Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Evaluation of the Project: Patient Falls

1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome
2. Comparison of The Results of KPI to the SMART+C Goal and Outcome Statement

Comparing the project’s KPIs to the SMART+C goal and goal outcome statement identified that the project implementation effectively reduced the number of patient falls. What inspired the project manager to design, plan and implement the HIP was the increased number of patient falls among eh geriatric patients. At the initiation of the healthcare improvement project, the rate was 6.1 falls per 1000 patient days at the geriatric unit. The SMART+C goal was developed during the planning phase of the healthcare improvement project; it was expected that implementing multifactorial interventions would significantly decrease patient falls in the geriatric unit by 40%. The SMART+C goal sought to reduce the rate during the HIP that began on 3/22/2022 and is expected to end on November 15, 2022. The goal outcome statement stated that the HIP would enhance patient outcomes and patients’ experiences with healthcare and reduce the financial burden while preventing fall-related consequences (such as fractures). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

ORDER HERE A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER 

The evaluation of the project using the only KPI for this project revealed that the HIP was a success because the mini-outcome checks and overall evaluation of data showed a reduction in the number of patient falls. The KPI stated that the rate of patient falls would begin to decrease on weeks two, four, and six of data collection and mini-outcome checks. Thus, the team would determine the success of the interventions during and after implementing the fall-prevention interventions. Patient fall rates directly impact their care outcomes, cost, and experiences with the care offered.  Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Following the implementation, the team expected a 40% reduction in patient falls, but a reduction of 2.74 (6.1 to 3.36) falls per 1000 patient days. Thus, the team used the KPI to compare the number of patient falls at baseline and post-implementation and noted a significant decrease with implementing the multimodal fall-prevention intervention. Exercise promotion, patient environment awareness, health education, and correcting footwear and vision were among the multimodal interventions to prevent elderly falls. The results showed that if the implementation is sustained, fall-prevention interventions continued to cause a significant reduction in patient falls. Thus, the project was successful because the evaluation of two-weekly mini-outcome checks revealed a significant reduction.

2. How Project Was Implemented Efficiently and Effectively

A2a:   A Method Used for Efficiency in the Project Implementation

The method used to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of project implementation was timeline review to enable the manager to determine the time and resources each task would take. The use and continued updates made to the timeline helped ensure accurate planning, scheduling, and completion of tasks. The project manager would use the Gantt chart to visualize tasks, milestones, resources, dependencies between tasks, and deadlines for task completion. The project manager and team helped ensure that the resources necessary for executing tasks and producing deliverables were sufficient by conducting a timeline review during and after implementing interventions. Resources included people, supplies, and salaries to care, for providers. As noted by Levin & Levin (2019), a timeline review helps determine when and what resources are needed by each person or task.

Changes in the project implementation resulted in revisions of the timeline update. For example, the project manager updated the order of tasks and timelines when the team noted that patient education was needed before executing the fall-prevention interventions. Meeting with the team each week also helped review the timeline and communicate necessary changes after achieving a consensus on the topic of interest. By sharing the timeline with the project team, the PM ensured they knew which tasks should be completed and which resources would be needed.

A2b:  A Result Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Project Implementation

One result demonstrating the effectiveness of project implementation using the timeline review was when nurse education was marked 50% complete with only two days remaining to complete it as per the Gantt chart. The issues were on the agenda for discussion on the same day when the responsible team of nurse educators was required to complete the task in two days. Through consensus, the team agreed to engage nurse managers who supervise nurses needed in training to create enough time for them to present for education sessions. The team also agreed to replace such nurses in their duty shifts so they could attend staff education and evaluate whether they learned. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Within two days, the task was marked 100% complete because all nurses required for staff education had satisfactorily completed the lessons and evaluated have learned the desired content. Thus, the timeline review completed staff education in time and helped ensure that all care providers required to attend training did so within the timeline. The timeline review gave the team something to push and strive to complete tasks. Besides, the timeline review helped them notice the accomplishment of their goals when they completed the tasks in time.

