Nursing Discussion, Term Paper Example

Bethesda Hospital, where I work, received an overall patient rating of 65%, which is two percentage points above the state average, but two percent below the national average.  However, when it comes to recommending the hospital to family and friends, 69% would do so, which is once again two points above the state average, but is now on par with the national average.  However, “patient perception ratings of the hospital are in the top quartile of Palm Beach County rating Bethesda a 9 out of 10” (Bethesda Memorial Hospital).

Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida, has the enviable quality “score of 99.6% in the CMS core measurements reported by the federal government, which is well above the national average of 96.9%” (Delray Medical Center).

As a change agent I have picked fall prevention as one way of bringing up the quality score at my hospital.  The literature contains much useful  information in this regard.  ICSI (April 2012) has a well-laid-out annotated table, consisting of seven sections, in this regard, which I intend to follow as they pertain to my areas of responsibility.  I would begin by following section one, which suggests that one obtains “organizational support for a falls prevention program,” (ibid.) which among other aspects involves the “education of falls reduction policies and procedures” (ibid.).  Step No. 02 involves establishing “a process for evaluation of the hospital patient on admission for the risk of falling” (ibid.).  To achieve this, a “standardized assessment tool” (ibid.) would be obtained and used as well as an  “injury risk assessment” (ibid.).  To achieve success with this, my staff and I would implement step No. 03, which is to be cognizant of the six main risk factors.  Quality scores should go up!

References

Bethesda Memorial Hospital.  Commitment to Quality.  Retrieved on August 09, 2012, from http://www.bethesdaweb.com/commitment-to-quality.

Delray Medical Center.  Our Commitment to Quality.  Message from chief executive officer Mark Bryan.  Retrieved on August 09, 2012, from http://www.debraymedicalctr.com./en-us/ourquality/Pages/Commitment.

ICSI Institute for Clinical Improvement (April 2012).  Health Care Protocol.  Prevention of falls (acute care).  Retrieved on August 09, 2012, from http://www.icsi.org/falls_acute_care_prevention_of_protocol/falls_acute.