Continuous Quality Improvement

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) refers to the process of ensuring the constant advancement of services with the aim of achieving improved outcomes (McLaughlin, 2004). CQI includes quality assurance, quality improvement, and problem resolution. Quality assurance involves providing services of an appropriate standard. On the other hand, quality improvement is a continuous process aimed at producing better healthcare services to the clients (McLaughlin, 2004). It also improves the resolution of problems that arise while providing healthcare services. In my current position, a lot of time is wasted on ordering frequently used equipment from the supplies department. It takes a lot of time for nurses to walk to the supplies department, which is not located near the patient rooms to get the equipment and supplies. Every time nurses need to use thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, syringes, patient gowns, suction catheters, and oxygen tubing, they have to leave the patient room and walk to the supplies department where more time is wasted in locating the required equipment.

I would apply CQI to improve efficiency in the hospital and patient outcomes by reducing the time wasted by the nurses in looking for the supplies and equipment so that they can increase their focus on the patients (Rutherford, Bartley, & Miller, 2008). I would consult the hospital management and have the hospital change the location of the supplies and have them located in all the patient rooms. This would ensure that the patients are attended to promptly since the supplies are inside their rooms (Silow-Carroll, Alteras, & Meyer, 2007). Nurses’ time would be saved and they would focus more on the patient instead of walking to the supplies department several times each day (Silow-Carroll et al., 2007). The satisfaction of the nurses would increase since their jobs would be easier and also the patient outcomes and satisfaction would improve since they will be well attended to (Rutherford et al., 2008).

References

McLaughlin, C. P. (2004). Continuous quality improvement in health care: theory, implementation, and applications. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=6pOyV0SDZ8MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=McLaughlin,+C.+P.+%282004%29.+Continuous+quality+improvement+in+health+care:+theory,+implementation,+and+applications.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=e8ymUpO6Au6A7Qa-yIHABQ&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=McLaughlin%2C%20C.%20P.%20%282004%29.%20Continuous%20quality%20improvement%20in%20health%20care%3A%20theory%2C%20implementation%2C%20and%20applications.&f=false

Rutherford, P., Bartley, A., & Miller, D. (2008). Transforming Care at the Bedside How-to Guide: Increasing Nurses’ Time in Direct Patient Care. Cambridge, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Silow-Carroll, S., Alteras, T., & Meyer, J. A. (2007). Hospital quality improvement: Strategies and lessons from US hospitals. New York, The Commonwealth Fund.