633 Discussion I

Quality Improvement in Nursing

Michael Moates, Ed.D.

Herzing University

Safety and Quality (NSG633-7H)

Dr. Aubrey Fox

September 3, 2025

In Nursing, quality improvement refers to the process by which a nurse identifies, analyzes, and implements real world change using evidence-based practices to enhance patient outcomes (Nevada State University, 2024). This can come in many forms but two that come to mind are professional development and the institutional review board process.

Most major hospitals including the one that I worked for are required to meet certain guidelines in order to be accredited. A good chunk of hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission which is why I chose their National Patient Safety Goals and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies as my resources. The topic that I find most interesting is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). According to the Joint Commission (2024), evidence-based practice is the hallmark of successful nursing care.

Nurses can utilize national and government resources to increase successful patient outcomes by understanding what has led to successful outcomes and what has shown to be ineffective at treating patients. It is important for nurses to use all resources available to them including but not limited to research based practice, collaborative team support, patient feedback, holistic family and caregiver support, and more.

Two other things that are important when considering quality care are experience and scope of practice. Have you done this task before and how many times? Do you feel confident in what you are about to do? Is it something that is authorized for you to do by law? Obviously, different levels of nursing have different rights and responsibilities from an LPN to RN to APRN. This is something that must be considered.

References:

The Joint Commission. (2024). National patient safety goals effective January 2024. https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/national-patient-safety-goals/

Nevada State University. (2024, December 19). Enhancing patient care: Quality improvement in nursing. RN to BSN. Retrieved September 2, 2025, from Nevada State University website

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses. (n.d.). QSEN competencies. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing. http://qsen.org/competencies/