Introducing standardised quality nursing metrics throughout all GHNHSFT Outpatient Departments

Quality Improvement Poster Download

Background & Problem

Not all outpatient departments in the Trust routinely complete nursing metrics to measure the quality of the service provided. In my OP areas they are completed monthly as a matter of routine but unlike the inpatient metrics ours do not reach the Trusts quality committee and it was felt that we were giving them lip service rather than providing really meaningful data.

Our first CQC inspection acknowledged that we were competing them but I have always been mindful that this was inconsistent across the other OPD’s and was intrigued as to how they were measuring quality. Knowing that we were due a further inspection in early 2017 I wanted to review our standards and to use this opportunity to roll them out across all Outpatient areas

Aim

I was hoping for a comprehensive review of the nursing metrics used in outpatients to ensure that the standards were not only applicable and relevant, but are SMART. The new revised metrics were to be rolled out across all Outpatient areas including T&O, gynaecology, ENT & Ophthalmology, ARU and paediatrics by March 2017.

Method

In September 2016 I set up a new Outpatient Nurses Forum and invited all the OP senior sisters and the matron responsible for ENT + Ophthalmology . Terms of reference were agreed for this monthly meeting and the nursing metrics became a standard agenda item. One area ,ARU ( Assessment and rehabilitation) became an early adopter of the metrics, but their feedback questioned the useful ness of them so it was collectively agreed to wait for the CQC inspection and devise new standards on the back of the report.

Results

Only x1 new area out of a possible 8 have so far introduced nursing metrics.

Implications

This particular QI is more qualitative than quantitative which has made putting some of the QI methodologies into practice difficult. There is a delay in roll out due to waiting for the CQC report.