SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

My Service Improvement Project

By

INTRODUCTION3

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND5

SERVICE IMPROVEMENT7

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED CHANGE10

Step 1: Planning Cycle10

Development of the Improvement Plan14

Assessed the Current Care Process14

Analyzed Causes for High Readmission Rate14

Formulation of the Predictions, Theories, and Questions14

Roles and Responsibilities15

Step 2: Implement the Plan or Do Cycle16

Step 3: Study Cycle17

Step 4: Act Cycle18

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS18

EVALUATION19

CONCLUSION21

APPENDIX26

My Service Improvement Project

Introduction

The rationale for the recent modernization in the field of health services for ensuring the care provided to the patients is off high quality, and supported by appropriate planning framework, has been set out in various social policy and strategic health documents. The current focus on the role of self improvement for the achievement of enhanced safety of patients, and a high level of client specific services has now become an essential part of this process of modernization. In this research study, the major focus is on the contemporary thinking regarding the relevance of service improvement as a sensible perception for busy nurses. It is immensely important that each and every individual should be encouraged to work with others, and at the same time improve their part of the service by learning from such service improvement programs (Wagner et.al, 2009, pp. 64-78). Nurses specifically are well versed in reflective practice, and they can often identify the improvements that are essential to make under the circumstances. However, there can be a situation where the nurse might lack the knowledge, confidence, and the skills to take a certain action for resolving the situation (Wagner et.al, 2010, pp. 63-80).

This research study describes a service improvement project, which is developed with the help of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology. This methodology stands the test of time and is relatively easy to implement. W. Edwards Deming describes the PDSA model as a framework to plan an improvement, test the plan on a small scale, study the results of the test and then act to implement the plan. The steps of the model repeat themselves, creating the continuous cycle for improvement (Evans & Lindsay, 2008). In this dissertation the researcher will maintain a high level confidentiality, all the personal information of the participants included in the dissertation is protected to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at the highest standard possible. In addition, the personal indemnification details such as the names and identification numbers are not included anywhere in this study. This would protect the participants from the public identification during and after the research.

The PDSA project addresses a problem identified by the hospital's Heart Failure (HF) Team. The team discovered that the HF patient population experienced a four-fold increase in readmissions over a six-month period. The scope of the project addressed gaps in care from point of admission through discharge and beyond. The objective is to improve transitions of care along the whole continuum of care providers. The goal is to establish standardized processes to assure high-quality care for every HF patient admission. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology provided the framework for the strategies developed in the project (Gupta, ...