Essentials for Role Development.

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Quality of Care Natacha Darbouze Quality of care refers to the level to which health care services provided by health care providers to patients help improve desired health outcomes. Quality of care aims at ensuring all patients are treated well depending on their health needs and kept safe in a health care setting. It is therefore essential for States to formulate and implement mechanisms that will measure and monitor the quality of care delivered by health care providers. Measuring and monitoring quality of care is an essential aspect in health care system as it tells us how the health system is performing in ensuring patients receives efficient health services (Smith, 1989). Measurement of quality of care entails use of data to assess the performance of health care providers and the health plans stipulated by health care facilities against recognized quality standards. The measure of quality of care varies between countries (Smith, 1989). High-income countries usually use sophisticated mechanisms in measuring the quality of care. Use of data that frequently relies on a sophisticated health information system and electronic health records is one of the ways high-income countries measure and monitor the quality of care. Through the assessment of the data, healthcare quality is monitored, and an evaluation of quality improvement is conducted. Unlike in high-income countries, the middle and low-income countries use medical records for quality auditing and improvement programs. The medical records serve as an essential tool in assessing the patient’s medical history and follow up on their health progress. This helps in measuring and monitoring the quality of care (Smith, 1989). An advanced practice nurse commonly referred to as APRN or APN is a nurse with advanced knowledge in nursing at least Master’s degree in nursing. Example of advanced practice nurse includes nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists as well as clinical nurse specialists (Joel, 2017). APNs have a responsibility of measuring and monitoring the quality of care delivered to patients through the roles from which they practice (Joel, 2017). Through their role as educator, APNs can educate their nursing colleagues on the importance of patient care thus improving the quality of care. Their role as acute care nurse practitioners may measure and benchmark their performance which improves quality of care delivered. APNs that practice as clinical nurse specialists may also include such outcomes into hospital-based which in turn improves quality of care (Joel, 2017). In summary, measure and monitor of the quality of care is essential as it allows health agencies to know the level of care patients receive and their safety. Therefore, medics such as advanced practice nurse should consider incorporating outcomes that will improve and maintain a high quality of care of patients (Joel, 2017). References Joel, L. A. (2017). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essentials for Role Development. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis. Smith, T. C. (1989). A methodology to monitor professional nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 3(3), 7-23. doi:10.1097/00001786-198905000-00003