Key nursing care quality indicators in conjunction with hospital measurements have gone from in-house measurements to public information - with performance scores and comparisons accessible to all health care consumers. In this time of heightened awareness, the staff of the Department of Nursing Quality strives to improve patient care by communicating evidence-based standards and by monitoring and reporting the progress of key nursing quality indicators.
Nursing Quality staff consists of Quality and Accreditation Nurses, a Nursing Patient Safety Officer (CNS), Data management support, Certified Skin Care Nurse Coordinators (WOCN) eliminate these initials, Magnet Program Manager, and Magnet Program Coordinator. The nursing staff is required to have at least three years of hospital in-patient experience to be part of the quality and the skin care teams. The Skin Care Nurse Coordinators must have the equivalent experience with a concentration in wound and skin care and complete the training program at the Cleveland Clinic R.B. Turnbull Jr., M.D., School of Enterostomal Therapy Nursing. The Quality and Accreditation Nurses receive training in performance improvement and group facilitation.
The department's major activities include:
- Assisting the department to stay current with meeting and exceeding nursing and industry standards.
- Maintaining and communicating the Nursing Institute Online Nursing Standards which include administrative and clinical standards.
- Collecting, analyzing and reporting on multiple nursing or industry quality indicators, including monthly Quality Indicator reports for the Nursing Institute, as well as for individual units.
- Representing nursing's role and perspective on multiple hospital wide committees and task forces, in order to improve multidisciplinary interventions for patient care.
- Leading the Skin Care and Prevention initiative for Hospital Acquired Pressure ulcers.
- Communicating and maintaining compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals within the Nursing Institute.
- Facilitating the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® and identifying the forces of magnetism within nursing practice.
Evidence-Based Practice
The department's guiding principle is that quality is based on evidence-based practice and effective processes.
Nursing Quality staff members coordinate and report to the National Database for Nursing Quality for select indicators. They coordinate nursing initiatives for JCAHO Core Measures, National Safety Forum initiatives, and for the National Patient Safety initiatives.
Nursing Quality sends monthly quality reports to nurse managers. In addition the information is shared with the Nursing Institute Shared Governance Quality Council and Unit Based Shared Governance Councils. The department is accessible to all nurses in the hospital, by phone or email.
Working Collaboratively within and outside of the Nursing Institute
Until 2003, Nursing Quality had been part of the Department of Nursing Education, Quality and Research for more than 15 years. But the three areas were made into three separate departments as the role of each is of growing importance to nursing leadership. However, these three departments continue to work together hand-in-hand. In 2008, the Magnet Recognition Program ® and Nursing Patient Safety were combined with the Nursing Quality department.
Nursing Quality works collaboratively with the Cleveland Clinic Quality and Patient Safety Institute in promoting quality patient care and providing education on national quality initiatives.
Staff in Nursing Quality regularly recommend and participate in research related to nursing interventions, patient safety initiatives, shared governance, and promoting the forces of magnetism.
Director:
Dana Wade, RN, MSN, CNS, CPHQ
Nursing Quality Manager:
Sandy Maag, RN
Nursing Patient Safety Officer/Magnet Program Manager:
Monica Weber, RN, MSN, CNS, CIC
SPECT (Skin Care Prevention and Education Consult Team) Manager:
Molly Sammon, RN, BSN, CWCN
Nursing Quality and Accreditation Nurses:
Sarah Bixler, RN, BSN, CMSRN
Jolene Crawford, RN
Julene Gauman, RN, BSN
Susan Ignasiak, RN, BSN
Karen Saidel, RN, BSN
Linda Vopat, RN, BSN, MSM
Skin Care Nurse Coordinators:
Jennifer Brinkman, RN, BSN, CWOCN
Cindy Ceroky, RN, BSN, WCC
Judy Landis-Erdman, RN, BSN, CWOCN
Elizabeth Leiberman, RN, BSN, CWCN
Magnet Program Coordinator:
Anastasia Unruh
Department Analyst:
Charlene Scotese, MBA
Data Entry Specialist:
Donna Rothman
