Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX8010: Executive Leadership in Contemporary Nursing
Prof Name
September 2024
Quality Improvement Proposal
Slide 1: Hello, my name is —. Today I’m excited to present my quality improvement proposal on enhancing our departmental strategic priorities.
Slide 2: A quality improvement proposal is intended to enhance a particular departmental priority through systematic changes concerning safety, efficiency, and patient satisfaction (Moon et al., 2022). It will focus on a strategic priority already identified during previous assessments, using evidence-based practices to fill the gap in care and improve health outcomes. By conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis, the proposal will aim to reveal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the initiative so a clear rationale of why the process is necessary can be demonstrated. Key performance indicators will be established, which provide a plan to monitor success and accountability along the path to continuous improvement. In their absence, the changes made will not last long enough for sustainability. In summary, the project is what sets organizational goals to be in line with the holistic needs of patients with the aim of quality enhancement.
The Rationale for Strategic Priority
Slide 3: Operations and patient outcomes are the two major objectives that precipitate strategic priority toward an average annual reduction of 5% in LOS at Mayo Clinic. Patients spending more time in hospitals implies increased healthcare costs, higher incidence of hospital-acquired infections, and fewer patients turning over important factors to sustain capacity and financial stability (Hopia & Heikkilä, 2020). Through the goal of LOS, Mayo Clinic works towards utilizing the available resources optimally and providing the best experience possible to the patient, thereby maintaining its commitment to delivering quality care.
The improvement of strategic LOS reduction methods can show tremendous impacts toward saving money in health care without trading off the quality of care (Weninger Henderson, 2020). It supports the operational goals of Mayo Clinic, fostering efficiency and streamlined patient flow, and indicates greater coordination among those teams who provide the care. Thus, it creates an effective healthcare delivery system that benefits patients and the organization as a whole.
SWOT Analysis
Slide 4: Using the SWOT analysis framework displayed below, one can discuss the 5% annual reduction in LOS for patients at Mayo Clinic:
Strengths
Mayo Clinic already boasts a reputation for clinical excellence, as well as highly interdisciplinary teams ensuring excellent quality of patient care (Adler-Milstein et al., 2022). The inclusion of advanced technology and innovative practices adds to the efficiency of the organization, allowing it to run seamlessly and streamline processes effectively.
Weaknesses
The other challenge this organization will have is high operational costs and variability of care delivery across the departments that can bring about non-uniformed patient experiences and delay efforts in reducing LOS (Griffiths et al., 2020).
Opportunities
There is an immense scope where data analytics can be utilized to highlight defects in the care procedures and flow of the patients. Collaboration with the regional health organizations can help make smooth transitions of patients and increase the potential of decreasing the readmission rates to better aim for the goal of achieving low LOS.
Threats
External pressures or threats include ever-changing healthcare and regulatory requirements as well as increased competition from other providers. Changes in patient demographics and expectations may also require continued adaptation of the service delivery models in order to ensure satisfaction and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicators for Measuring the Success
Slide 5: To measure if this quality improvement is a success, aimed at reducing LOS by 5% annually at Mayo Clinic, the key performance indicators will include the following:
- Average Length of Stay: This will be the main approach to the tracking average days patients have stayed in hospitals and see if it has reduced LOS by 5% just like it was targeted.
- The hospital will maintain tracking readmission rates. This can be measured by looking at the percentage of patients readmitted 30 days after discharge and relates to the overall consequences of trying to decrease LOS on outcomes and quality of care for patients (Kiwanuka et al., 2020).
- Patient satisfaction scores can be monitored using standardized patient satisfaction surveys, such as HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), in order to understand patient experiences and levels of satisfaction with their care.
- Among the metrics used are the occupancy rates of beds and staff-to-patient ratios, which shall be used in establishing the efficiency of resource use and effectiveness in care delivery.
- Cost per Patient Day: This financial indicator will measure the average cost incurred for each day a patient is hospitalized, thus helping to assess the economic impact of reducing LOS.
