Running head: Organizational Systems Task 1 2
Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership
Task 1
Chaniece Vasquez
Western Governors University
A. Understanding of Nursing Quality Indicators
Nursing-sensitive indicators identify structures of care and care processes, both of which in turn influence care outcomes (Montalvo, 2007). The indicators reflect nursing and the impacts it has on patient care. The mission behind this is to help nurses with patient safety and improving quality by providing access to research-based material that correlates nursing care and patient outcome. In the scenario if the nurses who were caring for Mr. J were educated on the Nursing Quality Indicators surrounding pressure ulcers, and restraints then the outcomes experienced by Mr. J could have been avoided. The patient was admitted following a hip fracture and who has a history of dementia. The patient has also exhibited drowsiness from the medication, all of these are indicators for high fall risk. The nurse appears to have tried to prevent one of the indicators which is prevalence of falls by restraining the patient which in turn caused a decrease in patient satisfaction. A high fall risk is not an indicator for restraints; therefore, the nurse restrained the patient to help make her assignment more manageable. There are other practices in place to use for a patient who is a high fall risk including a sign that is posted outside of the room, fall socks as well as bed alarms that sound when the patient leaves the bed. Another intervention could be to place the patient’s room near the nursing station so that the patient can be seen. Nursing sensitive indicators tend to make you more aware of certain issues in patent care. This allows the nurse to be more aware of skin breakdown, and to make sure a skin assessment is being performed on the patient each shift by using tools such as the Braden scale, and to assist in turning the patient so that there is a relief of pressure on the skin. Patients should be turned according to hospital policy and any breakdown should be noted. The patient should never...
