NURS 3150 Week 5 Discussion – Access to Existing Databases on Patient Safety, Quality of Care, and Clinical Practice

NURS 3150  Week 5 Discussion – Access to Existing Databases on Patient Safety, Quality of Care, and Clinical Practice

Positive patient safety culture improves both the quality of care and patient safety. Nonetheless, having access to the necessary tools facilitates the development and evaluation of patient safety culture (Kuosmanen et al., 2019). Healthcare data sources are great tools containing quantitative patient safety outcomes data. For this week’s discussion, I utilized the Medicare.gov Medicare Hospital Compare website. The website contains a wealth of information and quantitative data about the quality of care at over 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals (Medicare.gov). Appropriate use of restraints is the patient safety issue I identified for this discussion. The variables I identified are hours that patients spent in physical restraints for every 1,000 hours of patient care, hours that patients spent in seclusion for every 1,000 hours of patient care, and patients who reported that their nurses “Always” communicated well.

The first patient safety variable identified is the hours that patients spent in physical restraints for every 1,000 hours of patient care. My healthcare organization’s rate of 0.04 is lower when compared to the Texas average of 0.07 and the national average of 0.36 (Medicare.gov). In order to maintain a low organizational average, our healthcare personnel must continue implementing the organization’s plan to reduce the use of restraints. The second variable identified is the hours that patients spent in seclusion for every 1,000 hours of patient care. My healthcare organization’s average of 0.46 is higher. When compared to the state average of 0.09 and the national average of 0.23 (Medicare.gov). With a rate higher than the state and nation, reinforcing our practical organizational strategy could provide insight for improvement. Moreover, annual training on verbal de-escalation procedures and the prevention and management of aggressive behavior is recommended (Knox & Holloman Jr., 2011). Lastly, patients who reported that their nurses “Always” communicated well as a recognized variable. 75% was a lower percentage rate when compared to the state and national percentage of 81 (Medicare.gov).

Improvement is needed because my organization’s percentage is less than the state and the nation. Many of the techniques and guidelines pertaining to de-escalation are verbal; therefore nurse to patient communication must be effective. Communication education and training for healthcare staff could improve nurse-patient communication.

NURS 3150  Week 5 Discussion – Access to Existing Databases on Patient Safety, Quality of Care, and Clinical Practice

In my healthcare facility, quantitative data and statistics are used to document, monitor and maintain quality standards of care. Each unit has weekly and monthly data reports posted on the unit, focused on quality care. Because a unit is composed of a team of nurses, locating and analyzing the data is an important aspect of practice. Personally, examining the data and identifying areas where improvements can be made has a positive effect on patient outcomes. Also, supporting and collaborating with fellow nurses, with respect to practice, strengthens the unit. Assisting and supporting my fellow nurse in an area where clinical improvements can be made has positive impacts on the nurse, the patient, the unit, and the healthcare organization.

References

Knox, D. K., & Holloman, G. H., Jr (2012). Use and avoidance of seclusion and restraint: consensus statement of the American Association for emergency psychiatry project Beta seclusion and restraint workgroup. The western journal of emergency medicine, 13(1), 35–40. doi:10.5811/westjem.2011.9.6867

Kuosmanen, A., Tiihonen, J., Repo, T. E., Eronen, M., & Turunen, H. (2019). Changes in patient safety culture: A patient safety intervention for Finnish forensic psychiatric hospital staff. Journal of Nursing Management (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), 27(4), 848–857. https://doi- org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1111/jonm.12760 Medicare.gov Hospital Compare. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html

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NURS 3150  Week 5 Discussion – Access to Existing Databases on Patient Safety, Quality of Care, and Clinical Practice

Post a description of one existing source of data you found with variables related to a patient quality and safety problem in your practice. Locate the data posted for your agency/facility. If you are unable to find this information for your agency, locate a national database that can be accessed by health professionals, e.g., Medicare Hospital Compare. (Data are also available for home health and nursing homes.) Include the citation and the link to use for web access. Identify three variables found in the database that are important in better understanding a patient safety problem. Explain how you would interpret the results and how they might help improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Explain how data is used in your own agency, including nursing involvement in the process.