Writing Assignment Guidelines:
First, select a topic of interest that reflects a patient/client quality safety issue. Examples could include but not limited to falls, HAC, peri-op issues, nutritional needs of long-term residents or clinical documentation. Remember to think outside of nursing – it is a systems issue that you want to address and not place blame on one discipline or team member. Also, look at Chapter 8 even though we have not read it yet – it highlights some potential risks.
* Topics need to be approved by the course professor. The goal is to assure different topics will be addressed to provide diversity for week 8 CQI Project Presentation.
Theoretically, why is this topic a quality safety concern? How does it impact the patient/client? What is being said about your selected quality safety issue on the national, state, and local level?
Research what is being reported on the topic in the literature and in the documents/reports from the agencies you have read about in the first few modules of the course. Identify national or state benchmarks or other institution rates that pertain to your topic. This will allow you to compare your agencies or institutions performance to these outside benchmarks.
What is the literature saying regarding the methodology of the quality safety concern? From the literature and relevant agencies, reflect on what they are reporting is being done to address the issue. The paper should be 7 to 10 pages not including the title and reference page. For grading criteria, review the Utica College NUR Writing Rubric located in the Assignment Support section.
Here are a few notes on the paper:
1. First please review the grading rubric
2. The directions are explained in Module 4
3. Remember your APA and you MUST use headers for each section if you want to make sure the reader (me) knows exactly what each section of the paper is being discussed
4. An example of how the format of the paper could follow:
Introduction
Theoretically – why is it an issue, how does it impact the pt/client, what is being said at a local, state and national level
Research – what does the literature say on the topic
any reports, agencies, documents discussing the topic
Identify national and/or state benchmarks and how it compares to your institution
Benchmarking
Methodology – reflect on what has been said about your issue, postulate how to use the information – what type of improvements can be made based on the methods, rules or discipline that govern the topic
Conclusion
As you write you can say “this author” because you will be talking about your institution. Make it as real as possible. Because this is the basis for your presentation to your institutions CQI committee.
