NFQ level 8: The purpose of this assignment is to focus on a quality management project/initiative in your area of clinical practice: Patient Safety, Quality Improvement & Risk Management, Assignment, RCSI, Ireland

Guideline

The purpose of this assignment is to focus on a quality management project/initiative in your area of clinical practice. This guide outlines a method for structuring your assignment. The assignment must be supported by referencing the points you are making using the Harvard reference system. Please refer to the submission guidelines and referencing which provide examples of how to use the Harvard Referencing System.

Introduction

• Your assignment should begin with an introduction. The introduction will set the context for your piece of work.
• Your introduction should set out how you are going to address the key points so the reader knows what to expect throughout the assignment. The introduction provides context and signposts to the rest of the work.
• Clear definitions of quality management, patient safety and risk management should be
  included in the introduction to set the scene for the assignment. It is essential to support with reference. Your quality improvement initiative should aim to improve quality of care, patient safety and risk management therefore you should aim to define them.
• Discuss the role of HIQA in promoting quality where applicable.
• The introduction should include a brief description of the quality project/initiative and explain why it was important to set this project up in your particular area of clinical practice.
• For example you should conclude with a sentence indicating the focus of the assignment. i.e This assignment will critically discuss a quality project in …..(insert your area of clinical practice) and will focus specifically on how the project improved the quality of care for….. (insert the patient group you are focusing on). The assignment will also address….patient safety and risk management because this is…

Main Body

• The main body of the assignment should demonstrate critical discussion of the quality
  project/initiative.
• In the section you should include 2-3 headings, sub headings can also be used. You need to identify sound rationale for choosing this initiative.
• For example your assignment could focus on a Falls Risk Assessment

1.0 Heading 1. Background

Falls in Health service, Define Falls, Why are falls a problem in the health setting with
particular reference to your area of work? Draw on statistics about fallsincidents nationally
and internationally where data is available.

2.0 Heading 2. The Quality improvement process

How did you start the project, what tools did you use to gather data? Tools can be
observation, audit or incident forms. After gathering and interpreting this data you then
initiated a falls risk assessment or implemented one used by other organisations. How did
you implement this tool i.e. staff education, retraining etc.

3.0 Heading 3 Outcome

How did you evaluate the project? What was the result of the evaluation? If the project
improved quality of care, patient safety and risk management then critique the strengths
of the project that you believe lead to its success. If the project/initiative did not improve
quality of care then discuss the reasons.

• Your assignment should identify and critique the quality assessment tools/techniques which were used in the project/initiative.
• Was an audit or evaluation conducted as part ofselecting the project? In your critique consider the benefits/value of the quality project/initiative. For example
  ▪ Does the project improve patient care?
  ▪ Does the project improve patient safety?
  ▪ Does the project reduce risk?
• Is there greater patient/carer/family satisfaction?
• All points should be supported with relevant and up to date references * please refer to guidelines on referencing.
• Summarise your initiative in a simple diagram/flow chart and include in the appendix.

Conclusion

For academic writing it is important to conclude with a rounded summary of the main points you addressed in your assignment.

• Remind the reader of the quality project/initiative and demonstrate judgement of how it improved or addressed the quality of patient care, patient safety and risk management.
• No new points or material are added at this stage.
• No referenced are required in the conclusion as you are summing up the points you addressed in the assignment.