NDNQI data from every angle: A hospital - school of nursing collaboration to maximize MSN student research experiences

Purpose:
The purpose of this poster is to describe an innovative collaborative hospital/school of nursing project in which MSN students participate in real-time research/data analysis experiences using the hospital's NDNQI data to guide clinical and management decision making in identified nursing units.

Significance:
NDNQI provides valuable data for staff/management decision-making, but resources to analyze data are limited. A partnership with graduate faculty at the school of nursing provides valuable learning experiences for students and staff to support decision-making by unit and hospital administration.

Strategy and Implementation:
Wishard Health Services and Indiana University School of Nursing embarked on a partnership to provide the hospital with consultation and mentoring to enhance EBP initiatives and further develop nursing research initiatives. Involvement of the faculty consultant in the Shared Governance Patient Care Oversight Council and Research Council resulted in an opportunity to further examine relationships between NDNQI quality outcome and practice environment data by MSN students at Indiana University School of Nursing. The students utilize unit based raw data submitted to NDNQI and follow sound research methodology to accomplish the analysis while honoring NDNQI data use restrictions. The outcome of the analyses has been further research studies to further understand unit based factors that impact clinical and management decision-making. The analyses of NDNQI data and further research studies are shared with management teams, Research Council, and other shared governance councils as needed.

Evaluation:
Students are introduced to NDNQI quality monitoring indicators. As future leaders, appreciation of this resource is crucial. The hospital benefits from the “drill down” on unit based data via unbiased eyes and additional research. Study results are reported to the Research Council and management.

Implications for Practice:
This model has maximized student learning and provided the hospital with sound data on which to base decisions and should be studied and refined. Sharing resources to improve patient care and work environments strengthens education/service partnerships and improves patient/student outcomes.