Feasibility of a multi-institution collaborative to improve patient-nurse relationship quality.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to assess the feasibility of a multi-institution quality improvement collaborative to improve patient-nurse relationship quality.


BACKGROUND
Patient-nurse relationships provide the foundation for nursing services and are linked to patient outcomes. Measuring the quality of these relationships is important for ongoing practice changes.


METHODS
A prospective evaluation approach was used. Patients from 12 hospitals in 4 distinct areas of the United States comprised the sample.


RESULTS
All 12 hospitals submitted patient data on a quarterly basis, yielding a reliable database for performance improvement. The Caring Assessment Tool (CAT) performed well, and individual hospitals used the results to improve their performance. Inconsistencies in labeling, differing sample sizes, and administrative burden limited the results.


CONCLUSIONS
Adult patients were willing to provide feedback about their care during hospitalization and multiple institutions successfully participated in the project. An electronic version of the CAT with real-time analysis would decrease burden and provide more timely and accurate results for actionable practice changes.
School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. jrduffy@iupui.edu
Joanne R
JR
Duffy
Barbara B
BB
Brewer
D000328:Adult; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004645:Empathy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States