Quality Management in Nursing &
Healthcare: Chamberlain University
Focus
Module 1: Foundations of Healthcare Quality
Quality management in healthcare is a systematic approach to ensuring that healthcare
services consistently meet defined requirements and patient expectations. For nursing
professionals, this involves a deep understanding of quality principles and their application
within clinical settings. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines healthcare quality as “the
degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of
desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge” [1].
QSEN Competencies: Guiding Principles for Nursing Quality
The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative has identified six core
competencies essential for all nursing graduates to ensure safe and high-quality patient
care. These competencies serve as foundational pillars for quality improvement efforts in
nursing practice [2].
1. Patient-Centered Care: Recognizing the patient or designee as the source of
control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on
, respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
2. Teamwork and Collaboration: Functioning effectively within nursing and inter-
professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared
decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
3. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): Integrating best current evidence with clinical
expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal
healthcare.
4. Quality Improvement (QI): Using data to monitor the outcomes of care processes
and using improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve
the quality and safety of healthcare systems.
5. Safety: Minimizing risk of harm to patients and providers through both system
effectiveness and individual performance.
6. Informatics: Using information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge,
mitigate error, and support decision making.
Professional Standards and Regulatory Bodies
Nursing practice is guided by professional standards and regulatory bodies that ensure
quality and safety. The American Nurses Association (ANA) provides the Scope and
Standards of Practice, outlining the responsibilities and expectations for all registered
nurses [3]. The Joint Commission (TJC) is a key accrediting body for healthcare
organizations, setting National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) to address critical patient
safety issues [4].
Module 2: Quality Improvement (QI) Frameworks
Quality Improvement (QI) in healthcare involves systematic and continuous actions that
lead to measurable improvement in healthcare services and the health status of targeted
patient groups. Several frameworks guide these efforts.
The PDSA Cycle: A Cornerstone of Continuous Improvement
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, also known as the Deming Cycle, is a widely used
iterative four-stage model for improving a process or carrying out a change. It is
fundamental to continuous quality improvement in healthcare [5].
Healthcare: Chamberlain University
Focus
Module 1: Foundations of Healthcare Quality
Quality management in healthcare is a systematic approach to ensuring that healthcare
services consistently meet defined requirements and patient expectations. For nursing
professionals, this involves a deep understanding of quality principles and their application
within clinical settings. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines healthcare quality as “the
degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of
desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge” [1].
QSEN Competencies: Guiding Principles for Nursing Quality
The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative has identified six core
competencies essential for all nursing graduates to ensure safe and high-quality patient
care. These competencies serve as foundational pillars for quality improvement efforts in
nursing practice [2].
1. Patient-Centered Care: Recognizing the patient or designee as the source of
control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on
, respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
2. Teamwork and Collaboration: Functioning effectively within nursing and inter-
professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared
decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
3. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): Integrating best current evidence with clinical
expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal
healthcare.
4. Quality Improvement (QI): Using data to monitor the outcomes of care processes
and using improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve
the quality and safety of healthcare systems.
5. Safety: Minimizing risk of harm to patients and providers through both system
effectiveness and individual performance.
6. Informatics: Using information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge,
mitigate error, and support decision making.
Professional Standards and Regulatory Bodies
Nursing practice is guided by professional standards and regulatory bodies that ensure
quality and safety. The American Nurses Association (ANA) provides the Scope and
Standards of Practice, outlining the responsibilities and expectations for all registered
nurses [3]. The Joint Commission (TJC) is a key accrediting body for healthcare
organizations, setting National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) to address critical patient
safety issues [4].
Module 2: Quality Improvement (QI) Frameworks
Quality Improvement (QI) in healthcare involves systematic and continuous actions that
lead to measurable improvement in healthcare services and the health status of targeted
patient groups. Several frameworks guide these efforts.
The PDSA Cycle: A Cornerstone of Continuous Improvement
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, also known as the Deming Cycle, is a widely used
iterative four-stage model for improving a process or carrying out a change. It is
fundamental to continuous quality improvement in healthcare [5].
