By Heather Willey, 4th year BSN student
In my community nursing leadership placement, I was involved in a major project known as the Eldercare Project of Cowichan (EPIC). As a step in the process of healthcare improvement in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, a type of trial called a PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) was conducted in the emergency department of one of the hospitals. I created a comprehensive report evaluating the successes and shortcomings of the PDSA, based on the reports of participants.
I interviewed those involved in the trial, which included patients, family physicians, pharmacists, and the emergency department nurses and physicians. Different interview/data collection methods included face-to-face interviews, phone interviews, and online surveys. I, along with the assistance of an Island Health employee who collected the quantitative data, created a comprehensive report highlighting the major experiences and perspectives of the participants in the trial. Together, we presented our findings to the EPIC steering committee members. We outlined successes and shortfalls of the PDSA, and made recommendations for future trials in the emergency department. Rate of patient admissions, quality of patient care, and changes to workload of the emergency department staff were important factors to evaluate for this PDSA. This report was able to provide direction for quality improvement to healthcare in the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
It was wonderful to have the opportunity to be involved in quality improvement in the healthcare setting. I worked within an interdisciplinary team and was able to gain understanding of the many obstacles that prevent change. I was able to make connections with what I was learning in class lectures, and apply this to my community placement. As a future RN, this experience was of great value, as nurses act as advocates for quality improvement in many areas, from acute care, to the community level, to global health improvements.
From the 2017 Spring & Summer Communiqué — Research Edition
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