A brief explanation of the quality improvement model you selected, including a description of the components that make up this model.
The quality improvement model selected for this assignment is the A3 model. This model provides a very basic, yet structured approach towards problem-solving. The model was first applied by the Toyota corporation, many years ago, as a model for continuous improvement. According to UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (2021), the model received its name, based on the type/size of the paper, A3. It is also known as SPS, which is Systematic Problem Solving and is based on the basic principles identified by Edward Demings PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) process (UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement, 2021). The A3 process involves includes a total of 11 distinct steps, including a step 0, which identifies the problem. Steps 1 – 8 are planning steps, interestingly enough, embedded in these steps are Deming’s PDCA steps. Step 9 is the do step and step 10 is the check step (Montana State University, n. d.). At the end of the cycle, any identified opportunities for improvement are identified and the cycle is initiated again.
Explain how this quality improvement model might be implemented in your healthcare organization or nursing practice in response to an adverse event requiring quality improvement. Be specific and provide examples.
At my current organization, we use the A3 method for quality improvement initiatives. We have a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt at our organization and all of the directors and managers are at least certified Green Belts in the Lean Six Sigma training. The A3 form/format is utilized for patient-related harms reported across the organization. This primarily includes Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPI’s), Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI’s), and Venous Thromboembolisms (VTE’s). Although we follow a similar format previously described in the steps above for the A3, our organization asks specific questions for each step of the A3 process. This is very helpful when ensuring that clinicians do a deep dive into the reasons for the harm, as well as identifying opportunities to improve the quality of patient care and prevent further harm.
The most recent incident that we need to complete an A3 was for a harm on the Palliative Care unit. A bedridden patient developed a HAPI, a stage 2 pressure injury on their right heel (Step 0). Upon review of the chart/patient flow, staff processes/procedures (Steps 1-8), the patient was not being turned every two hours per organizational policy. It was further determined that the patient was boarded in the ED for 36 hours, prior to being admitted to the Palliative care unit. Consequently, the ED had to take responsibility for the harm, considering that the patient had only been on the Palliative care unit for less than 24 hours. Ultimately, the organization needs to ensure that all departments are following our policies related to turning identified patients, every 2 hours (Step 9). Ongoing, the Performance Excellence Committee reviews data/patient records, to ensure that there are no additional harms (Step 10). Once the A3 document is completed, it is reviewed with the harms team, and approval is sought for any changes in practice, protocol, policy, etc.
References
Montana State University (n. d.). Steps of the A3. Retrieved from https://www.montana.edu/dsobek/a3/steps.html
Tromp, R. (n. d.). A3 report. Lean Six Sigma Group. Retrieved from https://leansixsigmagroup.co.uk/a3-report/
UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (2021). Resources: A3. Retrieved from https://www.med.unc.edu/ihqi/resources/a3/
Sample Answer 3 for NURS 8302 Discussion: Quality Improvement Models
The Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle is the Quality Improvement Model that I have chosen for this discussion. It has been utilized for continuous improvement as described by Edwards Deming (Nash et al., 2019). This improvement model assumes that 15 percent of poor quality is due to people and 85 percent of poor quality is due to improper management, systems and processes (Nash et al., 2019).
Plan
Under this phase of the quality improvement model, we seek to understand the problem and where a gap in practice exists as well as establish an objective laying out what we are trying to accomplish. In my clinical arena, we would be collecting and analyzing data to identify where a gap exists based on the data. It is possible that we find what we least expected or that the gap exists in a different place than expected. From here we can plan how to carry out the cycle.
Do
Under this phase of the cycle, we use the gap that we’ve identified and the plan that we’ve made to educate and train staff to carry out the plan. We can start to make small scale changes and evaluate its effectiveness, challenges, and problems on a small scale to prepare for implementing in a much bigger scale.
Study/Check
In this phase of the quality improvement model, we evaluate the effects of the change and decide if it was successful or not. We evaluate whether and to what degree success was obtained or did the gap get larger. Here we can determine what changes need to be made and what steps should be taken next to achieve the objective that was set during the initial plan phase of the cycle.
Act
This is action phase of the cycle where we make changes based on what we have learned whether that is repeating what was done, making small modifications, or creating an entirely new plan and cycle. It is the ending as well as the beginning. In this phase, new gaps can be identified, or current gaps can be modified until the goal or objective is met (Nash et al., 2019).
