NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 3 Improvement Plan in Service Presentation

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 4020 Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety

Prof. Name

Date

Improvement Plan In-Service Presentation

Good morning, nurses. I am Jessica, and I would like to welcome you all to this in-service presentation. The session’s topic is inadequate pain management as a quality and safety issue identified within AdventHealth, Winter Park. The session focuses on addressing the issue through a proposed safety improvement plan. As frontline workers, this session is vital for understanding your role and contributing to a positive cause within the organization.

Agenda and Outcomes

This session aims to highlight our organization’s current problem of inadequate pain management. Furthermore, you will learn the importance of addressing the issue and discuss the proposed safety improvement plan for AdventHealth. The presentation further aims to enhance your understanding of your role as a nurse in successfully implementing the improvement plan. Lastly, we will indulge in activities to practice the skills and incorporate theoretical concepts into the practical world. These objectives are relevant and achievable within the in-service session, focusing on a critical healthcare issue – inadequate pain management. They help nurses connect theory with practical application to address healthcare issues and improve the quality of care.

Safety Improvement Plan

Overview of the Current Problem

Pain is an unlikeable experience interlinked with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is prevalent in most hospitalized patients, ranging from 23% to 84%, resulting in poor quality of life, prolonged hospital stay, and increased healthcare costs (Zhan et al., 2023). Inadequate pain management in healthcare settings aggravates these consequences among affected individuals. A similar issue occurred at AdventHealth, where a post-operative patient experienced high-grade pain and discomfort. Lack of communication and collaboration among healthcare providers coupled with insufficient nursing experience and training led to the incident mentioned above, where the patient received inconsistent and delayed pain management, elongating the duration of discomfort and pain. Thus, we must address the quality and safety issues using a safety improvement plan within our organization.

Importance of Addressing the Issue

Pain management refers to the effective pain assessment and use of pain medications and other non-pharmacological methods to relieve pain symptoms. On the other hand, the inadequacy of these interventions in healthcare settings may negatively impact patients’ quality of life, emotional and mental well-being, and satisfaction with healthcare services (Adongo et al., 2023). For several reasons, addressing the current situation of inadequate pain management at AdventHealth is paramount. Firstly, inadequate pain management directly affects patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and experiences with healthcare services (Germossa et al., 2022). Ms. Johnson’s prolonged discomfort and stress highlight the importance of addressing the issue as it immediately impacts individual well-being.

Secondly, unresolved pain issues and insufficient pain management can lead to more extended hospital stays and increased healthcare costs for both the patient and the organization (Majedi et al., 2019). Addressing financial concerns helps the organization maintain financial viability, aligning with the hospital’s financial objectives. From a broader perspective, ensuring effective and adequate pain management aligns with AdventHealth’s commitment to maintaining patient safety and providing quality healthcare services. Thus, we have instrumented a safety improvement plan to attain these objectives and address patient safety issues.

Proposed Safety Improvement Plan

Our safety improvement plan aims to address the factors leading to the healthcare issue of inadequate pain management in AdventHealth. As mentioned earlier, these factors are poor communication and coordination among healthcare providers, specifically between surgeons in the operation room and nurses in the postoperative area. Another impeding factor addressed through the improvement plan is the lack of nurses’ experience and training in pain evaluation and management.

Enhanced Communication Protocols

One of the approaches to safety improvement is the implementation of enhanced communication protocols using Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. According to Margam (2023), EHR systems are vital to reorganize communication between healthcare providers and improve healthcare delivery by generating a shared platform for information exchange. Integrating a standardized communication portal within the existing EHR system in the organization, this plan aims to foster a culture of transparent interaction between surgeons and nurses, ensuring that pain management instructions are accurately conveyed and followed in the postoperative area.

However, integrating digital tools necessitates adherence to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), emphasizing the protection of patients’ privacy and data security. Through robust security measures in our integrated EHR system, we aim to preserve data security and patient safety. Generally, the goal is to bridge communication gaps, augment coordination among interdisciplinary teams, and improve the transmission of postoperative pain management plans through secure platforms to minimize patient discomfort and improve health outcomes (Vos et al., 2020). The estimated timeframe for executing EHR implementation is six to eight months, which includes technological evaluation and procurement, development of standardized communication portals, and technological training sessions for healthcare providers.

