A colleague once remarked, “Isn’t it strange that the universal response to hearing that someone has gone into a nursing home is ‘Ugh’?”  As nurses, we might hazard a guess as to what kind of care the new resident may receive. But is there a way to reenvision the care that we provide in nursing homes?

In AJN‘s April Viewpoint essay, NP Heather Walker argues that there is, and that quality improvement (QI) can be an effective tool for change. Walker suggests that QI can do for nursing homes what it has done for acute care: focus attention on the systemic issues that stand in the way of good nursing. As she says in the article,

“QI doesn’t negate personal responsibility, but it broadens the focus so that systemic problems are taken into account.”

The QI process fosters reflection, accountability, and teamwork, which in themselves can improve the work environment and residents’ living experience. For more information about this approach, read the short article, here.—Betsy Todd, AJN clinical editor, MPH, RN, CIC