Health care organizations and professionals strive to create safe environments for
patients; however, due to the complexity of the health care system, maintaining safety
can be a challenge. Since nurses comprise the largest group of health care professionals,
a great deal of responsibility falls in the hands of practicing nurses. Quality improvement
(QI) measures and safety improvement plans are effective interventions to reduce
medical errors and sentinel events such as medication errors, falls, infections, and deaths.
A 2000 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report indicated that almost one million people are
harmed annually in the United States, (Kohn et al., 2000) and 210,000–440,000 die as a
result of medical errors (Allen, 2013).
The role of the baccalaureate nurse includes identifying and explaining specific patient
risk factors, incorporating evidence-based solutions to improving patient safety and
coordinating care. A solid foundation of knowledge and understanding of safety
organizations such as Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN), the Institute of
Medicine (IOM), and The Joint Commission and its National Patient Safety Goals
(NPSGs) program is vital to practicing nurses with regard to providing and promoting
safe and effective patient care.
You are encouraged to complete the Identifying Safety Risks and Solutions activity. This
activity offers an opportunity to review a case study and practice identifying safety risks
and possible solutions. We have found that learners who complete course activities and
review resources are more successful with first submissions. Completing course
activities is also a way to demonstrate course engagement.
References
Allen, M. (2013). How many die from medical mistakes in U.S. hospitals?
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/09/20/224507654/how-many-die-
from-medical-mistakes-in-u-s-hospitals.
Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J., & Donaldson, M. S. (Eds.). (2000). To err is human: Building a safer
health system. National Academy Press
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs): Healthcare-Associated Infections,
commonly referred to as HAIs, are infections that patients acquire while receiving
treatment for other conditions within a healthcare setting. These infections can occur in
any healthcare setting, from hospitals to outpatient clinics. Understanding the
significance of HAIs is crucial for nursing students for the following reasons:
Patient Morbidity and Mortality: HAIs can lead to severe health complications.
Depending on the type of infection and the patient’s underlying health conditions,
HAIs can result in prolonged illness, the need for intensive treatments, or even
death. For instance, sepsis, which can arise from an HAI, is a life-threatening
condition that requires immediate intervention.
Extended Hospital Stays: Patients with HAIs often require extended hospital
stays for additional treatments, such as antibiotics or surgeries. This not only
increases the patient’s risk of acquiring other complications but also adds to their
emotional and psychological stress.
Increased Healthcare Costs: The extended hospital stays, additional
treatments, and interventions associated with HAIs result in significant financial
burdens. These costs are borne by healthcare systems, insurance providers, and
often, the patients themselves.
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Antibiotic Resistance: The overuse or misuse of antibiotics to treat HAIs can
lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. These
“superbugs” are harder to treat and can spread to other patients, posing a
significant public health threat.
Emotional and Psychological Impact: Acquiring an infection while seeking
treatment for another condition can be distressing for patients. They may feel
betrayed by the very system they trusted to heal them. This can lead to feelings
of anxiety, fear, and mistrust towards healthcare providers.
Reputation and Trust: Just as with falls, repeated incidents of HAIs can impact
the reputation of a healthcare facility. High rates of HAIs can lead to decreased
public trust and potential legal implications.
Regulatory Implications: Healthcare facilities are held to strict standards by
regulatory and accrediting bodies. High rates of HAIs can result in penalties,
increased inspections, and challenges in maintaining accreditation.
For this assessment, you will analyze a safety quality issue in a health care setting and
identify a quality improvement (QI) initiative.
Be sure that your plan addresses the following, which corresponds to the grading criteria
in the scoring guide. Please study the scoring guide carefully so that you know what is
needed for a distinguished score.
• Explain factors leading to a specific patient-safety risk in a health care setting.
• Explain evidence-based and best-practice solutions to improve patient safety and
reduce costs.
• Explain how nurses can help coordinate care to increase patient safety and reduce
costs.
• Identify stakeholders with whom nurses would coordinate to drive safety
enhancements with a specific safety quality issue.
• Communicate using writing that is clear, logical, and professional, with correct
grammar and spelling, using current APA style.
• Length of submission: 3–5 pages, plus title and reference pages.
• Number of references: Cite a minimum of 4 sources of scholarly or professional
evidence that support your findings and considerations. Resources should be no
more than 5 years old.
• APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA
style.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Analyze the elements of a successful quality improvement initiative.
o Explain evidence-based and best-practice solutions to improve patient safety and
reduce costs.
• Competency 2: Analyze factors that lead to patient safety risks.
o Explain factors leading to a specific patient-safety risk in a health care setting.
• Competency 4: Explain the nurse’s role in coordinating care to enhance quality and
reduce costs.
o Explain how nurses can help coordinate care to increase patient safety and reduce
costs.
o Identify stakeholders with whom nurses would coordinate to drive safety
enhancements with a specific safety quality issue.
• Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly, evidence-based strategies to
communicate in a manner that supports safe and effective patient care.
o Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors
in grammar or punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
o Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless
adherence to APA format.
