DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Sample Answer for DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1 Included After Question

Reflecting on the “IHI Module: PS 202 Achieving Total Systems of Safety,” describe the eight recommendations proposed in the IHI report that DNP leaders can apply to accelerate patient safety and the prevention of harm. What three key recommendations will you use as a DNP leader to promote safety among the workforce in your organization to improve health outcomes?

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

DNP-RS-Professionalism-Assignment.

Patient safety is a fundamental component in providing personalized quality care. Globally, there has been an increased focus on the significance of enhancing patient safety within healthcare settings. When nurses are presented with the opportunity to contribute to supervising a health setting, they are inspired to view patient safety with much urgency (Mihdawi et al., 2020). Hence, as a DNP-prepared nurse, this scholar supports the eight recommendations proposed by The National Patient Safety Foundation (2015) and cited by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (2020) report namely:

1.    Ensure that leaders establish and sustain a safety culture: This can be achieved by employing a nursing workforce that is resilient and competent and constructing the nursing workflow to prevent mistakes are essential in protecting patient safety. In addition, with the creation of a positive safety culture, workers will prioritize safety in everything they do, intuitively going above and beyond the organization’s standards in everyday tasks (Haskins & Roets, 2022). Also, leaders are required to continuously evaluate processes, ensure accountability and support a just culture and zero harm.

2.    Create centralized and coordinated oversight of patient safety: This requires the participation, harmonization, and supervision of national governing bodies and other safety organizations and as DNP-prepared nurses, we can participate in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission (TJC) audits and visits to ensure patient safety.

3.    Create a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes: As DNP-prepared nurses taking the initiative at all times to support the use of consistent measures is essential across the care continuum and also required to recognize and measure risks and threats proactively.

4.    Increase funding for research in patient safety and implementation science: Numerous grants have been awarded to provide funding to organizations to support and sustain approaches to patient safety research. As DNP-prepared nurses we can use these opportunities to participate in research thus providing the groundwork and contributing to reducing harm to patients by implementing and translating research into practice (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2022)

5.    Address safety across the entire care continuum: Healthcare organizations need better tools, processes, and structures to deliver care safely and to evaluate the safety of care in various settings. As patient advocates, DNP-prepared nurses can lobby for the tools, processes, and structures to deliver care safely required to provide quality care in a safe environment and culture.

6.    Support the healthcare workforce: As DNP-prepared nurses, we can collaborate with other nurse leaders to address workforce safety, morale, and wellness so that healthcare workers can provide safe care to patients.

7.    Partner with patients and families for the safest care: Patient engagement is important in providing information to our patients. In addition, genuine patient-centered care requires providers and practices to create strong collaborations with patients and families to enhance the quality, safety, and experience of health care along the care continuum (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2020).

8.    Ensure that technology is safe and optimized to improve patient safety​: Health information technology presents numerous opportunities for improving and transforming healthcare which includes reducing human errors, improving clinical outcomes, facilitating care coordination, improving practice efficiencies, and tracking data over time. As DNP-prepared nurses and nurse leaders. it is important to ensure that systems are maintained, audited, and efficient (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017).

The three recommendations that this DNP-prepared student will use are ensuring that leaders establish and sustain a safety culture, creating a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes, and ensuring that technology is safe and optimized to improve patient safety.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2022). Advancing Patient Safety. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/reports/advancing/index.html

Alotaibi, Y. K., & Federico, F. (2017). The impact of health information technology on patient safety. Saudi Medical Journal, 38(12), 1173–1180. https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631

Haskins, H. E. M., & Roets, L. (2022). Nurse leadership: Sustaining a culture of safety. Health SA = SA Gesondheid, 27, 2009. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v27i0.2009

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2020). PS 202: Achieving Total Systems Safety. https://education.ihi.org/topclass/topclass.do?CnTxT-451245972-contentSetup-tc_student_id=451245972-item=2568559-view=1

Mihdawi, M., Al-Amer, R., Darwish, R., Randall, S., & Afaneh, T. (2020). The Influence of Nursing Work Environment on Patient Safety. Workplace Health & Safety, 68(8), 384–390. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079920901533

