Ensuring Quality Patient Care & Safety in Health Organizations - Essay Sample

Introduction

Quality patient care and safety are essential in determining the level of health care offered to the patient in a hospital (Entwistle. 2007). Nurses play a crucial role in delivering this. Their knowledge and skills are essential in achieving standard nursing care. Quality care and safety measures prevent further harm to the patient. The study explores how quality patient care and safety is ensured in a health organization. The role of nurses and patients in providing quality care and security has also been stated. Plans and actions for future improvement of the situation have been covered too.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Nurse's Role in Patient Care Situation

In their training, nurses are equipped with knowledge and skills to ensure patient safety. For nurses to be effective in providing patient care, it is essential to assign them a manageable number of the patient. However, when the number increases, it becomes difficult for a nurse to be productive in ensuring safe care (Entwistle, 2007). Their essential roles in inpatient care include activities such as nursing work, consultation, providing education to patients, and frequent assessment of patient condition during and after treatment. Another critical event includes coordinating patients and responsible doctors. All the nurse's roles should be patient-centered

Role of Patient in Quality and Safety Situation

In- patients are responsible for reporting any failure in the system which is not seen or detected by nurses and other clinical officers. They should be active during and after treatment. These is very important because if the failures are not reported, they may lead to adverse conditions of the patient when hospitalized and even after discharge. Over the years, health research has been done, analyzed, and posted on various websites for public use. An example of this is The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's, and patients are provided with questions and answers concerning multiple infections. Patients are, therefore advised to use such programs to get information about their safety. Out-patients also have the responsibility of ensuring quality safety care. For a better outcome, they should follow every doctor's medication advice, including modern medicine taking and frequent reporting of their health condition.

Relationship Between The Patient's Care and Outcome

The main aim of quality patient care is to produce outcomes that are effective and safe. Quality patient care will lead to quality health outcomes of patient's and poor quality patient care will result in adverse clinical conditions. For example, in a hospital where patient-centered culture has been implemented, services are usually efficient and effective in improving patient's health faster. Patients are well monitored and the appropriate treatment administered. Here, risks that are likely to occur in Intensive Care Units and other wards are foreseen and prevented, therefore minimizing clinical worse condition of patients.

How the Care Environment Affect Quality or Safety Situation

To archive the quality care of patients in a health organization, nurses should asses all the factors within the working environment. The availability of support services improves patient care and outcomes. A health organization should have enough nursing with high skills and knowledge, clinical equipment, and other relevant support services such as efficient and effective communication systems which aid in attaining quality care and safety (Davies, 1994). The culture and beliefs of a health organization are also influential in determining quality care and positive outcomes. Adapting patient-centered culture makes nurses and other staff accountable for serving patients for a quality result.

Quality Model Employed

To improve patient's quality care and safety, a quality model has to be employed in the system and operation. Root Cause Analysis is one of the best models that can be used to improve the situation. The model involves identifying the problem and providing an effective solution to it. The model can be applied in health organizations to identify errors and failures while implementing an answer to them to improve quality care and safety. Risks and their trends that are likely to occur in the system are also assessed using this model.

Actions Taken to Improve Future Outcome

For a health organization to improve the quality of patient care and safety in the future, several measures have to be taken. Such efforts include employing enough nurses who are highly trained to give quality clinical services. All necessary equipment in the hospital should be provided and adequately managed; they must, however, be of reasonable standards (Malone, 2004). Proper medication should also be administered, the patient should be carefully monitored and wright medication provided. Other supportive services such as communication should as well improved. However, all the above may be vain without organization culture. Patient-centered culture should be developed and implemented in all operations.

Conclusion

The patient's quality of care and safety is essential in defining the outcome. Nurses are at the forefront of ensuring responsibility and safety because they spend more time with patients. Nurses working environment should be equipped with the necessary resources, which will help to improve the situation. The collaboration of nurses and patients is also vital in archiving quality care, safety, and outcome.

References

Davies, A. (1994). Patient Defined Outcomes. Quality And Safety In Health Care, 3(Suppl), 6-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/qshc.3.suppl.6

Entwistle, V. (2007). Differing Perspectives on Patient Involvement in Patient Safety. Quality And Safety In Health Care, 16(2), 82-83. https://doi.org/10.1136/qshc.2006.020362

Malone, B. (2004). Pursuing Patient Safety. Quality And Safety In Health Care, 13(2), 86-87. https://doi.org/10.1136/qshc.2003.009498