As a nurse, one may use various approaches to educate patients on their rights and assist them in exercising their rights to provide higher-quality care. According to Giancarlo et al. (2014), one technique nurses may take to empower patients and enhance the quality of care they get is to give them information about the efficacy, dangers, and advantages of alternative therapies. One tactic is to get patients involved in the decision-making process by asking them about their preferences and values and then giving them choices that align with their likes and values. In addition, the Patient Care Partnership (2003) published by the American Hospital Association also offers direction on patients’ rights and expectations during hospital stays. This information may be used by nurses in order to enhance patient empowerment. Patients might feel more in control when nurses advocate for their rights and preferences, such as ensuring they have access to information, giving them the opportunity to provide informed consent, and maintaining their privacy.
It is possible to utilize NDNQI data from dashboards or quality improvement data to assist nurse empowerment in practice. This may be accomplished by giving objective and reliable information on patient outcomes and the quality of treatment. Brown et al. (2008) describe quartile dashboards as a means of transforming big data sets into performance-enhancement goals. This information may be used by nurses to determine areas needing improvement and to conduct treatments supported by evidence to improve patient outcomes. These data may also be used to help support nursing research and education, as well as to influence health policy and practice standards.
The nursing staff at my institution is given more agency thanks to the use of quality improvement data, which was accomplished by including them in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. In addition, participation in quality improvement programs and initiatives is strongly encouraged for registered nurses, as this allows them to expand their skill set and knowledge base while also contributing to enhancing patient care. In addition, the institution offers training and materials on quality improvement approaches for nurses, such as Lean Six Sigma and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, to help nurses in their attempts to enhance the quality of care they give.
I have personally helped to empower patients by giving them information that is both thorough and easy to grasp on their current health condition and the treatment choices available to them. I also encouraged them to ask questions, express any concerns or preferences, and work with them to build a care plan that aligned with the values and objectives they had set for themselves. As a consequence, the patient had an increase in their sense of being informed and empowered in their decisions about their healthcare, which led to an increase in their overall level of contentment with the treatment they had gotten. The results of Rock and Hoebeke (2014), who underlined the success of this strategy, are consistent with this point of view.
In conclusion, it is vital to empower patients and nurses to improve the quality of treatment and achieve better results for patients. Nurses can empower patients and promote their autonomy by using tactics such as delivering accurate and comprehensive information, including patients in the decision-making process, and fighting for the patient’s rights. The use of quality improvement data may also assist nurse empowerment in practice by giving objective and trustworthy information on patient outcomes and the quality of care. This information can be utilized to identify areas of improvement and execute interventions that are based on evidence.
References
American Hospital Association. (2003). The patient care partnership: Understanding expectations, rights and responsibilities. Web.
Brown, D. S., Aydin, C. E., & Donaldson, N. (2008). Quartile dashboards: Translating large data sets into performance improvement priorities. Journal of Healthcare Quality, 30(6), 18–30. Web.
Garrard, L., Boyle, D. K., Simon, M., Dunton, N., & Gajewski, B. (2016). Reliability and validity of the NDNQI® injury falls measure. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 38(1), 111-128. Web.
Giancarlo, C., Comparcini, D., & Simonetti, V. (2014). Workplace empowerment and nurses’ job satisfaction: A systematic literature review. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(7), 855-871. Web.
Rock, M. J., & Hoebeke, R. (2014). Informed consent: whose duty to inform? MedSurg Nursing, 23(3), 189-194. Web.