nursing interventions.

After completing your script, practice delivering your tutorial several times before recording it.

Additional Requirements

  • Audio communication: Deliver a professional, effective audio tutorial on a selected quality indicator that engages new nurses and motivates them to accurately report quality data in a timely fashion.
  • Length: 8–10 minute audio recording. Use Kaltura to upload your recording to the courseroom, or provide a working link your instructor can access.
  • Script: A separate document with the script or speaker’s notes is required. Important: Submissions that do not include the script or speaker’s notes will be returned as a non-performance.
  • References: Cite a minimum of three scholarly and/or authoritative sources.
  • APA: Submit, along with the recording, a separate reference page that follows APA style and formatting guidelines. For an APA refresher, consult the Evidence and APA page on Campus.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

  • Competency 1: Describe nurses’ and the interdisciplinary team’s role in informatics with a focus on electronic health information and patient care technology to support decision making.
    • Describe the interdisciplinary team’s role in collecting and reporting quality indicator data to enhance patient safety, patient care outcomes, and organizational performance reports.
  • Competency 3: Evaluate the impact of patient care technologies on desired outcomes.
    • Explain how a health care organization uses nursing-sensitive quality indicators to enhance patient safety, patient care outcomes, and organizational performance reports.
  • Competency 4: Recommend the use of a technology to enhance quality and safety standards for patients.
    • Justify how a nursing-sensitive quality indicator establishes evidence-based practice guidelines for nurses to follow when using patient care technologies to enhance patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes.
  • Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication to facilitate use of health information and patient care technologies.
    • Deliver a professional, effective audio tutorial on a selected quality indicator that engages new nurses and motivates them to accurately report quality data in a timely fashion.
    • Follow APA style and formatting guidelines for citations and references.

NURS-FPX4040 Assessment 4 Informatics and Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators Example 2

Informatics and Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators

Nursing-sensitive quality indicators are the factors that determine the quality of care in an organization, measured through patient outcomes and other factors that are highly influenced by nursing action. According to Afaneh et al. (2021), nursing-sensitive quality indicators fall into staffing and quality measures. Since these measures heavily depend on nursing actions, nurses play a vital role in data collection and reporting, contributing to care quality indicators and organizational outcomes. The purpose of this audio training tutorial is to provide an orientation to one of the nursing-sensitive quality indicators critical to our organization, as we discuss the importance of these indicators. In this training module, we will also cover how data is collected and disseminated across our organization and explore your role as nurses in supporting accurate reporting, which leads to desirable quality results.

National Database of Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators

To understand nursing-sensitive quality indicators, it is essential to explore the National Database of Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators (NDNQI). The NDNQI is a system developed by the American Nursing Association, aiming to track and report on the quality indicators that are greatly influenced by nursing actions. In other words, it is a standard approach used to evaluate nursing performance in relation to patient outcomes. The database contains over 600 measures related to nursing performance, workforce experience, health, and patient outcomes.

The data collected and contained in the NDQQI database are available and accessible for users to use as a benchmark measure of individual quality indicators in their facility, thereby determining whether the facility is performing well. Nursing-sensitive quality indicators include pressure ulcer prevalence, patient falls with injuries, nursing staff turnover, skill mix, nursing staff working hours per patient day, hospital readmission rates, and registered nurses’ satisfaction survey options.   

Patient Falls Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicator

The selected nursing-sensitive quality indicator we will focus on in this module is patient falls. Patient falls refer to an unintended descent of a patient to the floor, which can potentially cause minor or major injuries. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (n.d.), patient falls are one of the nursing care quality indicators, as falls raise patient safety concerns following minor or severe injuries. In addition, patient falls are often attributed to nurses failing to perform their role effectively, as some patient fall cases may be due to missed nursing care (Hessels et al., 2019).

Patient falls are a crucial nursing-sensitive quality indicator to monitor, as they measure how nursing practice and nurses succeed in ensuring patients feel safe from falls. Ideally, if a care facility has low patient fall rates, the nurses are succeeding in their work by preventing falls and fall-related injuries, and vice versa. In addition, the patient falls quality indicator serves as a foundation for quality improvement in an institution, as it demonstrates how well the current systems enhance patient safety and prevent patient falls, thereby providing an opportunity to compare different systems and promote learning, assessment, and continuous improvement.

Furthermore, research shows a direct relationship between patient falls quality indicator, patient safety, and overall quality of care (Lee et al., 2019). As mentioned earlier, if high patient fall cases are recorded in an institution, it indicates poor patient safety in relation to patient falls and the failure of current systems to provide quality care and prevent patient falls. In addition, patient falls pose a safety concern due to their related effects, including extended hospital stays, chronic pain, and loss of confidence in balance. Therefore, as new nurses, you need to be familiar with the patient falls quality indicator when providing patient care, so you can contribute to proposing and developing interventions that can be used to prevent falls, thereby improving patient safety, care quality, and, in turn, your nursing performance.

Collection and Distribution of Patient Falls Quality Indicator Data

Our organization collects data on patient falls by counting the number of falls and the occupied bed days after the fall per nursing unit. The number of repeat falls is also tracked and recorded in the database. Additionally, the level of injury following a fall is assessed, and injurious falls are used to determine whether the total fall rate has clinical significance or is just a borderline quality indicator. The institution disseminates aggregate data from the top managers and leaders to the clinical staff through benchmark reports. In the event of a benchmark underperformance, the leaders meet with the clinical staff, particularly the nurses, to strategize on addressing the issue.

It is worth noting that nurses play a vital role in supporting accurate reporting and high-quality results since they interact with bedside data. Therefore, nurses are responsible for ensuring accuracy by accurately recording all required data. Accurate data contributes to actual care quality results. In addition, accurate data recording provides valuable feedback on nursing interventions, thereby enhancing continuous improvement within the unit and the entire institution.

Summary

The National Database of Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators contains nursing quality indicators used by healthcare institutions for benchmarking. The patient falls nursing quality indicator measures care quality and patient safety. Therefore, as new nurses, you are expected to pay attention to patient fall prevention when providing care. It is vital to record data accurately since it contributes to the unit’s and organization’s overall performance. Additionally, accurate data collection and reporting facilitate the development of genuine feedback on nursing interventions.  

References

Afaneh, T., Abu-Moghli, F., & Ahmad, M. (2021). Nursing-sensitive indicators: a concept analysis. Nursing management (Harrow, London, England:1994)28(3), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.7748/nm.2021.e1982

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (n.d.). Preventing Falls in Hospitals. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/settings/hospital/index.html

Hessels, A. J., Paliwal, M., Weaver, S. H., Siddiqui, D., & Wurmser, T. A. (2019). Impact of Patient Safety Culture on Missed Nursing Care and Adverse Patient Events. Journal of nursing care quality34(4), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000378

Lee, S. E., Scott, L. D., Dahinten, V. S., Vincent, C., Lopez, K. D., & Park, C. G. (2019). Safety Culture, Patient Safety, and Quality of Care Outcomes: A Literature Review. Western Journal of nursing research41(2), 279–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945917747416