Organizational and Leadership Strategies to Improve Patient Safety and Quality
What role do leaders have in improving patient care? Why must leaders serve as the driving force for change? How can quality leadership translate to quality improvement for patient safety and quality?
Throughout this course, you have examined quality improvement models and methods in healthcare and nursing practice. From the theories to data analysis, you have explored how quality improvement initiatives are enacted and why they are important for improving efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of healthcare.
The effectiveness of an organization is often top down; meaning, leadership shapes the tone, culture, and response of a workplace. An effective leader can motivate for change and innovation, while an ineffective leader can create divineness and skepticism.
This week, you will examine the role of leadership as it relates to quality improvement. You will consider how leadership strategies may impact quality improvement for organizations and nursing practice. What types of leaders and leadership practices do you think best correlate to improved patient care and quality outcomes?
Learning Objectives
Students will:
• Assess personal strengths and potential gaps in relation to nurse leadership competencies
• Analyze goals for nurse leadership development
• Analyze how goals for nurse leadership development relate to the role of the nurse leader
Learning Resources
Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
American College of Healthcare Executives. (2017). The healthcare executive’s role in ensuring quality and patient safety [Policy statement]. https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/policy-statements/healthcare-executives-role-in-ensuring-quality-and-safety
American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (n.d.). AONL nurse leader competencies. https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies
Feldman, S. S., Buchalter, S., Zink, D., Slovensky, D. J., & Hayes, L. W. (2019). Training leaders for a culture of quality and safety. Leadership in Health Services, 32(2), 251–263. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-09-2018-0041
Healthcare Leadership Alliance. (2017). Introducing the HLA competency directory (Version 2.0). http://www.healthcareleadershipalliance.org/
Johannessen, T., Ree, E., Strømme, T., Aase, I., Bal, R., & Wiig, S. (2019). Designing and pilot testing of a leadership intervention to improve quality and safety in nursing homes and home care (the SAFE-LEAD intervention). BMJ Open, 9(6), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027790
The Joint Commission. (2017). The essential role of leadership in developing a safety culture. Sentinel Event Alert, 57, 1–8. https://www.jointcommission.org/-/media/deprecated-unorganized/imported-assets/tjc/system-folders/topics-library/sea_57_safety_culture_leadership_0317pdf.pdf?db=web&hash=10CEAE0FD05B6C3A4A1F040F7B69EBE9
Assignment: Leadership Assessment
What personal strengths do you have that would make you an effective nurse leader? What potential gaps might you need to address to improve your ability to be an effective nurse leader?
As a future DNP-prepared nurse, you will be called upon as a leader in your field, a leader in your practice, and a leader in your organization. Throughout your program of study, you will develop the skills, strategies, and knowledge to not only harness this role successfully but to do so at a high level of achievement and performance.
However, everyone must acknowledge both their own strengths and weaknesses, as a leader, and identify potential areas of improve to enhance these capabilities.
For this Assignment, you will explore your strengths and potential gaps based on the nurse leadership competencies provided. Review the competencies that best fit into your current nursing role (nurse executive competencies, system CNE competencies etc…). Reflect on potential goals you might set to improve as a nurse leader. You will also reflect on how this goal setting and self-examination will not only improve your nursing practice but also your healthcare organization.
Note: You do not need to pay for the Nurse Leader Skill Assessment at the end of the competencies list provided.
To Prepare:
• Review the nurse leadership competencies presented in the Learning Resources for this week.
• Reflect on these competencies, and consider your own personal strengths and potential gaps in relation to these competencies.
• Consider potential goals for your leadership development in relation to the nurse leadership competencies presented.
The Assignment: (5 pages)
• Explain your self-assessment in relation to the nurse leadership competencies. Be sure to identify your strengths and potential gaps in relation to these competencies.
• Describe at least four goals for nurse leadership development that you would like to pursue, given the results of your self-assessment. Be specific.
• Explain why these goals are pertinent to your development as a nurse leader. How will developing these leadership competencies support your healthcare organization or nursing practice? Be specific.
