Effective Strategies for Improving Healthcare and Nursing Practices, Essay Example

According to Feldman (2011), quality health care is the degree to which health services increases the likelihood of the desired outcome. The necessity of improving the quality and safety of healthcare cannot be overstated. According to Matthews (20012), errors in health care arise from faulty systems and process and not individuals. Systems and process that are variable and inefficient changing the mix of patient, difference in health care providers’ education and experience are some of the factors that contribute to the complexity of the health care.  With this in mind, the strategies to improve health care should aim at improving safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timely and delivery of equitable and patient centers care. Moreover, such strategies should also aim at improving the working environment of caregivers.

Several strategies that have been proposed for improving the quality of health care services. Such strategies include plan-do-study- act (PDSA) six sigma, cause analysis (RCA), failure model and effective analysis (FMEA), and health failure model and effective analysis(HFME). Strategies such as PDSA model aims at making positive changes in health care process and affecting favorable outcomes. Similarly, Six Sigma model involves designing and monitoring process to minimize waste, optimizes satisfaction and increase financial stability. RCA focus on identifying the underlying causes of an event. Evidence from recent studies has shown that the use of these methods has had success in improving the quality of health care, reducing errors as well as costs.

While strategies to improve the quality are important, it is also important that we consider the working environment of the caregivers.  According to Persily (2013), the environments in which caregivers work determine the quality of their service. Therefore, health care administrators should focus on providing a setting that support and optimize professional nursing practice. Such environment can be enhanced by recognizing the contribution of nurses, promoting executive nursing leadership. Additionally it is important to demonstrate professional development for the nurse as well as creating collaborative relationship among the entire stakeholder in health care.

It is conclusive that effective strategies for improving the health care services should focus on improving health care system and process as well as the working environment for caregivers such as nurses.

Reference

Feldman, H. R. (2011). Strategies for nursing leadership. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.

Matthews, J. L. (20012). Choose the right long-term care: Home care, assisted living and nursing homes. Berkeley, CA: Nolo.

Persily, C. A. (2013). Team leadership and partnering in nursing and health care.