3. Methods Used to Keep the Project on Schedule and the Factors that Caused Delays

 When comparing the implementation of tasks with the projected timeline, the team completed some tasks before time, in time, and others after the expected deadline. Using the Gantt chart, the team would assign appropriate percentages to signify their progress towards completion. Notably, the team would notice that some tasks were completed a week before time while others required extra interventions to help complete them within the estimated time. For the items that did not finish before or on the planned deadline, the PM would note the cause and determine the necessary steps to take.

For example, the completion of initial patient education fell behind time because not all patients in the unit had been educated on the project interventions and evaluated their learning. The intervention would be implemented during and after usual duty shift activities. The delay in completing tasks within the assigned weeks occurred because some of the members assigned to the patients got ill and could not complete them in time. Besides, the team members did not communicate the issue early enough to ensure the project team sought a solution. Another reason for the delay is because of insufficient resources for education. The team had identified videos and pamphlets concurrently used in staff education. Thus, the dependency on the training sessions caused an insufficiency of resources; hence some nurses could not complete patient education in time. Time constraints for nurses working in the geriatric unit made them not complete project interventions alongside usual nursing care activities. Busy duty shifts caused exhaustion and potential burnout making the nurses postpone project interventions. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Although the HIP experienced delays in completing tasks, the team would unanimously seek solutions to help complete them and avoid significant impact on the progress of the propjet. The team would have planned for potential delays by setting realistic timelines to ensure that tasks have sufficient time to be completed. Another intervention would be to forecast dependencies on resources and provide sufficient and right resources during the early phases of implementation. The forecast would also expect a surge in patient acuity, meaning that nurses would have insufficient time and fatigue. Thus, the team would have planned for flexible duty shifts and encouraged effective communication among the team and stakeholders to ensure prompt intervention in case nurses cannot complete tasks before the deadline.

4. Methods for Cost Containment and Causes of Variance

When comparing the actual implementation cost and budget projected during the planning phase, the project manager noted that the HIP stayed right on the pro-budget on most occasions, but at other times it did not. For example, the purchase of incentives projected in the budget went below the estimated cost while staff education was under-budgeted. Instances, when the actual project cost was lower or higher than the pro-from budget are called budget variances. The causes of budget variances were changes in prices of supplies over the project implementation time, unmet tasks or expectations, and errors in approximating the cost of supplies.

Although the causes existed, the team tried to contain the cost by tracking the costs of different items. Since the team had prepared a time-based budget for the different items, the PM used it to track each phase. The actual costs were tracked each month as planned in an earlier phase. Another method of containing the causes of budget variances was effective time management, including meeting project deadlines. The longer tasks would take, the more resources and costs incurred in completing them. Thus, the PM constantly reminded the team about the significance of meeting deadlines or completing tasks on time. During weekly meetings, the team would review the budget to identify potential and actual variances. Lastly, controlling the project change helps ensure that the implementation phase does not alter the scope. Thus, potential changes to the scope, which could cost, were blocked to avoid changes in cost and deadline of deliverables. Therefore, the intervention was also significant in keeping the actual cost near the Pro-forma budget. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

1. Final Status Report

Please see Appendix K containing the Final Status Report.

1. Processes for Project Closure and Celebration

The closure of the healthcare improvement project involved holding a final meeting with the project team. The PM provided food and soft drinks from the team to share as they discussed the final steps of the HIP. The processes for closure of the HIP included reviewing timelines documented in the Gantt chart to determine whether all tasks had been completed and deadlines met. The processes also included debriefing the team and learning the successes and failures of the just-completed project. The team discussed the lessons learned regarding the project, project management, significance, and other aspects noted by team members. Also included in the project closure was the reflection on how each team spent the entire time in the project. Another process was transitioning all documentation to the key stakeholders who would help the organization adopt, support, and sustain the project.