A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

CASSANDRA I consider promotion of patient safety as an ideal desire for most healthcare organizations. Therefore, to instil safety culture, healthcare providers employ competent workforce. Similarly, these facilities emphasize on having right leadership. Most patients prefer visiting healthcare facilities that guarantee them of their safety (Carayon et al., 2020). Unfortunately, other healthcare facilities are unsafe for their patients. Unsafe healthcare facilities expose patients to various healthcare complications including medication errors. At the same time, healthcare facility with unsafe culture may face legal lawsuits and frustrations from regulatory agencies. DNP-prepared nurses are competent healthcare professionals that can participate in promoting patient safety. These healthcare workers are competent to lead as well as assume other duties that promote safety culture. The partnership between DNP-prepared nurses and other healthcare workers will improve decision-making process (Garcia et al., 2019). Right clinical choices limit chances of disturbing patient safety. Healthcare leaders play an important role in guiding healthcare workers in maintaining safety culture. The leadership is in charge of the welfare of patients in their respective healthcare facilities.

References

Carayon, P., Wooldridge, A., Hoonakker, P., Hundt, A. S., & Kelly, M. M. (2020). SEIPS 3.0: Human-centered design of the patient journey for patient safety. Applied ergonomics, 84, 103033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2019.103033

Garcia, C. D. L., Abreu, L. C. D., Ramos, J. L. S., Castro, C. F. D. D., Smiderle, F. R. N., Santos, J. A. D., & Bezerra, I. M. P. (2019). Influence of burnout on patient safety: systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicina, 55(9), 553. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55090553

A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Reflecting on the “IHI Module: PS 202 Achieving Total Systems of Safety,” describe the eight recommendations proposed in the IHI report that DNP leaders can apply to accelerate patient safety and the prevention of harm.

To move healthcare toward a total systems approach to safety, the IHI offers eight recommendations for healthcare providers and leaders of healthcare systems to follow. The first recommendation is to ensure that leaders establish and sustain a safety culture. Leaders within the system must put culture changes on the forefront of the agenda, so that all healthcare staff can understand the importance of safety and what role they can play (IHI, 2015). The second recommendation is to create centralized and coordinated oversight of patient safety. Safety organizations and and national governing bodies are involved in creating the standards to be followed. Recommendation number three is to create a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes. Measurement is foundational to advancing improvement, we need to establish standard metrics across the care continuum and create ways to identify and measure risks (IHI, 2015). The fourth recommendation is to increase funding for research in patient safety and implementation science. Is safety science and implementation science art advanced within the system, leadership can better understand safety hazards in the best way to prevent them (IHI, 2015). The fifth recommendation is to address safety at across the entire care continuum. Number six, support the healthcare workforce by checking on staff morale, providing activities and opportunities for wellness improvement and allowing for open communication (IHI, 2015). The seventh recommendation is to partner with patients and families for the safest care. The final recommendation is to ensure that technology is safe and optimized to improve patient safety (IHI, 2015). Following technology safety rules is paramount to health information safety and this issue must remain in the minds of staff and leaders.

What three key recommendations will you use as a DNP leader to promote safety among the workforce in your organization to improve health outcomes?

The IHI PS 202 course reviewed what is called a total systems approach to safety, one in which safety is systematic and is uniformly applied across the total process. Improving quality and safety within a system is not something that can be done using a “project-by-project approach” (Heath, 2017). That approach focuses on reducing or eliminating specific harms one by one (such as venous thromboembolism, surgical complications, or central line–associated bloodstream infections), and this is effective only to a point (IHI, 2015). It will not drive the widespread, long-term change that healthcare needs. In order to achieve no-harm, healthcare needs to embrace a wider approach to safety, which considers the science of human factors and more (IHI, 2015). Human factors engineering is an established science that uses disciplines such as anatomy, physiology, physics, and biomechanics to understand how people perform under different circumstances (Heath, 2017). Leaders in health care need to focus relentlessly on teamwork, culture, and patient engagement at every level. Among the eight recommendations listed, the highest priority is for DNP leadership is to help foster a culture that is capable of supporting the total systems safety approach. In healthcare, a strong safety culture is one in which health care professionals and leaders are held accountable for unprofessional conduct yet not punished for human mistakes (IHI, 2015). Errors are identified and mitigated before they harm patients and strong feedback loops enable frontline staff to learn from previous errors and alter care processes to prevent recurrences (IHI, 2015). These three concepts will be the most effective way to create the culture of safety and allow the staff to be comfortable with reporting human mistakes.