Comprehensive Training Programs

Comprehensive training programs address the nurses’ inadequate experience and education about pain evaluation and management (Samarkandi, 2021). The plan includes educational modules in training programs covering essential topics such as evidence-based pain evaluation methods, effective communication skills, and knowledge regarding non-pharmacological options. We plan to include simulation as an effective teaching method for healthcare providers to connect theory with practice in assessing and managing various clinical scenarios revolving around pain management (Kurz et al., 2021). These training programs aim to improve staff competencies and develop pain assessment and management skills, ensuring nurses can perform accurate and complete evaluations to prevent delayed interventions. The approximate timeline for developing and implementing these training programs is four to six months, which involves curriculum development and ongoing training sessions.

Nurses’ Role and Importance

Nurses are crucial in successfully implementing the safety improvement plan comprising enhanced communication protocols and comprehensive training programs. As frontline workers, you are directly involved in bridging the communication gaps with other healthcare providers, essential to providing effective patient care (Oliveros et al., 2019). Nurses must build effective communication lines with surgical teams to ensure that the postoperative orders are accurately conveyed and understood. Moreover, nurses are expected to actively engage with the integrated communication portal within the EHR system. Your valuable insights and acceptance of the effectiveness of EHR systems are essential to standardizing healthcare practices and making significant technological changes to improve care (Salameh et al., 2019). By adapting to these enhanced communication systems, nurses contribute to an error-free healthcare setting, ultimately improving patient safety.

Similarly, nurses are pivotal for the success of comprehensive training programs. Your active participation in training sessions and daily patient interaction offers you the authority of critical influencers to apply evidence-based practices in the real world. These training programs empower nurses with the essential knowledge and competencies to perform accurate pain evaluations and adopt necessary interventions to prevent complications (Evans, 2021). Embracing your contribution to the safety improvement plan leads to professional development. The attainment of advanced communication skills and EHR proficiency enhances your efficiency in providing patient-centered care. As frontline caregivers, this safety improvement plan equips you with skills to assess, manage, and communicate pain-related concerns, increasing job satisfaction and a sense of professional fulfillment. This role allows you to lead a safe and collaborative healthcare environment, directly improving patient outcomes and delivering high-quality care.

New Process and Skills Practice

New processes or skills include enhanced communication skills and learning pain assessment techniques. We will divide nurses into smaller groups for communication skills development and provide each group with scenarios involving postoperative pain management orders. Staff will practice communicating those orders through the EHR portal, pretending to be an interdisciplinary team. Sample scenarios are as follows:

Ms. Michelle, a 62-year-old who had knee surgery, experiences intense pain immediately after returning from the operating room. The surgeon prescribes a combination of opioids and nonopioids for prompt pain relief. The nursing staff must use the EHR platform to communicate this prescription immediately, ensuring that the patient receives timely and appropriate pain management.
Mr. Patel, a 70-year-old recovering from spinal surgery, requires a combination of physical therapy and pharmacological pain management. The surgeon orders opioids for immediate relief and advises input from the physical therapist for ongoing care. The nursing staff, surgeon, and physical therapist must coordinate and communicate through EHR to develop a holistic pain management plan for Mr. Patel.

NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 3 Improvement Plan in Service Presentation

Another activity for skills development includes pain assessment simulation. Here, staff will practice comprehensive pain assessments using the Universal Pain Assessment Tool (UPAT) and other acquired techniques. Facilitators will provide real-time feedback and address questions. The simulated scenarios are as follows:

Mr. Anderson, a 60-year-old male, underwent knee replacement surgery two days ago. He has a history of osteoarthritis and hypertension and is currently on a pain management plan involving opioid and non-opioid medications. He reports sharp pain at the surgical site coupled with dizziness and nausea after taking the prescribed opioid medication.
Mrs. Thompson, an 80-year-old female, had abdominal surgery for gallstones. She has a history of osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes, for which she takes antihypertensive and antidiabetics. Mrs. Thompson complains of throbbing pain at the surgical site along with difficulty sleeping. She also complains of constipation since starting the prescribed pain medication.

NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 3 Improvement Plan in Service Presentation

These activities are valuable for nurses as effective communication skills are crucial to ensure accurate information exchange, timely decision-making, and patient safety. Moreover, accurate and adequate pain assessments are essential to provide patient-centered care by understanding patient experiences and optimizing pain management strategies. Ultimately, these activities are valuable in enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Potential Questions and Answers

Question 1: How can we ensure the security of the EHR portal when using the new communication platform?

Answer: The platform within the EHR is secured using robust measures such as end-to-end encryption and limited access to authorized individuals, ensuring secure communication aligned with HIPAA standards to protect patient information.

Question 2: How will these training programs benefit us in our daily nursing tasks and responsibilities?

Answer: The training programs enhance your pain assessment skills, communication proficiency, and overall competency to manage pain issues in clinical areas. This directly contributes to improved patient care, satisfaction, and your professional development.

Question 3: How do we adapt pain assessment scales and techniques for patients with diverse cultural backgrounds?

Answer: The training includes cultural competence lessons, providing insights and tools to adapt pain assessments for diverse populations. It emphasizes transparent communication, active listening, and respect for patients’ needs and preferences.

Soliciting Feedback

I would employ a multi-faceted approach to collect the audience’s feedback on the safety improvement plan and in-service training. Initially, I would distribute anonymous surveys to the nurses to seek their input about their perceptions of the effectiveness of the safety improvement plan. Additionally, I would facilitate open feedback sessions, encouraging nurses to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions on addressing inadequate pain management. Moreover, I will gather their input on the in-service session and what future improvements they would want in the upcoming sessions.

Integrating this feedback for future improvements involves thorough analysis and responsiveness by modifying session activities and delivery methods. Additionally, adjustments to the improvement plan can be made based on the identified areas of improvement. Continuous communication channels like dedicated email addresses or suggestion boxes would also be maintained to encourage ongoing feedback. This iterative feedback loop ensures that the improvement plan evolves with the dynamic needs and experiences of the nursing staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.

References

Adongo, D. W., Benneh, C. K., Amekyeh, H., Adedia, D., Tandoh, A., Armah, I. J., Agyen, J. K., Okyere, E., & Woode, E. (2023). Correlates of patient satisfaction with pain management at the Ho Teaching Hospital in Ghana: A cross-sectional study. Scientific African, 21, e01806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2023.e01806

Evans, K. (2021). Staff education to improve pain management in skilled nursing patients. Doctoral dissertation, Walden University. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=12062&context=dissertations

Kurz, S., Lohse, J., Buggenhagen, H., Schmidtmann, I., Laufenberg-Feldmann, R., & Engelhard, K. (2021). Improving competence and safety in pain medicine: A practical clinical teaching strategy for students combining simulation and bedside teaching. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 133. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02554-6

NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 3 Improvement Plan in Service Presentation

Majedi, H., Dehghani, S. S., Soleyman-Jahi, S., Tafakhori, A., Emami, S. A., Mireskandari, M., & Hosseini, S. M. (2019). Assessment of factors predicting inadequate pain management in chronic pain patients. Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, 9(6), e97229. https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.97229

Margam, R. (2023). The importance of EHR in revolutionizing healthcare delivery and financial success. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology, 71(7), 52–55. https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V71I7P108

Oliveros, E., Brailovsky, Y., & Shah, K. S. (2019). Communication skills. JACC Case Reports, 1(3), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2019.09.003

Samarkandi, O. A. (2021). The factors affecting nurses’ assessments toward pain management in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia, 15(2), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.4103/sja.sja_2_21

Salameh, B., Eddy, L. L., Batran, A., Hijaz, A., & Jaser, S. (2019). Nurses’ attitudes toward the use of an electronic health information system in a developing country. SAGE Open Nursing, 5, 237796081984371. https://doi.org/10.1177/2377960819843711