Analyze how these concepts/ processes influence the standards in your organization, including staffing, decision making or workplace issues, both positively and negatively.   

Maintaining standards | Nursing homework help

Topic: Quality Management

Quality management refers to the systematic processes that organizations use to ensure that their products, services, and operations meet or exceed customers’ expectations. In the healthcare industry, quality management is critical for providing safe, effective, and efficient care to patients. Quality management in healthcare is a multidimensional process that includes several components, such as quality assurance, quality control, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) (McLaughlin & Kaluzny, 2019). The purpose of quality management is to ensure that healthcare organizations provide high-quality care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

Standards and regulations are integral parts of quality management in healthcare. The Joint Commission (TJC) is a well-known accrediting body that sets standards and evaluates healthcare organizations’ compliance with these standards. TJC standards cover a broad range of areas, including patient rights, patient care, infection control, medication management, and performance improvement (The Joint Commission, 2022). In addition to TJC, other organizations like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) provide guidelines and tools to improve quality in healthcare.

The standards and guidelines set by regulatory bodies and quality improvement organizations significantly influence quality management in healthcare organizations. These standards guide healthcare organizations to develop policies and procedures that aim to improve the quality of care. Adherence to these standards can positively impact staffing by creating a culture of quality that attracts and retains highly skilled professionals. On the other hand, non-compliance with quality standards can lead to negative outcomes such as poor reputation, low patient satisfaction, and even legal and financial penalties.

For example, one of the standards of the TJC is reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by implementing evidence-based practices (The Joint Commission, 2022). Compliance with this standard requires healthcare organizations to implement and maintain infection control policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed, updated, and followed by all staff members. The development of these policies and procedures requires the engagement of a multidisciplinary team that includes nurses, physicians, infection prevention specialists, and quality improvement personnel. This team approach to developing infection control practices can positively impact collaboration, decision-making, and communication within the healthcare organization.

In conclusion, quality management is an essential component of healthcare. Standards and regulations set by accrediting bodies and quality improvement organizations significantly influence quality management in healthcare organizations. Compliance with these standards can positively impact staffing, decision-making, and collaboration within healthcare organizations. However, non-compliance with quality standards can lead to negative outcomes. Nurses play a vital role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality care and should be knowledgeable about quality standards and guidelines.

References:

McLaughlin, D. B., & Kaluzny, A. D. (2019). Continuous quality improvement in health care: Theory, implementations, and applications. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

The Joint Commission. (2022). Standards. Retrieved from https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/