Topic: Policy Summary and Critique related to Quality and Safety

You should obtain a policy from a healthcare organization related to a contemporary work site issue about safety, quality, staffing, advanced practice nursing, education, or other health related topic. The initial thread should contain a summary of the policy including a description of the policy, rationale, outcomes, such as what defines success (i.e., adequate staffing per the policy, no back injuries related to a no lift policy, etc).

You should relate the policy to quality and safety standards based on Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) standards and readings in the text.

Does the policy increase the safety or quality of the provision of heath care?

You should also discuss the following considerations: socioeconomic, legal, ethical, and political issues relevant to the making of the policy.

Consider reviewing political viewpoints and positions of a professional organization such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the impact that the organizations viewpoint may have on the development of the policy.

If you are not employed in a health care setting, you may use a policy from any health care organization. Policies such as staffing/patient ratios, no lift policies, fall protocols, policies that support National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), or the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health care Providers, and Systems (HCAHPS ) are topics of interest, but you may choose other policies related to quality and safety as well.