Quality Improvement Initiative
A project Aimed to Prevent Pressure Ulcers for the Inpatients
Introduction
Pressure ulcers are a common complication for hospitalized patients and impose a significant burden on the patients, nurses, in addition to other healthcare professionals, families, and patient caregivers (Boyko et al., 2018). Even though pressure ulcers can be prevented, they continue to be a major patient safety that leads to significant patient harm. Since pressure ulcers are preventable, this summary recommends a project aimed to prevent pressure ulcers among inpatients. Quality Improvement Initiative Essay Paper
Purpose
The proposed program aims to implement a pressure ulcer prevention project in my healthcare organization. Secondly, the project plans to provide education to the nursing staff about strategies to prevent pressure ulcers. The proposed project will cover:
- The implementation of a comprehensive care plan mandating assessment, close monitoring and documentation for patients with pressure ulcers
- A 2-hour interval repositioning of all bed-ridden patients as this relieves and prevents the development of the pressure ulcers
- Educating the nursing staff on how to identify and assess patients at a higher risk of pressure ulcers and the appropriate care and treatment for pressure ulcers
- Developing a program aimed to provide continuous education on management of pressure ulcers and skin maintenance
The proposed project will be implemented by a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses, among other healthcare providers.
The Target Population
The proposed project targets the older adults admitted to the hospital and the critically sick patients. Evidence indicates that approximately 72% of patients with pressure ulcers during hospitalization occur among the older adults (Nuru et al, 2015). Additionally, advanced age, lack of mobility, dementia, poor nutrition, and being bed-ridden are the main factors allied to pressure ulcers among inpatients (Nuru et al, 2015). Therefore, the proposed project targets hospitalized older adults and critically ill patients, as well as patients requiring to be monitored closely for pressure ulcers. Quality Improvement Initiative Essay Paper
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Benefits of the Project
It is projected that the implementation of the program will lead to a reduced rate of pressure ulcers among inpatients. The program will also eradicate complications allied to pressure ulcers and other effects of pressure ulcers such as infectious wounds, lowered quality of life, discomfort, and in some instances, death (Jaul et al., 2018). The project will also decrease healthcare costs and improve the rating for the organization because pressure ulcers are a pointer of the quality of healthcare (Cano et al, 2015).
The Cost or Budget Justification
The organization sustains significant costs associated with treating and managing pressure ulcers. Statistics indicate that the cost of care in treating a single pressure ulcer ranges between $500 – $70,000 while the cost of treating a stage 5 pressure ulcer is $129, 000, 000 (Soban et al., 2017). The total cost involved in treating pressure ulcers within the US takes approximately 2% of the total American budget for healthcare. Moreover, the costs involved in preventative care for pressure ulcers are very low in comparison to the treatment cost (Soban et al., 2017). This supports the implementation of the proposed project as it will focus on preventing pressure ulcers. The cost of implementing the project is significantly low in comparison to the costs allied to treating pressure ulcers in healthcare organizations.
Project Evaluation
Quality improvement programs aim to enhance the quality of care and efficiency of organizational operations (Roberts et al, 2016). Therefore, evaluation of the quality improvement projects involves assessing the quality of care and the efficiency of operations. Evaluation of the proposed program will thus involve assessment of the rate of pressure ulcers among the target population before the implementation of the project and after the implementation of the project. Additionally, the evaluation will also include observation of the nursing staff to assess their adherence to the proposed guidelines to prevent pressure ulcers such as frequent repositioning of the bedridden patients (Roberts et al, 2015).
A questionnaire will be used to collect the data before and after the implementation of the program. The questionnaire will assess aspects like the number/incidents/rate of pressure ulcers for the target population; clinical indication; competency of nurses to identify those predisposed to developing pressure ulcers; the adherence of the nursing staff to recommended strategies and measures to prevent pressure ulcers. The efficacy of the program and the recommended interventions for the prevention of pressure ulcers, along with the cost-effectiveness of the program should be re-evaluated annually (Soban et al, 2017).
Summary
Pressure ulcers have major adverse effects on patients like descreased quality of life, discomfort, disability, and death. They also prolong the hospital stay and are very costly for healthcare organizations. The proposed program compromises the implementation of a comprehensive care plan to assess and monitor patients having pressure ulcers, identification of patients highly predisposed to pressure ulcers, frequent repositioning of bedridden patients, and education for the nursing staff about the appropriate preventative measures for pressure ulcers.
References
Boyko, T. V., Longaker, M. T., & Yang, G. P. (2018). Review of the current management of pressure ulcers. Advances in wound care, 7(2), 57-67.
Cano A, Debbie A, Stamp H, Joaquin F, Lopez J, Lupe L, Steven S & Young D, 2015, Improving Outcomes by Implementing a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program (PUPP): Going beyond the Basics, Healthcare (Basel), 3(3), 574–585.
Jaul, E., Barron, J., Rosenzweig, J. P., & Menczel, J. (2018). An overview of co-morbidities and the development of pressure ulcers among older adults. BMC geriatrics, 18(1), 1-11.
Nuru N, Zewdu F, Amsalu S & Mehretie Y, 2015, Knowledge and practice of nurses towards prevention of pressure ulcer and associated factors in Gondar University Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, BMC Nursing, 14(34).
Roberts S, McInnes E, Wallis M, Tracey B, Banks M & Wendy C, 2016, Nurses’ perceptions of a pressure ulcer prevention care bundle: a qualitative descriptive study, BMC Nursing, 15(64).
Soban L, Kim L, Yuan A & Miltner R, 2017, Organizational Strategies to Implement Hospital Pressure Ulcer Prevention Programs: Findings from a National Survey, J Nurs Manag, 25(6), 457–467.
PLEASE CHOOSE ANY ACCEPTABLE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE THAT CAN WORK IN A HOSPITAL UNIT SETTING. DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU PICK.
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In this assignment, you will propose a quality improvement initiative from your place of employment that could easily be implemented if approved. Assume you are presenting this program to the board for approval of funding. Write an executive summary to present to the board, from which the board will make its decision to fund your program or project. Include the following:
- The purpose of the quality improvement initiative.
- The target population or audience.
- The benefits of the quality improvement initiative.
- The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative.
- The cost or budget justification.
- The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated.
Quality Improvement Initiative Essay Paper