Evaluation of Samaritan Hospital's bedside handover nursing plan

¶ … Nursing Plan

Evaluation Plan

Outcome Measure

The outcomes of the Samaritan Hospital bedside handover plan is explicitly linked to the overall strategic outlook of the hospital. In order for this attempt to be beneficial it must prove to be economic, effective and efficient. These three qualities reveal the ability to successfully implement an idea and allow it to materialize and flourish.

Specifically, there are certain facts and figures that can be recorded and noted to highlight the progress of the plan and allow the leadership to successfully evaluate the effort and direct further resources to guide those efforts to their necessary spots. In order to accomplish this, a data collection tool must be introduced to gather information to model. For this plan there will be three sources of data to be collected. The first is a survey that is to be conducted by patients who have been released from the hospital after treatment and experiencing bedside handoff. This survey will collect critical information that can signify how the exchange was performed (See Appendix A). The other pieces of data will be overtime records and healing rates that can be incorporated into a larger model to gather an more general feel for the performance.

Appropriateness of Model

The model applied to this problem is appropriate because it addresses the main concerns of the hospital. Patient quality of care is the main focus of this effort and to accurately gauge this abstract quality, it is necessary to receive feedback from the patient. The additional data involving nursing overtime rates is also important because it measures both the effectiveness and in some ways the efficiency of the transformation. This compilation of data provides an accurate model that incorporates many variables and is aligned with the larger strategic outlook of the organization.

Evaluation Data Collection

Collecting this data is not difficult and should be fairly simple to accomplish in this plan. Customer surveys can be filled out before the patient checks out or after the last bedside handoff exchange. The overtime data can be collected from human resources at Samaritan Hospital or from nurse leadership on staff who should have this information readily available.

Feasibility

In order for this plan to be fully feasible, it is necessary for leadership to promote its value and encourage discipline in its practice. Like any other clinical skill, it can wane if it is not practiced and properly applied. The extra time it may take the evaluators of the plan to examine surveys is a threat to overall feasibility, but once again a concentrated effort to make this plan work will allow for time to be used for these purposes if they are in fact important to the success of the organization.

Funding Sources

Extra funding does not seem necessary for this plan to work. If grant funding were available for this plan it would surely be welcomed and applied accordingly. Since this plan is simple in its application and development, and in the long run aims to save costs through overtime reduction, the plan funds itself in many respects. Any professional nursing or nursing educational organization that would be interested in making a grant donation to this plan may be the most likely source of such funding if it was deemed necessary.

Section F: Decision Making

Decision Making Criteria

In order to determine if this plan is working or not, it is necessary to monitor the customer survey responses, the overtime and the general performance of the ward. These three sources of information should provide enough data to suggest how the plan is working. In time, overtime should decrease, quality of care should increase and nurses should be more effective and efficient at their jobs as an end state.

Plan Maintenance

Encouragement and spot checking procedures need to be done by staff leaders if this plan is to be maintained and held to a high standard. It is most important that both the hearts and minds of the staff are aligned with this simple procedural shift. The simplicity of the plan requires that the maintenance be leadership driven with emphasis on motivation and encouragement.

Feedback

Since the feedback from the patients is inherently located within this plan, there is less demand for it. It is necessary however to receive feedback from both the doctor and nursing staff to gauge their interest and understanding of its application. The opinions of the full team are very important at revealing how the model affects the entire organization from top to bottom and any opinions on the matter should be taken with context and significance.

Appendix A: Patient Survey

1. Did you enjoy your stay at Samaritan Hospital ?

2. On a scale of 1-5 how effective was the nursing staff ?

3. On a scale of 1-5 how effective was the doctor staff ?

4. On a scale of 1-5 how beneficial was the bedside handover during nursing shift changes ?

5. What was your reason for hospitalization.

6. During handoff, what ideas were discussed ?

7. Did you feel you were an active participant in the handoff exchange ?

8. How would you improve your stay at Samaritan Hospital ?

9. On a scale of 1-5, how effective were bedside handoffs in your healing process ?

10. Do you have any other comments ?