Connecting the Data Dots: Nursing, Quality & IT Working Together to Create Tools That Work

Purpose:
Nurse access to quality data is key to improving outcomes. A suboptimal on-line system design contributed to static outcomes & inadequate action planning. Nursing partnered with QPI and IT to re-engineer the electronic quality dashboard & action planning module to improve format, clarity & access.

Significance:
The new, full access dashboard created through interdepartmental collaboration served as a platform for data sharing with staff, public display of outcomes in all care areas, & engagement in improvement efforts. The new action planning format served dual purpose as an education & improvement tool.

Strategy and Implementation:
Old displays were difficult to access & interpret. Replaced with new graphs with benchmarks, like units were displayed together to foster comparisons & encourage best practice sharing. Printing was enhanced to meet CNO expectation of data posting in public areas through use of consistent templates. Staff became familiar with unit Quality Boards and used them in regulatory visits & to answer families' questions about outcomes. Magnet Champions enhanced local data displays with templates customized with area accomplishments. Sharepoint software was used to improve functionality of on-line action planning. Nurse Sensitive Indicator Leads (APRN's) created organizational action plans with embedded best practices. Templates were built for each metric with these pre-populated best practices & used by managers to create local action plans for any indicator not meeting benchmark. A recognition program was implemented to applaud areas demonstrating excellence in nurse sensitive metrics.

Evaluation:
Practice audit tools were linked to the dashboard for units to evaluate best practices adherence. HAPU:Q1 2011 54% units outperforming to Q1 2012 67% of units outperforming. CLABSI:Q1 2011 46% units outperforming to Q1 2012 58% of units outperforming. 5 units have received unit outcome award.

Implications for Practice:
The accessibility of data has changed nursing practice culture & yielded improvement in outcomes. The new electronic dashboard tools are now functional & educational. Complex data management requires partnerships across departments to achieve user friendly applications to promote excellence.