Quality Safety Cost in Nursing Issues

Course: NURS-FPX 4900 – Capstone Project for Nursing (BSN FlexPath)

Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem – Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

Students identify a specific health issue that affects patients, families, or populations in this assessment. They examine how quality standards, safety measures, and cost factors influence the management of that issue. Evidence from scholarly sources supports the discussion of these elements in nursing care.

Instructions

1. Select a health problem relevant to nursing practice and describe its impact on care delivery.
2. Review at least three recent peer-reviewed articles to explain quality benchmarks and safety protocols related to the problem.
3. Evaluate the financial implications of the issue, including costs associated with treatment and potential savings from preventive strategies.
4. Propose ways to integrate quality, safety, and cost considerations into effective nursing interventions.
5. Format the paper according to APA 7th edition guidelines, with a title page, abstract, and references section.

Length Requirements

Prepare a 4-6 page paper, not counting the title page, abstract, or references, which equals about 1,000 to 1,500 words.

Grading Rubric/Marking Criteria

• Health Problem Description (20%): Presents a clear explanation of the chosen issue and its relevance to nursing.
• Quality and Safety Analysis (30%): Uses evidence to discuss standards and measures effectively.
• Cost Evaluation (25%): Analyzes financial aspects with accurate examples and insights.
• Intervention Proposals (15%): Offers practical suggestions for incorporating the considerations.
• Formatting and Clarity (10%): Meets APA standards and demonstrates strong writing skills.

Instructors evaluate submissions based on how well students meet the course competencies, with higher scores for in-depth analysis.

Sample Answer Content: Diabetes management often involves monitoring blood glucose levels to prevent complications like infections or hospitalizations. Quality indicators from organizations such as the American Diabetes Association guide nurses in setting care goals that enhance patient outcomes. Safety protocols include educating patients on medication adherence to avoid errors that increase healthcare expenses.

Cost analyses show that early interventions reduce long-term expenditures through fewer emergency visits. Nurses apply these principles by developing personalized plans that balance effectiveness and affordability. Such approaches have improved overall care in various clinical settings.

References

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2020. Patient safety and quality improvement. Rockville, MD: AHRQ. Available at: https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/index.html.
• Hughes, R.G. ed., 2019. Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2651/.
• Melnyk, B.M., Gallagher-Ford, L., Long, L.E. and Fineout-Overholt, E., 2022. The establishment of evidence-based practice competencies for practicing registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in real-world clinical settings: Proficiencies to improve healthcare quality, reliability, patient outcomes, and costs. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 19(1), pp.5-15. DOI: 10.1111/wvn.12551.
• Thomas, M.B., 2021. Health care quality and outcomes management. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?id=ABC123.