What Do Nurses Want? Making Patient Safety Data Meaningful

Purpose:
Engagement of the direct care RN with data collection and monitoring supports a culture of patient safety. The Performance Improvement Nursing Council (PINC) has developed and refined the translation of patient safety data utilizing unit dashboard review, intranet metric icon, and newsletters.

Significance:
Nurses' appraised value, perceived significance, access and understanding of outcome data is critical to the improvement process, patient safety, and ultimately to the financial health of an institution (Jamtvedt G et al 2006, DeVos et al 2009).

Strategy and Implementation:
Institutional outcome data is transparent on intranet Metric Icon. Hospital-wide communication strategy sets structure for routine data review and messaging conducted in each department. Weekly patient safety and monthly nursing council e-newsletters remind and reinforce. Nursing Leadership streamlined dashboards and revised to volume adjusted benchmarks. Individual performance reviews were linked to attainment of unit dashboard goals. The PINC surveyed nurses for responses on: value of outcome data, impact on nursing practice, knowledge of federal regulatory agencies, methods of data presentation and distribution, perceived motivators and sustainment. Results were utilized to revise data presentation and patient safety strategies. Rates of falls, pressure ulcers and infection rates have declined. Developments and refinements of all processes over a 3 year period are portrayed on a timeline.

Evaluation:
RN respondents' survey results: 86% reported consistent data review at staff meetings, 85% utilized data to devise specific care delivery improvements. Nurses preferred bar graphs to dashboards and cited highest motivators as recognition, unit improvements and professional responsibility.

Implications for Practice:
Free access to patient safety data, championed by shared governance RNs, plus consistent interpretation at staff meetings impacts care. Helping nurses to make the link between their delivery of patient care with improved outcomes connected to financial and regulatory strength sustains quality.