Quality improvement definition: “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 health care systems” (QSEN, 2003).
Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)
PLAN STAGE – begins with a gap analysis to identify what can be changed that will lead to improvement; it creates a blueprint for the change.
What area in my practice (or field of interest) needs to be changed that can lead to improvement?
Why does this area need to be changed? Provide evidence to answer this question.
What are we trying to accomplish?
Write in a PIO/PICO statement
DO STAGE – is where the plan is carried out, data are collected, and observations made.
Literature Search
Search for literature (at least 10 peer-reviewed research articles within the last 5 years) of various types related to the topic.
STUDY STAGE – the data obtained from observations are analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the plan’s implementation.
Conduct a Systematic Review of all evidences gathered
Summarize, synthesize, and interpret evidence from the literature
Write the systematic review in the body of the paper. Use various ways of presenting the information like graphs, tables, etc.
ACT STAGE – putting evidence into practice
Recommendations on how the evidence could be used in practice
Projected financial plan
Make a plan on how to disseminate the findings to practicing nurses