Essential III
Quality Improvement and Safety
"Recognizes that a master’s-prepared nurse must be articulate in the methods, tools, performance measures, and standards related to quality, as well as prepared to apply quality principles within an organization"
(American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2011, p. 4)
Since beginning this program, I have learned many different tools, methods, and resources that are important and helpful for determining and providing high-quality healthcare and safety. For example, I had never performed a mini-mental status test on a patient before I began this journey. Quality improvement and safety measures are goals that can always be improved upon. This program has prepared me to become a principled leader, striving to continually incorporate new strategies and metrics to improve outcomes and safety. Providing high-quality and safe care is of the utmost importance as a healthcare provider. The graduate coursework and my clinical experiences provided me with advanced knowledge and experience to apply the highest principles and standards of quality and safety.
During this program, I have developed skills in using various methods that enhance the quality and safety of patient care. The Geriatric Assessment assignment is a SOAP note performed on a geriatric female. Various tests were performed during this visit such as clock-drawing test, get up and go test, and geriatric depression scale.
This assignment discusses the national standards of care based on the healthcare quality perspective. This assignment applies to this essential as it outlines quality and safety standards of care.
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The Informatics Discussion Board is a thought-provoking informatics assignment that discusses what resources a public health nurse informaticist could use in the event that a flu season threatens to cause more wide-spread transmission and more serious illness. This assignment meets this essential as knowing effective resources to determine information about vaccines is a quality improvement and safety issue.
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The Pharmacology Discussion Board is an assignment completed in pharmacology on thyroid hormone replacement therapies. The assignment is a discussion about these medications, and how to treat and manage a patient with hypothyroidism. There are some safety concerns with patients with hypothyroidism and providers need to be aware of these concerns while managing this disease. This assignment discusses these concerns and the importance of maintaining high-quality care and ensuring patient safety.
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