Value of Stakeholders’ Feedback
Slide 6: Incorporating stakeholder feedback, in particular, is always crucial in any quality improvement initiative because it involves diverse views about the way the design and implementation of the initiative should be improved (Belita et al., 2020). Involving healthcare providers, patients, and even administration staff ensures their different insights and concerns are heard and valued. It can create ownership and commitment to proposed changes. This collaborative approach identifies not only barriers to implementation but also opportunities for the betterment of initiatives. It is through obtaining input from stakeholders that Mayo Clinic can ensure its initiatives better meet the needs and expectations of those they impact, thereby giving them higher satisfaction and better outcomes.
Communication with stakeholders in the initiative could thus be structured by holding regular meetings or conducting focus groups and surveys for views at various steps in the initiative. Interdisciplinary teams can have representatives in all departments to promote open communication and shared responsibility for its success (Lobchuk et al., 2021). Another strategy would be keeping stakeholders updated on their input and integrating this feedback into action plans. This entails continuous engagement that will not only increase stakeholder buy-in but also relationships within the organization. Securing stakeholder support is most important, and it will guarantee that the initiative moves forward and is something well received and easily integrated into daily workflows, which will only help to bring forth sustained improvements in patient care as well as operational efficiency.
Contemporary Change Theory
Slide 7: One of the contemporary change theories that can help implement quality improvement at Mayo Clinic is Kotter’s Eight Steps for Leading Change (Graf et al., 2020). This model stresses the approach to the management of a process, beginning with building a sense of urgency for the reason that LOS should decrease. Pointing out the potential benefits in terms of improved patient outcomes and cost advantages might motivate stakeholders to understand why this initiative is important. Following that, the selection of a guiding coalition containing leaders and key stakeholders across departments is essential to drive the initiative into action. It would spearhead the initiative and ensure any resistance that might arise in implementing the initiative can be countered.
If the groundwork is established, Kotter’s model calls for a clear vision and strategy for the initiative to be developed (Nikaiin, 2021). It would ensure that all stakeholders know what the goals and processes are. Throughout an initiative, effective communication among its members is very important because it brings people on board and initiates teamwork. Actually, short-term wins can be implemented to bring momentum and reinforce the commitment to change the status quo, showing tangible progress to all stakeholders. Thus, by executing the Eight Steps of Kotter, Mayo Clinic will create a robust framework for managing complexities regarding the quality improvement initiative, with better transitions, building up a culture of continuous change in patient care delivery.
Policy Recommendations
Slide 8: In support of the proposed quality improvement initiative to reduce the length of stay at Mayo Clinic, a policy would be required to support standardized care protocols across all departments: To this end, a policy would be required to ensure the implementation of best practices for patient management, which in turn reduces variability in care and streamlines processes. It will better help the organization streamline faster decision-making since its admission, treatment, and discharge protocols will be less ambiguous (Gaudreau et al., 2024). The institution should also initiate training sessions to familiarize staff with such policies to instill a culture of responsibility and constant learning.
Other policy recommendations should include strengthening data collection and analysis to monitor the efficacy of the quality improvement plan. For instance, a LOS initiative can be implemented where regular reporting of critical indicators in LOS, patient outcomes, and resource utilization will be set. That is the kind of information that can easily let decision-makers know how the initiative is affecting the hospital. It will be data-driven-based, ensuring that strategies and intervention adjustments will come on time and according to the set goals for the initiative. The rationale for these policy changes lies in their ability to work toward enhancing patient safety, cost reduction, and efficiency in operations factors that are very much in line with Mayo Clinic’s vision of ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care (Vaismoradi et al., 2020). Most importantly, this environment and culture of openness and accountability will facilitate stakeholder participation and support for the initiative.
NURS FPX 8010 Assessment 4 Conclusion
Slide 9: Briefly, this effort at Mayo Clinic to improve the length of stay to a 5% annual decrease is an important milestone toward improving both operational efficiency and patient care (Mary Anne Schultz, 2023). This effort is rooted in an informed strategy with stakeholder engagement, using effective change management techniques for implementation, and implementing appropriate policy changes relevant to the situation. This program aligns with larger organizational strategic interests through a thorough analysis of its SWOT in order to focus precisely on patient outcomes. Ultimately, this effort is designed to optimize the distribution of its most important resources and, consequently, save costs; at the same time, Mayo Clinic reaffirms its commitment to delivering magnificent, high-quality, results-oriented care to its patients against an evolving backdrop of medicine.
NURS FPX 8010 Assessment 4 References
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