Nursing Quality Indicators: Analysis and Recommendations

This report provides an analysis of nursing quality indicators, focusing on structural, process, and outcome indicators within a healthcare setting. The report examines a scenario where a patient's care is compromised due to deficiencies in nursing practices, including inadequate assessment of patient needs, dietary errors, and a lack of communication. It highlights the importance of structural indicators, such as nursing staff skills and education, and process indicators, like patient assessment and intervention, in ensuring quality care. The report also addresses ethical issues arising from the scenario, such as negligence and lack of accountability, and proposes solutions using system resources like financial and information technology resources to improve patient care and communication. The conclusion emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to treat patients with utmost concern, regardless of their background, to ensure optimal patient outcomes and uphold ethical standards.

Running head: Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators 1
Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators
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Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators
A. UNDERSTANDING OF NURSING QUALITY INDICATORS
Nursing quality indicators are the three indicators that are believed to reflect the three aspects of
nursing care. The first indicators, which are structural indicators, deal with the nursing staff
supply, the level of skills provided by the nursing staff, and the certification and education levels
of the nurses and staff (Chang & Daly, 2012). The second indicators are the process indicators
that are responsible for the assessment of the patients and intervention of nurses. The job
satisfaction of nurses is also categorized under this indicator. The last indicators are the outcome
indicators. They reflect the outcomes of the patients, which are determined to be dependent on
the quantity or effectiveness of nursing. About the structural indicators in the scenario given, it is
evident that the skills of the nursing staff are low since the assistant nurse ignores the redness
that is appearing over Mr. J's spine, telling the daughter that he would be fine. The process
indicators are down since the assistant was supposed to report the redness on the patients back to
the nurse in charge, an issue that she ignored. Mr. J's spine redness could have been a sign of
internal injuries or bleeding that needed immediate attention.
When it comes to the diet, it was the duty of the nurse in charge, and the kitchen staff to make
sure that the food on the patient's tray is recommended for the patient to avoid any
complications. After realizing the mistake, the nurse should have immediately reacted and
changed the patient's diet. The decision made by the supervising nurse of not telling the daughter
about the situation with the meal also shows that the hospital is not honest nor accountable for
the safety and care of the patients. The act also depicts negligence in the hospital.
B. ADVANCING QUALITY HEALTHCARE

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Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators
Hospitals are supposed to offer quality health care to all its patients. The presence of specific
nursing quality indicators brings about the application of evidence-based guidelines. Pressure
ulcers and falls reflect how nursing care impacts the outcomes of patients. Nursing quality
indicators help in setting goals by the institution to identify the opportunities and create action
plans that help in improving the noted nursing quality indicators. Research is carried out on the
proposed ways of treating the NSQIs through measuring, evaluating and the analysis of unit-
specific data that leads to nursing actions of improving the nursing practice quality.NSQIs also
guide the monitoring, evaluation of care , activities of service in nursing and help in establishing
excellence standards when offering care.
C. RESOLUTION OF ETHICAL ISSUES
To resolve any ethical issues, the situation is at first identified. Due to the negligence portrayed,
it is evident that the hospital staff has many incompetent people. The kitchen staff should have
confirmed the diet before taking it to the patient. The supervising nurse was also supposed to
confirm that the meal delivered to the patient was the prescribed patient's meal. She was also
supposed to inform the patient's daughter, but she instead decided to keep it a secret, which was
wrong. She was supposed to inform the kitchen staff about the patient's religion then research on
their diet. She was also supposed to be polite to the daughter after she discovered about the
encounter. The two system resources that the supervisor could use in the scenario is the financial
resource to fund the hospital to purchase the right foods required by its patients. This can be done
by making recommendations to request funding from the government and other organizations.
The issue at hand can be dealt with by requesting the cash office to finance the patient's needs.
The supervisor could also use the information technology resource to inform the kitchen staff
and the finance department on their responsibility towards the patient's needs. Information

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Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators
technology is used as a resource that enhances faster communication in every organization. The
supervisor could use the IT in the hospital to ensure that she communicates to people of the
different department who could take care of the patient's diet needs. This could be done by
sending emails or text messages to every department they need help from, for example, the
financial department. In conclusion, hospitals should learn to treat patients with great concern
regardless of their gender, race, or even religion (Driver, 2013).

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Task 1: Nursing-Quality indicators
References
Chang, E., & Daly, J. (2012). Transitions in Nursing - E-Book: Preparing for Professional
Practice. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.
The driver, J. (2013). Ethics: The Fundamentals. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.