Nursing Sensitive Indicators
Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership Task1
The American Nurses Association has played a major role in nursing practice in numerous ways including: defining the scope of practice, developing the Code of Ethics for Nurses, as well as defining nursing’s impact on patient outcomes by developing Nursing Sensitive Indicators. Nurses are often the first and most often seen face at the bedside, providing direct patient care and therefore have the most potential of directly affecting the quality of care and safety of patients. Nursing Sensitive Indicators are a collection of outcomes for patients, defined as being directly affected by the quality and quantity of nursing care. Increasing the awareness of these indicators to hospital staff provides the tools for continuous improvements in healthcare (Rowell, 2003). In the task scenario the patient care for Mr. J. was analyzed to determine how an understanding of Nursing Sensitive Indicators could have improved the quality and safety of his care. In addition to Nursing Sensitive Indicators, ethical principles involved in this scenario will also be discussed.
A. Nursing Sensitive Indicators …show more content…
J. his family noticed a red, depressed area over his lower spine and reported this to the nursing assistant. Knowledge and education regarding the Nursing Sensitive Indicator of pressure ulcers would have alerted the nursing assistant to have the nurse check the patient immediately and to reposition Mr. J. to offload the pressure on this area. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are a serious complication that can lead to infection, pain, increased hospital stay, and even death. Hospital awareness of this indicator can lead to increased education for staff and protocol development on how to assess skin for evidence of problems. These efforts can lead to the development of plans to identify patients at risk for pressure ulcers and how to treat ulcers of all stages (Armour-Burton, Fields, Outlaw, & Deleon,
The American Nurses Association has played a major role in nursing practice in numerous ways including: defining the scope of practice, developing the Code of Ethics for Nurses, as well as defining nursing’s impact on patient outcomes by developing Nursing Sensitive Indicators. Nurses are often the first and most often seen face at the bedside, providing direct patient care and therefore have the most potential of directly affecting the quality of care and safety of patients. Nursing Sensitive Indicators are a collection of outcomes for patients, defined as being directly affected by the quality and quantity of nursing care. Increasing the awareness of these indicators to hospital staff provides the tools for continuous improvements in healthcare (Rowell, 2003). In the task scenario the patient care for Mr. J. was analyzed to determine how an understanding of Nursing Sensitive Indicators could have improved the quality and safety of his care. In addition to Nursing Sensitive Indicators, ethical principles involved in this scenario will also be discussed.
A. Nursing Sensitive Indicators …show more content…
J. his family noticed a red, depressed area over his lower spine and reported this to the nursing assistant. Knowledge and education regarding the Nursing Sensitive Indicator of pressure ulcers would have alerted the nursing assistant to have the nurse check the patient immediately and to reposition Mr. J. to offload the pressure on this area. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are a serious complication that can lead to infection, pain, increased hospital stay, and even death. Hospital awareness of this indicator can lead to increased education for staff and protocol development on how to assess skin for evidence of problems. These efforts can lead to the development of plans to identify patients at risk for pressure ulcers and how to treat ulcers of all stages (Armour-Burton, Fields, Outlaw, & Deleon,