DNP 840 Patient Care Delivery

Sample Answer

INTRODUCTION

• Health care delivery impacts patient outcomes
• Better delivery improves outcomes.
• There have been efforts to improve delivery
• Healthcare delivery also enhances the implementation of interventions.
• The interventions help solve various problems
• This presentation deals with patient care delivery change.

Improved patient care outcomes largely depend on the healthcare delivery aspects and initiatives, implying that there is always a need to use effective initiatives. As such, there have been efforts in the healthcare sector to improve patient outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to improve every aspect of patient care delivery to ensure that initiatives and interventions are successfully delivered in patient care settings. The initiatives and interventions are usually formulated to help improve outcomes and solve various clinical settings such as patient falls, pressure ulcers, and other medical and medication mistakes (Adane et al.2019). As such, this presentation focuses on a proposed change in patient care delivery related to the DPI project

BACKGROUND OF THE ISSUE

• Various conditions are known to impact patient health
• One of the conditions is pressure ulcers
• It is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections.
• It’s caused by persistent pressure on a patient’s body parts
• They can lead to increased length of stay
• Can also lead to mortality and morbidity.

There is a need for better strategies to control the condition

Several problems usually impact the patient care settings. One of the problems known to impact patients is pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers are among the common hospital-associated infections. Also known as pressure injuries, this condition is usually caused when an individual lies down or sits down on one side or the same body spot for a long time, causing excess pressure on that part of the body, hence causing injury to the skin. Since they hamper care quality and threaten patient safety, nurses must develop appropriate and sustainable solutions. As change leaders, nurses should guide their workplace settings in implementing quality improvement projects and a similar approach is needed to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers in the practicum site. As Darvall et al. (2018) noted, preventing pressure ulcers improves patient outcomes by reducing mortality and hospitalization. Similar outcomes will be achieved by implementing the proposed intervention to reduce the gap between the present and the desired health outcomes in the facility.

SWOT ANALYSIS

A SWOT analysis is key to better intervention planning. Therefore a SWOT analysis has been performed in relation to the identified problem. The analysis revealed various strengths which can favor the implementation of a proposed solution. One of the identified strengths is the focus on patient safety. The facility upholds the need to ensure that patients are safe in the care environment. This has been evident in the approaches and initiatives by the facility to promote patient safety. The organization also supports effective and consistent patient care. The other strength identified is the availability of evidence obtained from the literature. Such evidence indicates that pressure ulcers are still persistent in the patient care settings hence a need to implement other more effective approaches. The organization’s activities are also driven by SMART goals hence supporting better patient outcomes. One of the weaknesses noted is the high patient census against the number of nurses. Another weakness is the rampant reduced adherence to disease management approaches and initiatives offered to the patients.

A further SWOT analysis also showed various threats and opportunities. Among the opportunities identified is the use of evidence-based practice standards. The staff at the organization has a strong record and background of using EBP standards in their daily practice. As such, this aspect presents an opportunity that can be exploited to help in the implementation of a proposed solution to help improve the care outcomes related to pressure ulcers. The next opportunity identified is the possibility of integrating various technological approaches with the care practices toward the management and treatment of patients with pressure ulcers. The integration of such approaches can help improve the care outcomes of the identified vulnerable population by helping them improve clinical visits. Various threats identified include a possible resistance by the staff, inadequate support from the sponsors and a possibility of reduced support from the organization.

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

• Individuals admitted to the hospitals are at risk of developing pressure ulcers;
• The proposed solution is bundle care
• Pressure ulcer bundle care deviates from traditional approaches
• It integrates various approaches into a guideline.

Patients visit critical care settings with a myriad of severe illnesses and conditions. While receiving care for their conditions, patients in critical care settings are at a high risk of developing pressure ulcers. Susceptibility ranges from 12% to 32.7% and varies with illnesses, treatment methodologies, and the length of hospital stay (Cox et al., 2022). Old and debilitated patients are at high risk, and patient-centered interventions are vital in all healthcare settings. Therefore, the proposed solution is the use of a patient care bundle to help in the prevention of the condition. A preventive pressure ulcer care bundle deviates from the traditional approaches where a single intervention is used in the prevention of pressure ulcers. As such, a pressure bundle involves an integration of several single strategies to come up with a guideline that can be followed by those who offer care to patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers.