Homework: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
Instructions:
For this homework, you will develop a Word document or an online resource repository of at least 12 annotated professional or scholarly resources that you consider critical for the audience of your safety improvement plan, pertaining to medication administration, to understand or implement to ensure the success of the plan.
Communication in the health care environment consists of an information-sharing experience whether through oral or written messages (Chard, Makary, 2015). As health care organizations and nurses strive to create a culture of safety and quality care, the importance of interprofessional collaboration, the development of tool kits, and the use of wikis become more relevant and vital. In addition to the dissemination of information and evidence-based findings and the development of tool kits, continuous support for and availability of such resources are critical. Among the most popular methods to promote ongoing dialogue and information sharing are blogs, wikis, websites, and social media. Nurses know how to support people in time of need or crisis and how to support one another in the workplace; wikis in particular enable nurses to continue that support beyond the work environment. Here they can be free to share their unique perspectives, educate others, and promote health care wellness at local and global levels (Kaminski, 2016).
You are encouraged to complete the Determining the Relevance and Usefulness of Resources activity prior to developing the repository. This activity will help you determine which resources or research will be most relevant to address a particular need. This may be useful as you consider how to explain the purpose and relevance of the resources you are assembling for your tool kit. The activity is for your own practice and self-homework, and demonstrates course engagement.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this homework, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and homework criteria:
1) Competency 1: Analyze the elements of a successful quality improvement initiative.
• Analyze usefulness of resources for role group responsible for implementing quality and safety improvements with medication administration.
2) Competency 2: Analyze factors that lead to patient safety risks.
• Analyze the value of resources to reduce patient safety risk or improve quality with medication administration.
3) Competency 3: Identify organizational interventions to promote patient safety.
• Identify necessary resources to support the implementation and sustainability of a safety improvement initiative focusing on medication administration.
4) Competency 4: Apply professional, scholarly, evidence-based strategies to communicate in a manner that supports safe and effective patient care.
• Present compelling reasons and relevant situations for resource tool kit to be used by its target audience.
Professional Context
Nurses are often asked to implement processes, concepts, or practices - sometimes with little preparatory communication or education. One way to encourage sustainability of quality and process improvements is to assemble an accessible, user-friendly tool kit for knowledge and process documentation. Creating a resource repository or tool kit is also an excellent way to follow up an educational or in-service session, as it can help to reinforce attendees' new knowledge as well as the understanding of its value. By practicing creating a simple online tool kit, you can develop valuable technology skills to improve your competence and efficacy. This technology is easy to use, and resources are available to guide you.
Scenario
For this homework, consider taking one of these two approaches:
1) Build on the work done in your first three homeworks and create an online tool kit or resource repository that will help the audience of your in-service understand the research behind your safety improvement plan pertaining to medication administration and put the plan into action.
2) Locate a safety improvement plan (your current organization, the Institution for Healthcare Improvement, or a publicly available safety improvement initiative) pertaining to medication administration and create an online tool kit or resource repository that will help an audience understand the research behind the safety improvement plan and how to put the plan into action.
3) Preparation
Google Sites is recommended for this homework - the tools are free to use and should offer you a blend of flexibility and simplicity as you create your online tool kit. Note that this requires a Google account; use your Gmail or GoogleDocs login, or create an account following the directions under the "Create Account" menu.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
References
1) Chard, R., Makary, M. A. (2015). Transfer-of-care communication: Nursing best practices. AORN Journal, 102(4), 329-342.
2) Kaminski, J. (2016). Why all nurses can/should be authors. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 11(4), 1-7.