Purpose:

The Patient Care Services Quality Council of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (LVHHN), a twice-designated Magnet hospital in northeast Pennsylvania, identified an opportunity to improve quality data dissemination and staff education related to nursing quality indicators. Process improvements have provided direct care nurses with the knowledge and data information needed to implement practice changes to improve the quality of nursing care.

Description

This session will detail successful strategies implemented by a nurse-driven Quality Council to disseminate quality data and to educate staff about nursing quality improvement. A key strategy has been the production of a monthly newsletter that focuses on one nurse sensitive quality indicator in each issue. This presentation outlines the creative educational methods incorporated within the newsletter to address diverse learning needs of healthcare providers and to provide quality data information in a format relevant to bedside practice. Quality indicators are explored within the context of a Clinical Services Peer Review case study that is designed to share learnings and recommendations for process change in procedures, policies, or equipment. Each issue includes a review of expert opinion and literature to provide staff with evidence-based quality improvement recommendations. Based on the concept of Appreciative Inquiry, a patient care area that has demonstrated excellent quality improvement outcomes specific to the indicator of focus is highlighted; colleagues learn from the obstacles, strategies for improvement and successes of their peers. Data related to organizational performance in comparison to the NDNQI benchmark is displayed in a linear chart; a trend line enables staff to easily identify organizational progress toward meeting the national quality benchmarks. In addition to case studies, articles, and data graphs, each issue also includes a gaming technique such as crossword and word search puzzles to further enhance learning.

Summary

A nursing quality newsletter that incorporates concepts of appreciative inquiry, peer review, case studies, evidence-based practice findings, quality data graphic displays, and creative educational activities, is an effective strategy to disseminate quality data while educating staff about nursing quality indicators relevant to bedside practice.

Implications for practice

Nurse leaders and educators are challenged with engaging direct care nurses in effectively integrating quality improvement into bedside practice. The successful strategies developed within this Magnet hospital can be implemented in any practice setting for more effective utilization of NDNQI data to improve the quality of nursing care.