Registered Nurses Drive Quality Improvement in Hospitals
Nurses set the stage for quality improvement by creating the right kinds of activities that get everyone involved in the healthcare experience, with the end goal of bettering patient outcomes and their quality of life after discharge. The effort requires registered nurses to be team leaders, engaging the entire healthcare team --and patients-- in communicating well and making the most from that feedback. Quality improvement is possible for every hospital, skilled nursing facility and outpatient center, but it takes a village as they say—not to mention a great nursing staff!
Find What You Can Do to Help Your Hospital Stay on Top
RNs who help their healthcare employer achieve quality improvement work in positions that range from case manager jobs to travel nursing jobs on the floor of the ER; they walk the floors of award winning departments, and it’s not surprising to the American Nursing Association that RNs deliver this caliber of excellence. For 2013, ANA made the theme of National Nurses Week, “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care”,.
RNs Can Deliver on the Promise of Quality Improvement Year Round
Good nurses already know that being an innovator and thinking outside the box helps patients, but what are some of the other ways National Nurses Week (NNW) illuminates for R.N.s, the finer points of quality improvement?
- Be a care coordinator: In its media kit, NNW stresses how important it is to learn all you can about care coordination. It not only helps educate patients across the board on health issues, resulting in making better decisions about their care, but cuts costs for insurance companies and healthcare employers, too. Talk about quality improvement!
- Stay on top of industry trends regarding health reform: In today’s healthcare landscape, nurses must be prepared to adapt to the Affordable Healthcare Act and the changes it will have on Medicare. Their evolving role means that nurses have become the key caregivers in hospitals, and can significantly influence quality of care there; they can, essentially, make or break a healthcare employer’s reputation for excellence.
- Know everything there is to know about your competitors: In keeping with what the American Association of Nursing stresses in its NNW media, every RN is encouraged to get familiar with the National Data Base of Nursing Quality Indicators or (NDNQI) to see how their hospital measures up.
50 States Staffing Offers a Gentle Reminder about Where We Stand on Quality Improvement
Lastly, remember this: In order for a healthcare employer to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, it must report core quality measures; these include initiatives in myocardial infraction, heart failure, ventilator associated pneumonia, surgical care improvement, children’s asthma and pregnancy. 50 States Staffing is proud to be Joint Commissioned Certified and to be staffing these hospitals. Call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online to find out how you can raise quality improvement in your present and future nursing jobs.