Discussion: Using Improvement Science Models to Promote Quality and Safety …while all changes do not lead to improvement, all improvement requires change. —United States Agency for International Development Improvement science models bring together research and evidence-based practice to identify the most effective ways to promote quality and safety in health care. As a central tenet of quality improvement, attention must be paid to the processes that contribute to outcomes. In this Discussion, you examine quality improvement models and evaluate how they could be applied to address specific issues within health care organizations. To prepare: Review the improvement models presented in the Learning Resources. Evaluate each of the models and select two on which to focus for this Discussion. Consider how each of the two models could be utilized in a health care organization to promote quality and safety. Think about the following: How does the model bring together research and evidence-based practice to facilitate quality improvement? How does the model contribute to a culture of quality and safety? How does it address changes in process? Reflect on the quality improvement issue and the health care setting that you are addressing for your Course Project. Of the two models that you have selected, determine which one you, as a nurse leader-manager, would use to address this issue. Also consider how this would relate to one or more of the IOM’s six aims for quality and safety. Post your analysis of how the two improvement models that you selected could foster a culture of quality and patient safety and facilitate changes in process that promote positive outcomes. Explain how you would use one of these models to address the quality improvement issue in the organization that you have selected for your Course Project, and how doing so would relate to one or more of the IOM’s six aims for improving quality and safety. Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses. Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches: Offer additional strategies for using your colleague’s selected model to address the IOM’s six aims for quality. Share insights for engaging frontline staff using your colleague’s selected improvement model. Compare the steps in the improvement model that you selected with your colleague’s. Suggest an alternative model for your colleague to utilize in his or her identified health care organization. Required Readings Hickey, J. V., & Brosnan, C. A. (2012). Evaluation of health care quality in advanced practice nursing. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Review Chapter 6, “Evaluating Health Care Information Systems and Patient Care Technology” (pp. 113–133) (assigned in Week 6) This chapter examines federally mandated use of health information technology to improve health care and care delivery. In addition, technology competencies are discussed along with strategies .

1. Discussion: Using Improvement Science Models to Promote
Quality and Safety
…while all changes do not lead to improvement, all
improvement requires change.
—United States Agency for International Development
Improvement science models bring together research and
evidence-based practice to identify the most effective ways to
promote quality and safety in health care. As a central tenet of
quality improvement, attention must be paid to the processes
that contribute to outcomes.
In this Discussion, you examine quality improvement models
and evaluate how they could be applied to address specific
issues within health care organizations.
To prepare:
Review the improvement models presented in the Learning
Resources.
Evaluate each of the models and select two on which to focus
for this Discussion.
Consider how each of the two models could be utilized in a
health care organization to promote quality and safety. Think
about the following:
How does the model bring together research and evidence-based
practice to facilitate quality improvement?
How does the model contribute to a culture of quality and
safety?
How does it address changes in process?
Reflect on the quality improvement issue and the health care
setting that you are addressing for your Course Project. Of the
two models that you have selected, determine which one you, as
a nurse leader-manager, would use to address this issue. Also
consider how this would relate to one or more of the IOM’s six

2. aims for quality and safety.
Post your analysis of how the two improvement models that you
selected could foster a culture of quality and patient safety and
facilitate changes in process that promote positive outcomes.
Explain how you would use one of these models to address the
quality improvement issue in the organization that you have
selected for your Course Project, and how doing so would relate
to one or more of the IOM’s six aims for improving quality and
safety.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days
using one or more of the following approaches:
Offer additional strategies for using your colleague’s selected
model to address the IOM’s six aims for quality.
Share insights for engaging frontline staff using your
colleague’s selected improvement model.
Compare the steps in the improvement model that you selected
with your colleague’s.
Suggest an alternative model for your colleague to utilize in his
or her identified health care organization.
Required Readings
Hickey, J. V., & Brosnan, C. A. (2012). Evaluation of health
care quality in advanced practice nursing. New York, NY:
Springer Publishing Company.
Review Chapter 6, “Evaluating Health Care Information
Systems and Patient Care Technology” (pp. 113–133) (assigned
in Week 6)
This chapter examines federally mandated use of health
information technology to improve health care and care
delivery. In addition, technology competencies are discussed
along with strategies for evaluating health information
technologies in coordination with nurse informaticists.