Heath, S. (2017, March 14). 5 Patient-Centered strategies to improve patient safety. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://patientengagementhit.com/news/5-patient-centered-strategies-to-improve-patient-safety

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2015). Free from Harm: Accelerating Patient Safety Improvement Fifteen Years after To Err Is Human. Boston, MA: National Patient Safety Foundation 

A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

 I agree with you that promoting patient safety is a responsibility that starts with leadership. Therefore, healthcare facilities are expected to entrust competent healthcare leaders to instil a safety culture. These persons should have adequate knowledge and experience about a safety culture to guide healthcare workers (Carthon et al., 2019). Regrettably, other healthcare workers have failed to guarantee patients of their safety due to poor clinic choices from the leadership. At the same time, most patients have also suffered when trying to access healthcare services from unsuitable healthcare facilities. High healthcare complications such as medication errors and patient falls have been highly reported in an unsafe healthcare environment (Liu et al., 2019). As a result, healthcare stakeholders have shown concerns on the impact of unsafe healthcare facilities on provision of healthcare services. Healthcare facilities with qualified healthcare professionals working alongside effective healthcare leadership have benefitted the efforts to promote a safety culture.  The professional support has been fundamental for keeping healthcare facilities safe for patients.  

References

Carthon, J. M. B., Davis, L., Dierkes, A., Hatfield, L., Hedgeland, T., Holland, S., … & Aiken, L. H. (2019). Association of nurse engagement and nurse staffing on patient safety. Journal of nursing care quality, 34(1), 40. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000334

  Liu, J., Zheng, J., Liu, K., Liu, X., Wu, Y., Wang, J., & You, L. (2019). Workplace violence against nurses, job satisfaction, burnout, and patient safety in Chinese hospitals. Nursing outlook, 67(5), 558-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.04.006

A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Reflecting on the IHI Module: PS 202 Achieving Total Systems of Safety, it really provides insight into thinking system wide instead of project by project. The eight recommendations proposed in the IHI report that DNP leaders can apply to accelerate patient safety and the prevention of harm include: 1. Ensure that leaders establish and sustain a safety culture. 2. Create centralized and coordinated oversight of patient safety. 3. Create a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes. 4. Increase funding for research in in-patient safety and implementation science. 5. Address safety across the entire curriculum. 6. Support the healthcare workforce. 7. Partner with patients and families for the safest care. 8. Ensure that technology is safe and optimized to ensure patient safety.

               Each of these elements are highlighted and explained in the module. Personally, I feel they did a good job bringing attention to key concepts that can help support and encourage patient safety throughout the organization. Vincet & Amalberti (2015) suggest as standards improve and concern for safety grows, we come to regard an increasing number of events as patient safety issues. In this respect, healthcare differs from almost all other safety-critical industries. Things DNP leaders can do to promote safety can stem from the 8 recommendations. For example, ensuring that leaders establish and sustain a safety of culture can be threaded throughout the teamwork and collaboration of quality improvement projects, working as a team with other leaders, promoting a just culture of safety, creating a place to discuss near misses and investigate system influences and find solutions to decrease them. Additionally, working and supporting fellow healthcare workers through being a known presence, assisting when needed, also picking up extra shifts when the unit is short, listening to concerns and making an active effort to address those concerns. Depending on if the DNP prepared nurse is working in academia, clinical, or other aspects these roles will be modified to meet the needs of the organization. Funding for research is tough and highly competitive, but hopefully one of the DNP courses here at GCU can help us with learn that process better. Overall, leading by example and using evidenced-based practice to promote and sustain positive change.

