How epidemiologic measures strengthen and support nursing practice.

ONE

To Prepare

Select item 1, 2, or 3 to use for this Discussion. Consider the definitions, differences, and utility of the two terms listed under your item selection. Your response will need to include both terms in the selected item.

Odds ratio and risk ratio

Mortality and morbidity

Incidence and prevalence

Consider how these epidemiologic measures strengthen and support nursing practice.

Assess practice limitations of not using these measures in nursing practice.

Conduct additional research in the Walden Library and other credible resources and then locate two examples in the scholarly literature that support your insights.

Discussion

• Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
• Explain how your selected measures of effect strengthen and support nursing practice. Provide at least two specific examples from the literature to substantiate your insights.
• Assess limitations of not using measures of effect in nursing practice.

Resources

• Curley, A. L. C. (Ed.). (2024). Population-based nursing: Concepts and competencies for advanced practice (4th ed.). Springer.

• Chapter 4, “Epidemiological Methods and Measurements in Population-Based Nursing Practice: Part I” (pp. 68-105)

• Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2021). Epidemiology for public health practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.

• Chapter 3, “Measures of Morbidity and Mortality Used in Epidemiology”
• Chapter 9, “Measures of Effect”

TWO

To prepare:

Reflect on how different healthcare settings use quality scorecards and dashboards.

Select any healthcare setting that has an established scorecard or dashboard measuring patient experience and quality improvement goals.

Analyze a scorecard or dashboard from your selected organization

Remember to keep the name of your selected organization anonymous.

Reflect on how these measurement systems and measurement methods may impact organizational goal setting in the areas of overall performance and financial stability.

Explore the key indicators involved with scorecards and dashboards, as well as the external quality standards to which they are compared.

Reflect on what the metrics used in the balanced scorecards and dashboards might mean to your specific organization and/or nursing practice. Has your organization established targets for these or similar metrics and are they currently being met? Why or why not?

Discussion

• Provide a brief description of the selected healthcare organization and setting.
• Summarize the quality and patient experience measures on the selected scorecard or dashboard.
• Keep the name of your selected organization anonymous.
• Describe how the selected healthcare organization establishes targets for their organizational improvement plan (e.g., internal or external benchmarking, quality databases).
• Analyze the quality metrics and determine if the organization is meeting these metrics.
• Include any potential impact to the organization for not meeting these metrics (e.g., value-based purchasing, CMS reimbursement and penalties).
• Explain your evaluation

Resources

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2024). The essential Links to an external site.. AACN. https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials

Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines (4th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.

Chapter 1, “Evidence-Based Practice: Context, Concerns, and Challenges” (pp. 3–10)

Chapter 2, “Creating a Supportive EBP Environment” (pp. 13–37)

Chapter 3, “The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) Model for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) Process Overview” (pp. 43–66)

CMS.gov. (2023, September 6). HCAHPS: Patients’ perspectives of care survey Links to an external site.. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HospitalQualityInits/HospitalHCAHPS

Ransom, E. R., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, S. B., & Nash, D. B. (Eds.). (2023). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (5th ed.). Health Administration Press & Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

Chapter 8, “Quality Measurement: Measuring What Matters Links to an external site.” (pp. 222–237)

Chapter 9, “Value-Based Purchasing Links to an external site.” (pp. 240–267)

Chapter 12, “Governance for Quality: Building a Culture of Quality and Safety Links to an external site.” (pp. 369–371)