Shaw et al. (2019) utilized rapid cycle PDSA quality improvement model to improve hypothermia in term and near-term infants delivered vaginally. After 4 PDSA cycles, the incidence of hypothermia dropped from 50% to zero at 1 hour of life (Shaw et al., 2019). A similar project utilizing the PDSA would be beneficial in my healthcare organization in the population mentioned above but could be expounded on to include premature infants who are also risk complications secondary to hypothermia. Shaw et al. (2019) found that regular feedback regarding success and correction of the previous PDSA cycles was important to continue to move forward with the quality improvement project. This model is ideal because the cycles required to achieve the necessary change will vary from hospital to hospital and can be affected by many variables but if continued the result will eventually be achieved. The expectation is not that the objective will be achieve after the first cycle, but that continuous improvement will be achieved. Healthcare is a dynamic field where change is the only constant and therefore, we must aim to be improving continuously an not stop the cycle once a goal is achieved.
References
Nash, D. B., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press
Shaw, S. C., Devgan, A., Anila, S., Anushree, N., & Debnath, H. (2018). Use of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to decrease incidence of neonatal hypothermia in the labor room. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 74(2), 126–132. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2017.05.005
Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: NURS 8302 Discussion: Quality Improvement Models SOLUTION
Sample Answer 4 for NURS 8302 Discussion: Quality Improvement Models
This is insightful Brittany, there are different quality improvement strategies that can be employed to enhance effective patient outcomes. These approaches/strategies ought to adhere to the organizational objectives and the operational standards. The Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle is considered one of the best quality improvement model used by different healthcare institutions (Nash et al., 2019). The model involves the application of the systematic processes for gaining valuable learning and knowledge for the continual improvement of the clinical processes, service delivery, and the products used in enhancing the treatment processes (Shaw et al., 2018). This model has been successfully used to facilitate processes undertaken by different healthcare providers. Under this phase of the quality improvement model, we seek to understand the problem and where a gap in practice exists as well as establish an objective laying out what we are trying to accomplish (McNicholas et al., 2019). Through the use of The Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle, healthcare providers have been able to integrate all the elements required in the treatment processes and to determine the possible outcomes before undertaking the actual quality improvement program.
References
McNicholas, C., Lennox, L., Woodcock, T., Bell, D., & Reed, J. E. (2019). Evolving quality improvement support strategies to improve Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle fidelity: a retrospective mixed-methods study. BMJ quality & safety, 28(5), 356-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007605
Nash, D. B., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press
Shaw, S. C., Devgan, A., Anila, S., Anushree, N., & Debnath, H. (2018). Use of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to decrease incidence of neonatal hypothermia in the labor room. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 74(2), 126–132. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2017.05.005
Sample Answer 5 for NURS 8302 Discussion: Quality Improvement Models
Thanks for participating in this week’s discussion. Your discussion is remarkable and i enjoy reading it. Quality improvement models, as you have shown, are useful for monitoring and evaluating the efficacy and success of QI initiatives. A3, Lean of the PDSA (plan-do-study-act), and root cause analysis (RCA) are a few examples of quality improvement models. It’s great that you choose a quality improvement model. The efficacy of a quality improvement project can be assessed with the use of the brief, accurate, and useful A3 instrument. By using the A3 quality improvement approach, healthcare organizations may solve problems more effectively and quickly, plan more easily, build stronger teams, and experience better growth (Harolds, 2023).
The backdrop, present state, goal, root cause, countermeasures, effect confirmation, and follow-up actions are just a few of the sections that make up the A3 tool. Adding background information gives a synopsis of the problem’s past. According to Harolds (2023), the goals of the quality improvement program outline the desired outcome, whereas the existing condition/state defines the detected problem. Countermeasures/recommendations outline a strategy for mitigating the identified problem, whereas root cause analysis studies the factors contributing to the problem. According to Harolds (2023) effect confirmation allows for a review of the quality improvement project’s effectiveness, while follow-up actions ensure that the evaluation phase is sustained.You’ve determined one method for applying the A3 tool in your medical environment. Another area where the plan might be strengthened is in the area of lowering hospital falls. The current situation should highlight any potential fall hazards, while the backstory should explain how the issue often manifests itself. While reducing the risk of falls should be the main objective, the analysis and root cause should also highlight the dangers of falls that are present in a healthcare environment. According to Montero-Odasso et al. (2022) the recommendations should focus on reducing fall risks by, for example, providing walking support and taking other appropriate action. While follow-up efforts should aim to implement the various mitigation measures as suggested by the quality improvement project, effect confirmation should assess whether the mitigation measures were successful in reducing falls.
