Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Virani.
A practice model for assessing and increasing the validity of a quality monitoring instrument is identified. The philosophical and economic factors, assessment and the project's steps and strategies for maintaining the tool's validity are discussed.
Best practice guidelines, although a recent phenomenon, have become a global movement in nursing. Scholars, practitioners, healthcare organizations, governments and the nursing associations have a unique opportunity to enhance quality and demonstrate joint accountability to patients, the healthcare system and the public as a whole. This article offers insight into the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Nursing Best Practice Guidelines Project. Funded as a multi-year project by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in 1999, the RNAO project is leading nursing's best practice guideline movement in Canada and reaching others abroad.
Policy and procedure manuals can be cumbersome to keep current and updated. One approach to meet this challenge is by implementing a decentralized system to develop, review, revise and approve policies and procedures. Mechanisms to operationalize such a system involve sharing of responsibility and accountability of specified policies and procedures by various existing committees and development of coordinating systems and support mechanisms. Other key attributes of a decentralized system included collaboration and extensive communication strategies.
The continuous enhancement of the quality of patient care is the prime directive of a Nursing Quality Improvement Program. A decentralized approach, using a Unit Based Quality Improvement model, was used in one hospital. In this paper, the author examines the process from conceptualization to implementation and evaluation of the decentralized approach.