Improvement Science Education: A Road Map to Improving Patient Outcomes

Purpose:
To close a knowledge gap among nursing staff & managers, an improvement science education session was developed & implemented. It focused on the implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Improvement Model, its related tools & its integration into the Shared Governance structure.

Significance:
Improvement science skill-building education for nursing staff & management is essential to build capability in implementing successful improvement projects and attaining improved patient outcomes.

Strategy and Implementation:
A brief staff education presentation on improvement science was provided to RN residents, new managers, Shared Governance leaders, & various nursing units over the past two years. The educational content provided is a roadmap to navigate towards the destination of improved patient outcomes. To guide staff on their improvement science journey, directions are given on the following topics: develop aim & measures, develop learning structure with key drivers, understand process for improvement, identify testable ideas, design PDSA cycles, execute PDSA cycles, make decisions based on learning, conduct more PDSA cycles, select change for scale-up, plan for implementation/sustainability, planning for spread. Included in the presentation is an example from a patient safety collaborative team. The educational materials & implementation tools are available on the hospital's intranet for quick reference. The quality improvement clinical managers are also available for additional consultation.

Evaluation:
There has been 50 introductory improvement science sessions provided over the past 2 years. We have observed increased use of the improvement model by nursing staff & managers who have attended these sessions, as evidenced by increased calls for additional support in using quality improvement tools.

Implications for Practice:
Staff & managers who use The Improvement Model and related implementation tools are more likely to develop & implement reliable strategies which will lead to improved patient outcomes that are sustainable overtime.