Opinion 5 R

#1

Quality

Improvement Competencies

-

B

oya

-

QSEN co

mpetencies are important for all

nurses.

Exposing students to these competencies during the nursing program is a good idea.

Most

of these competencies are already a part of the basic nursing curriculum.

Informatics and quality

improvement are the two co

mpetencies that receive the least amount of introduction.

One concern

I have is pushing students to look for ways to improve without having the experience of basic nursing

knowledge, assessment skills and prioritization.

How do you improve something you

don’t know

how to do?

All six competencies are interconnected at some level.

When I was a nursing student,

quality improvement had no meaning for me.

As my nursing career grew, I was aware of many

changes to the concept of quality improvement.

Throughou

t my nursing career patient safety,

effective care and improving processes have always been high priority for me.

I just never gave it a

name such as process improvement, utilization review or quality improvement; it was just all part of

good nursing care

.

The goal for quality improvement is to monitor patient outcomes using statistics

for comparison to standards of care for different diseases, treatments and complications.

Any

outcomes at the local facility that fall outside the standard of care are rev

iewed to determine root

cause analysis, develop new processes, implement the new processes and evaluate the resulting

outcomes.

Nursing students may be able to participate in quality improvement at the lowest

level.

Identifying improvements for giving an

d receiving shift report, organizing and prioritizing shift

duties and assessing their preceptorships.

Many do this without thinking as they develop their

nursing routines.

To evaluate for this competency, nursing students could be given the task of

iden

tifying a self

-

process that could be improved, develop a plan for a new process, implement the

new process, evaluate the outcome results and then act upon the results to continue the new

process or continue improving the process.

For example, the nursing

student could develop a new

process for how the student receives and gives report, prioritizes medications, treatments and

assessments for the student’s assignments.

This would also assist the student in being self

-

aware

and efficient.

#2

Teamwork

and

Colla

boratio

n

-

D

enise

Integrating

QSEN

should

be

encouraged

when

working

in

the

medical

field.

Their

competencies

of

patient

-

centered

care,

teamwork

and

collaboration,

evidence

-

based

practice,

quality

improvement,

safety,

and

informatics

can

help

develop

a

competent

nu

rse

(QSEN

Institute,

2020).

I

feel

that

an

important

QSEN

competency

is

teamwork

and

collaboration.

When

a

person

is

hospitalized,

the

estimated

number

of

medical

professionals

they

see

during

their

stay

ranges

between

44

and

75

medical

professionals

(de

V

os,

Hamming,

Marang

-

van

de

Mheen,

2018).

Teamwork

among

the

44

to

75

people

is

essential

to

helping

a

patient

regain

their

health.

Nurses

should

feel

comfortable

talking

with

other

team

members

about

their

patient’s

health.

Learning

effective

communication

skills

can

be

taught

during

nursing

school.

Nursing

students

can

learn

to

facilitate

communication.

They

can

be

taught

when

to

speak

up

about

their

patient

and

to

advocate

for

their

patient’s

needs.

Nurses

should

also

be

taught

how

to

handle

conflict

amon

gst

team

members.

They

should

be

taught

the

chain

of

command

and

what

their

resources

are

when

there

is

a

conflict.

Further,

if

a

conflict

cannot

be

resolved,

nurses

should

be

aware

of

where

to

turn

should

the

conflict

continue.

Nurses

should

also

be

able

to

expand

the

professional

team

to

include

areas

of

expertise

when

needed.

Nurses

should

be

taught

to

look

outside

the

box

and

request

for

specialists

when

there

is

a

question

with

care.

Further,

nurses

should

be

taught

their

roles

and

responsibilities

and

when

the

practice

is

out

of

their

scope

of

work,

they

should

request

additional

help.

Open

communication

can

help

relieve

stress

in

the

work

field.

Allowing

and

asking

for

help

when

a

person

is

overwhelmed

will

allow

nurses

to

work

better

together

to

acco

mplish

their

tasks.

Finally,

nurses

should

encourage

other

team

members

to

openly

communicate

with

other

members

of

the

health

care

profession.

This

can

include

doctors,

nurses,

supervisors,

and

patients.

Communication

and

teamwork

are

essential

when

worki

ng

with

patients

and

their

families.

Open

#1 Quality Improvement Competencies-Boya- QSEN competencies are important for all

nurses. Exposing students to these competencies during the nursing program is a good idea. Most

of these competencies are already a part of the basic nursing curriculum. Informatics and quality

improvement are the two competencies that receive the least amount of introduction. One concern

I have is pushing students to look for ways to improve without having the experience of basic nursing

knowledge, assessment skills and prioritization. How do you improve something you don’t know

how to do? All six competencies are interconnected at some level.When I was a nursing student,

quality improvement had no meaning for me. As my nursing career grew, I was aware of many

changes to the concept of quality improvement. Throughout my nursing career patient safety,

effective care and improving processes have always been high priority for me. I just never gave it a

name such as process improvement, utilization review or quality improvement; it was just all part of

good nursing care. The goal for quality improvement is to monitor patient outcomes using statistics

for comparison to standards of care for different diseases, treatments and complications. Any

outcomes at the local facility that fall outside the standard of care are reviewed to determine root

cause analysis, develop new processes, implement the new processes and evaluate the resulting

outcomes. Nursing students may be able to participate in quality improvement at the lowest

level. Identifying improvements for giving and receiving shift report, organizing and prioritizing shift

duties and assessing their preceptorships. Many do this without thinking as they develop their

nursing routines. To evaluate for this competency, nursing students could be given the task of

identifying a self-process that could be improved, develop a plan for a new process, implement the

new process, evaluate the outcome results and then act upon the results to continue the new

process or continue improving the process. For example, the nursing student could develop a new

process for how the student receives and gives report, prioritizes medications, treatments and

assessments for the student’s assignments. This would also assist the student in being self-aware

and efficient.

#2 Teamwork and Collaboration-Denise Integrating QSEN should be encouraged when working in

the medical field. Their competencies of patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration,

evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics can help develop a competent

nurse (QSEN Institute, 2020). I feel that an important QSEN competency is teamwork and

collaboration. When a person is hospitalized, the estimated number of medical professionals they

see during their stay ranges between 44 and 75 medical professionals (de Vos, Hamming, Marang-

van de Mheen, 2018). Teamwork among the 44 to 75 people is essential to helping a patient regain

their health. Nurses should feel comfortable talking with other team members about their patient’s

health. Learning effective communication skills can be taught during nursing school. Nursing students

can learn to facilitate communication. They can be taught when to speak up about their patient and

to advocate for their patient’s needs. Nurses should also be taught how to handle conflict amongst

team members. They should be taught the chain of command and what their resources are when

there is a conflict. Further, if a conflict cannot be resolved, nurses should be aware of where to turn

should the conflict continue. Nurses should also be able to expand the professional team to include

areas of expertise when needed. Nurses should be taught to look outside the box and request for

specialists when there is a question with care. Further, nurses should be taught their roles and

responsibilities and when the practice is out of their scope of work, they should request additional

help. Open communication can help relieve stress in the work field. Allowing and asking for help

when a person is overwhelmed will allow nurses to work better together to accomplish their tasks.

Finally, nurses should encourage other team members to openly communicate with other members

of the health care profession. This can include doctors, nurses, supervisors, and patients.

Communication and teamwork are essential when working with patients and their families. Open