Reference

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (2023) https://www.ihi.org/

Vincent C, Amalberti R (2015). Safety in healthcare is a moving target. BMJ Quality & Safety, 24:539-54

A Sample Answer 6 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

 The eight recommendations proposed in the IHI report are helpful in instilling a safety culture. These suggestions indicate that a safety culture attracts many patients. Patient feels comfortable when visiting healthcare facilities where their interests are prioritized. Promoting patient safety routines are always patient-centered (Hessels et al., 2019). Therefore, healthcare leaders and other stakeholders consider patient preferences when promoting a safety culture. Still, the environment should also be safe for other healthcare players such as healthcare workers. A safety culture for all improves healthcare service delivery and stakeholder experience (Rojas et al., 2023). DNP leaders can apply to accelerate patient safety and the prevention of harm depending on the condition. These DNP-prepared healthcare leaders are competent to guide activities to promote a safety culture. However, DNP leaders expect additional support from healthcare employees. Healthcare facilities with majority of incompetent healthcare workers struggle to promote and maintain a safety culture. As a result, these organizations continuously lose their patients to rival facilities. Funding patient safety programs is a strategy that assist healthcare facilities.

References

Hessels, A., Paliwal, M., Weaver, S. H., Siddiqui, D., & Wurmser, T. A. (2019). Impact of patient safety culture on missed nursing care and adverse patient events. Journal of nursing care quality, 34(4), 287. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000378

Rojas, C. R., Moore, A., Coffin, A., McClam, C., Ehritz, C., Hogan, A., … & Galligan, M. M. (2023). Medication Rounds: A Tool for Promoting Medication Safety for Children with Medical Complexity. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.01.003

A Sample Answer 7 For the Assignment: DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title:  DNP 840 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

. As we learned in DNP 835 course, healthcare inequalities are ever-present today. The healthcare system in the country is founded on solid inequalities impacting people of color and other marginalized individuals. The everyday inequalities experienced are ethnic, racial, and gender. African Americans are the most affected. Other minority groups affected are Asians, Indians, and Hispanics. The rising cost of living is negatively impacting low-income households. These individuals are more likely to die of diseases because hospital bills pose a challenge. Educational attainment for most of the minority groups has improved. However, despite their academic levels, their income gains are still lower than that of the whites. The disparities contribute to uneven access to services, poor healthcare outcomes, and gaps in insurance coverage among populations. Healthcare is a critical sector in the country. Scholars say that a healthy nation is wealthy.’ Thus, as the healthcare sector continues to face these challenges, efforts must begin early to pilot the achievement of healthcare equality. Nair’s (2019) article concerns cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. The author acknowledges that the healthcare sector faces persistent challenges in achieving equality. The minorities are curbed with several social issues, including inadequate access to healthy foods, low levels of education, and poor housing.

Nair also includes that the country experiences underrepresentation of ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity in leadership and during training. The article then calls for the need to address these issues. The author identifies five interventions to accommodate diversity in healthcare. The first strategy is to create programs to recruit and retain diverse professionals in healthcare. This strategy will ensure that different ethnicities are valued and represented in healthcare. The author’s second intervention is training healthcare providers to ensure they are culturally competent. The intervention will ensure that the healthcare providers equally care for all individuals regardless of race or gender. Third, the article recommends that the healthcare sector use interpreter services to facilitate communication between individuals of different backgrounds (Nair, 2019). Effective communication will ensure that the language barriers between the patient and the physician are eliminated. Fourth, Nair (2019) recommends that facilities adjust their mission statements and visions to support diversity. This will ensure that everybody works to achieve the organization’s common goal based on diversity. Finally, the author provides that healthcare facilities should constantly be supplied with materials that teach about diversity (Nair, 2019). These materials may be books, memos, or magazines and may be supplemented by regular meetings to remind the staff of the importance of inclusivity in the workplace.

Lakshmi Nair, Cultural Competence and Ethnic Diversity in Healthcare. Plastic Reconstruct Surg Glob Open. 2019 May 16;7(5): e2219. doi 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002219. PMID: 31333951; PMCID: PMC6571328 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6571328/