Quality in Healthcare

Quality matters....in everything. And I have to say it really matters when it comes to healthcare. Patients deserve the best quality care always. Period. There are many elements of quality care and ways that it can be provided. From a patient's viewpoint, quality care should be provided by any employee from the registrar, secretary, PCT, RN, MD, PT, OT, speech...the list could go on and on. I would expect to be respected by those people and trust that they would provide complete information to me and my family. I would expect the best medical treatment plan. I would want to have a clean room with clean equipment at all times. I would expect to have that quality time with the nurse or doctor if I needed to communicate with them, have questions answered, or receive emotional support. I would expect to be able to say that the hospital is high quality and provides the best care possible. I would hope the medical team members are qualified to work in their positions and have the same goal to strive to create a healing environment not only for me as the patient but my family and others as well.

As a nurse, I expect to provide quality care. I try my very best to make sure the patient is taken care of in all aspects of life as well as their family. I try to provide complete and correct information to the patient and allow time for that patient to vent their feelings or ask me questions. I also strive to help the patient feel comfortable in their room by helping keep it clean and organized, getting new sheets, warm blankets, fresh towels, etc. I want to uphold the name Intermountain has build for themselves and I understand what goals the facility has. I think there is quality in the nursing staff as well as all members of the interdisciplinary team. We have the obligation to be there for the patients and give them high quality care. I complete continuing education and trainings so I am up-to-date on information and continue to be qualified to have my license. 

The elements/standards of quality from a patient's perspective and from my perspective as an RN are almost identical. I think this is important because both parties have the expectation of what that quality is and how it can be provided. Quality is a subjective concept and in the real world, the standards I have in mind may not be exactly what the patient envisions. But it is my duty to communicate with my patients and understand how they view good quality healthcare so I can do my best to uphold their standard as well as the standards for the organization I am so lucky to work with.