Improving Patient Care Through Student Leadership in Team Quality Improvement Projects

Abstract

In partnership with a major medical center, senior-level nursing students completed a root cause analysis and implementation plan to address a unit-specific quality issue. To evaluate the project, unit leaders were asked their perceptions of the value of the projects and impact on patient care, as well as to provide exemplars depicting how the student root cause analysis work resulted in improved patient outcome and/or unit processes. Liaisons noted benefits of having an RCA team, with positive impact on patient outcomes and care processes.

Planning and implementing quality improvement projects in clinical practice: Third‐year nursing students’ learning experiences

“…This ‘real‐life’ connection helped the students understand the relevance and importance of quality improvement projects in nursing as well as the problems such work may involve (Baillie et al, 2014; Brian et al, 2016; Christiansen et al, 2010; James et al, 2016). In this study, the students experienced increased understanding and confidence through the project, which is in line with Kyrkjebø (2006) and Tschannen et al (2015), who concluded in their research that experience in implementation of quality improvement projects in clinical practice would provide better learning outcomes for the students regarding development of competence for quality improvement than just theoretical work or only focusing on the planning phase. Another significant factor was that the quality improvement project is in the very last nursing education module at the University College.…”

“…Hammarlund et al (2013) found that enquiry‐based learning increased the students’ self‐confidence and self‐efficacy and ‘inspired them to transfer their knowledge into the clinic’ (Hammarlund et al, 2013:228). Tschannen et al (2015) found that student nurses learned a lot from student‐led root cause analysis, but suggested that the project may have had greater impact on the outcome if the student teams had assisted in the implementation phase. Keib et al (2017) focused on the positive impact on students’ confidence in research and evidence‐based nursing of a course where the students had to create an evidence‐based recommendation for application to their practice site.…”

Developing BSN Students’ Quality Improvement Skills Through Addressing Real-World Problems

“…Students in the intervention group showed improved understanding of the QI process over the control group. Tschannen et al (2015) implemented student-led root cause analysis projects for practice partners in an undergraduate course. Feedback from practice partners showed that facility leaders found value in the work and solutions of the student teams, enhancing the transition from nursing student to new graduate nurse.…”