References
Harolds, J. A. (2023). Quality and safety in healthcare, part XC: the A3 approach and Lean in healthcare.Clinical nuclear medicine,48(7), e358-e360.
Montero-Odasso, M., van der Velde, N., Martin, F. C., Petrovic, M., Tan, M. P., Ryg, J., … & Masud, T. (2022). World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative.Age and Aging,51(9), afac205.
Sample Answer 6 for NURS 8302 Discussion: Quality Improvement Models
Quality improvement implementation requires a planned and focused effort for the process to be a success. One of the approaches that can be used is quality improvement models. There are several models which can be used to guide quality improvement. As such, the kind of quality improvement model to be applied depends on the nature of the project. Some of the models include Root Cause Analysis, A3, Lean, and PDSA (Coughling et al.,2019). The chosen quality improvement model is Root Cause Analysis. It is a systematic model which is used to identify the underlying causes of adverse events or problems. It involves several steps which, when followed, would support the full implementation. The steps involve problem definition, assembling of a team, data collection, identification of the immediate cause, prioritization of the root causes, developing action plans, implementation of solution, monitoring and feedback, and reporting (Boswell & Cannon, 2022).
Adverse events, such as medication error, which causes patient harm, can happen in healthcare settings. Root Cause Analysis as a quality improvement model can be implemented in response to this problem. The identification of the problem as a medication error triggers the need to initiate the quality improvement process to improve patient safety. A multidisciplinary team including physicians, pharmacists, and nurses is then assembled, followed by data collection in connection to the error committed (Rodziewicz & Hipskind, 2020). It is then important to explore the immediate causes of the problem and prioritize the root cause. For example, a cause such as an error in calculating the dosage can be prioritized. Such a step then leads to the development of action plans to address the problem, such as standardization of the dosage calculation tools as an intervention before implementing the initiative. The last steps will entail continuous monitoring and obtaining feedback from staff before documenting and reporting the whole process.
References
Boswell, C., & Cannon, S. (2022). Introduction to nursing research: Incorporating evidence-based practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Coughlin, K., & Posencheg, M. A. (2019). Quality improvement methods–Part II. Journal of Perinatology, 39(7), 1000-1007. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0382-1Links to an external site.
Rodziewicz, T. L., & Hipskind, J. E. (2020). Medical error prevention. StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Pu
Lopes Write Policy
For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.
Late Policy
The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.
Communication
Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation
Welcome to class
Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to
I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.
Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.
If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.
Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.
Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.
I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!
Hi Class,
Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Important information on Writing a Discussion Question
- Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
- There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
- Include in-text citations in your response
- Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
- Follow APA-7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor
- A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
- Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
- Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
- Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
- Follow APA 7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
- Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
- Here are some helpful links
- Student paper example
- Citing Sources
- The Writing Center is a great resource
In addition to the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) model, my colleague can enhance the implementation of the quality improvement process by incorporating a robust educational component. This involves developing targeted training programs and workshops for healthcare professionals involved in the identified adverse events, such as medication errors. The educational component aims to address knowledge gaps, enhance skills, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the healthcare organization.
To implement this strategy, my colleague can collaborate with educational specialists, clinical educators, and subject matter experts to design tailored training modules. These modules can cover topics such as medication safety protocols, dosage calculations, and best practices in administering medications (Rodziewicz & Hipskind, 2020). The training sessions should be interactive, incorporating case studies and real-life scenarios to engage healthcare professionals actively.
Furthermore, the educational component can extend beyond traditional classroom settings to include online modules and resources, ensuring accessibility for all staff members. Regular updates and refresher courses should be integrated to reinforce learning and keep healthcare professionals informed about the latest evidence-based practices and safety measures.
By incorporating education into the Root Cause Analysis model, this identifies the immediate causes of adverse events and proactively works towards preventing future occurrences (Jones & Despotou, 2016). This strategy fosters a culture of continuous improvement and empowers healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to provide safer and higher-quality patient care. Additionally, the monitoring and feedback steps of the RCA model can be utilized to assess the effectiveness of the educational initiatives and make necessary adjustments for ongoing improvement.