How Happy Are You Doing Quality Improvement?

Specialties Quality Improvement

Published

Specializes in ED, M/S, PCU.

I have been a nurse for 8 years. For the past year I have been in a clinical coordinator position over 2 units. The job is very stressful with phone calls at night because of staffing, and going into work on nights after working all day in the office because of call-offs. I have been really contemplating if management of this type is really for me???? I attend PI meetings on a regular basis, and I am very interested in what the Quality Manager says, and the whys behind it. There is a position available for a quality coordinator, and I think that is what I want in the next phase of my nursing career. However, I have this deep guilt of leaving my manager knowing that staffing right now totally sucks, I fell like I am abandoning her.

So, I guess I would like to know, how many people really enjoy the Quality portion of nursing? I am definitely ready to learn more.

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Specializes in Obstetrics/Case Management/MIS/Quality.

I answered this to another similar question on this topic. Hopefully this will be helpful to you...

I worked in Obstetrics for more than a dozen years and then slowly moved to Quality. I'll be honest, it was an emotionally difficult change and continues to be, although I enjoy what I do now.

The difficulty for me was not feeling like I "made a difference" anymore although rationally I still do. Actually I have the ability to make a difference to MORE people than when I worked bedside, I just don't visibly SEE it like I did when I worked bedside I also miss "my babies" since I'm no longer in OB.

What DON'T I miss? The stress. The stress of having MD's induce a bunch of patients before they leave on vacation. The stress of taking care of more patients than is safe. The stress my body was under for 12 hours at a time.

I am literally "in charts" for 75% of my day. It would be the same for a Quality Coordinator position. You'd be doing chart abstraction. It can feel isolating sometimes with less social interaction than you currently receive. That may or may not be something you would like. After having my attention pulled in a million different directions as a bedside nurse for years...it is a joy to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time now!

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I only recently left my clinic nursing position to take a position in QI, and as mentioned in another response, I have felt a little sad....it isn't an obvious difference you are making in QI, and I sense resentment from some nurses. That being said, I love what I do. It is interesting and challenging and it keeps me on my toes. I work for an external UR company, and we audit insurance claims, working very closely with our medical director. Do I miss hands on nursing? Once in a while. But not often. The office is fast paced but in a much different way than the clinic. And no more chasing non-compliant patients down.....don't miss tha!!!!!!!!

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Hi, wonder if any ine can help ive got an interview for a band 6 post on my ward, and i have to hive a 5 minute presentation and ive no idea where to start, not really involved in anything, other than doing Hand Hygiene training so im now a cascade trainer for hand hygiene. This is the question I've been given to present on.

Tell us about an area of quality improvement work that you have introduced or led within your own clinical area'

thanks Amanda

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Specializes in Obstetrics/Case Management/MIS/Quality.

Good luck with your presentation!

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Specializes in ED, M/S, PCU.

Thank you very much!

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Thank you very much!

How is everything going lately hes23271rn? Did you take the coordinator position?

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