Discussion Overview: In Capstone, you will construct and implement an evidence-based, small-scale change project based on an identified nursing issue in your workplace or the community.
The change component of your project consists of implementing a strategy to address your selected problem or issue. Strategies used in the Capstone course at Galen are educational strategies, policy strategies, protocol strategies, or technology strategies. The Capstone Project requires a minimum of 48 hours to successfully pass the course. Ideally, at least half of this time should be spent in the clinical or field setting with your preceptor. You will spend project time doing activities such as planning, assessment, literature review, coordination, and implementation.
Discussion Prompt: Be sure to answer all areas of this week’s discussion.
· What problem or issue are you seeking to improve?
Problem: (The missed communication between the patient’s attending and consultants in the 7 Carrol Medical Surgical Unit at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital disrupts the daily workflow and impacts patient care. This issue leads to delays in treatment decisions, confusion among staff members, and potential errors in patient management. Due to this communication breakdown, patients may experience prolonged hospital stays, ineffective treatments, and dissatisfaction with their care.)
· How did you identify or recognize the problem or issue (i.e., inclusion of internal data)?
How the problem was identified: ( During a routine audit of patient charts and electronic medical records at 7 Carrol Medical Surgical Unit, I noticed a pattern of discrepancies and delays in treatment plans. Upon further investigation, I found instances where consultants’ recommendations were not documented in the patient’s records, leading to confusion among the nursing staff about the appropriate course of action. Additionally, conversations with nurses revealed frustrations about the lack of clear communication between the attending physicians and consultants, resulting in missed opportunities for timely interventions and suboptimal patient care. These findings highlighted the problem of missed communication between patients’ attendings and consultants at the unit.)
· What evidence from the research supports the existence of the problem or issue (i.e., include external data)?
· Include supportive rationale for your evidence from a peer-reviewed journal using APA in-text citation and a full reference.
· Discuss the strategy you plan to implement as your change component and how your chosen strategy will be effective in addressing your problem or issue (education policy, protocol, or technology).
· Create a timeline for your project’s implementation beginning in Week 1 and ending in Week 7 of the course.
· Plan your timeline to reach the evaluation phase.
**Problem Identification:**
The problem identified in the 7 Carrol Medical Surgical Unit at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital is the missed communication between the patient’s attending physicians and consultants. This issue disrupts the daily workflow and impacts patient care by leading to delays in treatment decisions, confusion among staff members, and potential errors in patient management. Due to this communication breakdown, patients may experience prolonged hospital stays, ineffective treatments, and dissatisfaction with their care.
**Internal Data:**
The problem was recognized during a routine audit of patient charts and electronic medical records at the 7 Carrol Medical Surgical Unit. Patterns of discrepancies and delays in treatment plans were observed, prompting further investigation. Instances were found where consultants’ recommendations were not documented in the patient’s records, leading to confusion among the nursing staff about the appropriate course of action. Conversations with nurses revealed frustrations about the lack of clear communication between attending physicians and consultants, resulting in missed opportunities for timely interventions and suboptimal patient care.
**External Data:**
Research supports the existence of communication breakdowns in healthcare settings and their impact on patient outcomes. According to a study by O’Leary et al. (2017), ineffective communication between healthcare providers contributes to medical errors, adverse events, and patient dissatisfaction. Poor communication has been linked to increased hospital readmissions, longer lengths of stay, and higher healthcare costs (Nagpal et al., 2010). These findings underscore the importance of addressing communication barriers to improve patient care quality and safety.
**Strategy for Change:**
The chosen strategy to address the communication issue is the implementation of a standardized communication protocol. This protocol will outline clear guidelines and expectations for communication between attending physicians and consultants, ensuring timely and accurate exchange of information. By standardizing communication processes, the protocol will promote consistency, clarity, and accountability among healthcare providers, ultimately improving coordination of care and patient outcomes.
**Timeline for Implementation:**
– Week 1-2: Conduct literature review on effective communication strategies in healthcare settings.
– Week 3-4: Develop and finalize the standardized communication protocol in collaboration with key stakeholders.
– Week 5-6: Implement training sessions for nursing staff and physicians on the use of the communication protocol.
– Week 7: Monitor the implementation progress and gather feedback from staff members. Begin evaluating the effectiveness of the protocol in improving communication and patient care outcomes.
By following this timeline, the project will reach the evaluation phase by Week 7, allowing for assessment of the protocol’s impact on addressing the identified communication problem and improving patient care in the 7 Carrol Medical Surgical Unit.
**References:**
Nagpal, K., Arora, S., Abboudi, M., Vats, A., Wong, H. W., Manchanda, C., … & Sevdalis, N. (2010). Postoperative handover: problems, pitfalls, and prevention of error. Annals of surgery, 252(1), 171-176.
O’Leary, K. J., Thompson, J. A., Landler, M. P., Kulkarni, N., Haviley, C., Hahn, K., … & Williams, M. V. (2017). Patterns of nurse-physician communication and agreement on the plan of care. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 16(3), 262-266.
The post In Capstone you will cconstruct and implement an evidence-based small-scale change projet appeared first on Destiny Papers.
