Leadership in Quality Improvement

by | Nov 28, 2024 | Leadership

 

Data to support patient care comes from a variety of sources that contain differing data types. Key activities to use clinical data include identifying the sources of data, understanding the data types and associated methods to work with the data, and identifying the necessary resources to complete your IT project.
The scope of your IT project will determine the level of data access required and the associated data storage needs. Data used in multisite projects will require IRB oversight and often require the execution of a DUA if transferring data outside of the institution or receiving data from another institution.
Identifying and assembling an adequate project team is based on the needs of the project. At a minimum, you will need to include frontline staff that will use the product, a data analyst capable of completing the ETL process on the data, and potentially statisticians to conduct appropriate model building and outcomes analyses.
There are multiple approaches to analyzing data. AI is the latest advance in machine learning approaches that include supervised, in which data is labeled and the algorithm is guided with statistical considerations, and unsupervised, in which unlabeled data is used to infer meaning. While robust, machine learning approaches require interdisciplinary teams and large resource dedication to complete.
All projects require review and potential revision over time. Follow-up and review of implemented programs should be included in the initial planning stages and resource allocation decisions at project inception.

 

Let us consider the following for the quality improvement project:
You are a new manager on your Heart Failure/Cardiac step-down unit and have high hopes for your floor.

Identify several IT projects that you as the nurse manager of a nursing unit could develop to support the operations of the nursing floor to promote compliance with daily weights for your HF patients.

As you do your RCA analysis you realize that compliance to many of the issues causing experiences on your floor is due to the poor health data literacy within your nursing staff. Why is it important for nurse leaders to develop health data literacy?

As you begin to form your team for your IT projects you question yourself as to who will comprise the team.
Who are the various team members to consider adding to the team? Identify their roles and contributions to the project.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Identifying IT Projects to Improve HF Patient Care

IT Projects to Improve HF Patient Compliance

As a nurse manager on a heart failure step-down unit, several IT projects can be implemented to improve compliance with daily weights for HF patients. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Automated Weight Tracking System:

    • Description: Develop a system that automatically records patient weights using smart scales integrated with the electronic health record (EHR).
    • Benefits: Reduces manual data entry errors, improves data accuracy, and facilitates real-time monitoring of weight trends.

Identifying IT Projects to Improve HF Patient Care

IT Projects to Improve HF Patient Compliance

As a nurse manager on a heart failure step-down unit, several IT projects can be implemented to improve compliance with daily weights for HF patients. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Automated Weight Tracking System:

    • Description: Develop a system that automatically records patient weights using smart scales integrated with the electronic health record (EHR).
    • Benefits: Reduces manual data entry errors, improves data accuracy, and facilitates real-time monitoring of weight trends.

  1. Patient Portal with Weight Tracking:

    • Description: Create a patient portal that allows patients to input their daily weight and receive personalized feedback and reminders.
    • Benefits: Enhances patient engagement, promotes self-management, and improves adherence to treatment plans.

  2. Real-Time Weight Monitoring with Alerts:

    • Description: Implement a system that monitors patient weight in real-time and generates alerts for significant weight changes.
    • Benefits: Enables early intervention for worsening heart failure, reduces hospital readmissions, and improves patient outcomes.

Importance of Health Data Literacy for Nurse Leaders

Health data literacy is crucial for nurse leaders to effectively utilize and interpret data to improve patient care. It empowers nurses to:

  • Make informed decisions: By understanding data trends, nurses can identify areas for improvement and implement evidence-based practices.
  • Enhance patient care: Data-driven insights can help identify patients at risk, optimize treatment plans, and improve patient outcomes.
  • Improve efficiency: By utilizing data to streamline workflows and reduce administrative burdens, nurses can focus on direct patient care.
  • Advocate for change: Data can be used to advocate for increased resources, policy changes, and innovative solutions to address healthcare challenges.

Building a Project Team

A successful IT project team should include a diverse range of individuals with complementary skills. Here are some key roles and responsibilities:

  • Project Manager: Oversees the entire project, including planning, execution, and monitoring.
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): Provides clinical expertise, identifies clinical needs, and ensures the project aligns with evidence-based practices.
  • Health Information Technology (HIT) Specialist: Manages technical aspects of the project, including system implementation, data integration, and security.
  • Data Analyst: Collects, cleans, and analyzes data to inform decision-making and evaluate project outcomes.
  • End-Users (Nurses): Provide input on workflow, usability, and training needs.
  • IT Support: Provides technical support and troubleshooting.

By assembling a skilled and dedicated team, healthcare organizations can successfully implement IT projects that improve patient care and operational efficiency.

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