3. Chapter 7, “Evaluation of Patient Care Standards, Guidelines,
and Protocols” (pp. 135–158) (assigned in Week 4)
How can you know if an organization is delivering the best
possible care? This chapter explores evaluation methods for
patient care and discusses methods used to evaluate innovations
that can lead to practice changes.
Sadeghi, S., Barzi, A., Mikhail, O., & Shabot, M. M. (2013).
Integrating quality and strategy in health care organizations.
Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 7, “Understanding Quality and Performance” (pp. 133–
160)
Chapter 9, “Closing the Gaps” (pp. 179–194)
Altmann, T. K. (2007). An evaluation of the seminal work of
Patricia Benner: Theory or philosophy? Contemporary Nurse: A
Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 25(1/2), 114–
123.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Altmann summarizes the foundational work of Benner’s novice
to expert theory, reviews critiques, and outlines how Benner’s
concepts are important in nursing.
Dixon-Woods, M., Bosk, C. L., Aveling, E. L., Goeschel, C. A.,
& Pronovost, P. J. (2011). Explaining Michigan: Developing an
ex post theory of a quality improvement program. The Milbank
Quarterly, 89(2), 167–205.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article discusses evidenced-based practice and how it
relates to quality improvement in healthcare.
Ernst, M. M., Wooldridge, J. L., Conway, E., Dressman, K.,
Weiland, J., Tucker, K., & Seid, M. (2010). Using quality
improvement science to implement a multidisciplinary
behavioral intervention targeting pediatric inpatient airway
clearance. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(1), 14–24.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

4. Researchers applied a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality
improvement model in completing an evidenced based study of
pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis.
Institute of Medicine. (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: A
new health system for the 21st century. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Review as needed (assigned in a previous week). This report
outlines the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) six aims to improve
the quality of health care.
Maguad, B. A. (2011). Deming's 'profound knowledge':
Implications for higher education. Education, 131(4), 768–774.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The author of this article describes Deming’s System of
Profound Knowledge as it relates to higher education.
Murphree, P., Vath, R. R., & Daigle, L. (2011). Sustaining Lean
Six Sigma projects in health care. Physician Executive, 37(1),
44–48.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Lean Six Sigma is a quality improvement model that is
frequently used in health care. The authors of this article
provide strategies for monitoring improvement projects in order
to sustain improved quality outcomes.
Polk, J. D. (2011). Lean Six Sigma, innovation, and the change
acceleration process can work together. Physician Executive,
37(1), 38–42.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Dr. Polk describes both the Lean process and the Six Sigma
process and explains how health care organizations combine
these two improvement models to promote quality outcomes.
Improvement Science Research Network. (n.d.). What is

5. improvement science? Retrieved March 13, 2013, from
http://isrn.net/about/improvement_science.asp
As indicated in this resource, improvement science focuses on
research about what improvement strategies are most effective
for promoting health care quality and safety.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2012a). How to
improve. Retrieved from
http://www.ihi.org/knowledge/Pages/HowtoImprove/default.asp
x
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement outlines each step in
the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model as described in The
Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing
Organizational Performance. Click on the links to read each
section.
Nursing Theories. (2011). From novice to expert: Patricia E.
Benner. Retrieved from
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Patricia_Benner_From
_Novice_to_Expert.html
This website presents an overview of the basic elements of
Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality. (2012). AHRQ health care
innovations exchange. Retrieved from
http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov
The Innovations Exchange was established to help health care
providers “solve problems, improve health care quality, and
reduce disparities.” This website presents evidence-based
innovations and QualityTools along with articles and up-to-date
research findings.
United States Agency for International Development. (n.d.).
The science of improvement. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from
http://www.hciproject.org/improvement_tools/improvement_met

6. hods/science
The USAID organization provides a concise overview of
improvement science and its application to improving health
care quality.
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013a). Improvement science
defined. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.
In this media segment, Dr. Kenneth Rempher discusses
improvement science and how it relates to three main areas of
nursing practice: nursing research, evidence-based practice, and
performance improvement.