Quest for Quality: Simple Tools for Tracking, Trending, Benchmarking, and Reporting Nurse-Sensitive Quality Indicators

Purpose:
It is our responsibility and challenge to move staff beyond sharing anecdotal quality stories and perceived achievements to familiarity with quantitative measurement of the success of their clinical initiatives.

Significance:
Healthcare organizations are required to report a spectrum of nurse-sensitive quality indicators. Keys to success are providing simple tools, getting understandable information into the hands of direct-care staff, and meeting established guidelines for quality data submission.

Strategy and Implementation:
With the shift of focus to healthcare outcomes, we have to prepare staff to think, plan, and dialog in quality terms. This model utilizes a standardized format (developed in Excel and tabbed for each indicator) to easily track, trend, benchmark, and report quality indicators, and a standardized format for displaying quality indicator trending on each patient care area - inpatient and outpatient. Instructions on each worksheet guide users through completion steps. Unit data is entered, rates calculated, charts automatically generated, and results measured against identified benchmarks (NDNQI and others). Trend charts are produced based on unit data and an easy-to-understand display format is presented. Identification of patient-population-specific indicators and external benchmarks (differentiated from internal targets) help staff relate their clinical practice to patient outcomes.

Evaluation:
All patient care areas develop and display quarterly benchmarked outcomes. Development of a common language builds understanding and facilitates use of quality data at the unit level. Nurses have gained confidence in speaking to outcomes and impact of nursing practice on patient outcomes.

Implications for Practice:
Enculturation of public displays demonstrate strategic prioritization of quality work and include space designated for unit use to encourage, recognize, and celebrate staff efforts and track improvement efforts unique to the area. Displays engage staff and patients in quality efforts.