Thus, the PM submitted the project to the organization’s key stakeholders to seamlessly transition HIP into its patient care to prevent patient falls. Also submitted were the project deliverables, a fall-prevention guide, weekly newsletters highlighting key safety information for geriatric patients, and standard operating procedures containing multidimensional fall prevention interventions. The final sign-off with the organization’s leadership occurred at this phase, whereby the leadership validated that there was agreement ownership of products or items purchased during the complete products, the functionality of products and that all the planned tasks had been met. During the project closure meeting, every team member contributed by describing the lessons learned and sharing insights on necessary changes to improve future projects. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Following the closure and submission of the project, the team joined in celebration in a dinner arranged by the PM outside the place of work. The PM took the opportunity to thank all members for their devotion to the project and the assistance offered. Also, the PM explained to the team how the project would not have succeeded without their dedication to the HIP. The celebration also demonstrated to the team how much the PM values them.

1. Wrap-Up Session with the Project Champions and Key Stakeholders

The wrap-session involved the project champions and all key stakeholders. The PM received formal acceptance of the completed HIP by the key stakeholders and champions who would help the organization own it. The project team met the KPI and goal of this HIP because the number of patient fall rates would decrease with the implementation of planned fall-prevention interventions (refer to Appendix K to view the final status report). The joy of completing a successful project made the PM organize a celebration with the team to enjoy themselves and acknowledge their priceless commitment to achieving project success. At the celebration, the PM expressed his appreciation to the team for the job well done and explained how valuable the team was throughout the HIP.

At the wrap-up session, the PM took the opportunity to recommend the continued implementation of the interventions. Thus, the healthcare organization would adopt the interventions even after the full implementation of the HIP. The PM advised the key stakeholders to continue collecting data to evaluate the outcomes by comparing them with baseline data. Another recommendation by the team was to continue with patient training and retrain staff twice each year to foster appropriate practices to prevent patient falls. Besides, the team suggested the rollout of the fall-prevention interventions to other departments, which may become prone to the patient-falls problem. Thus, training more staff would help deal with the issue of patient falls in the entire healthcare organization.    Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

During the wrap-up session, the team and stakeholders discussed the lessons learned throughout the healthcare improvement project. The PM ensured that every intendant participated in commenting by going around the table for everyone to share within five minutes. Regarding the entire project, members had learned that the HIP was very significant in reducing patient falls and that there was improved satisfaction among patients and families with the deliverables and benefits of the HIP. Members also stated that the project was executed as planned and it would be better if it involved all departments in curbing the issue of patient falls in the organization. However, the team noted that expanding the HIP means increased cost. Some members stated the issue of delayed task completion and noted that next projects should consider distributing tasks to speed up completion and meet timelines.

The key stakeholders who took over the project agreed that they would continue with implementation, use timelines, ensure tasks are completed and continue with patient education. The stakeholders, including the nurse administrators and nurses, decided to maintain the positions they held during the completed HIP and help sustain the success of the interventions. Due to the experience and lessons learned from the completed project, the key stakeholders would be contact points for any concern when the mass rollout of the intervention in all the organization’s departments commences.

1. E.  Conclusion

E1.  Factors That Facilitated or Impeded the Adoption of HIP

To recapitulate, the rationale for this healthcare improvement project was to decrease the number of patient falls in the geriatric unit and curb the negative effects related to the problem. Patient falls have caused injuries, the need for lengthened hospitalization, increased cost of care, and dissatisfaction among patients and their families. The HIP addresses the need for an improvement in fall-prevention care by seeking to implement evidence-based fall-prevention interventions among the geriatric unit most prone to patient falls. Following the careful design, planning, and implementation of the project, it was evident that it met its goal of reducing patient fall rates.  Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

A continuation of the project might eradicate patient falls in the department and other units in the organization. The success of the HIP was aided by several facilitating factors but pulled back by some impeding factors. Factors that facilitated the adoption of the HIP were the passion and dire need to implement evidence-based interventions to curb patient falls, a supportive organization, and strong clinical evidence to support the adoption of the interventions. These factors would encourage the organization to continue implementing the project and expand it to involve all departments because they demonstrate that sufficient evidence and support exist to help in the successful rollout of the project.

Moving forward, the enabling factors mentioned above could support the adoption of HIP interventions as a new practice within the healthcare organization to prevent patient falls and related adverse effects. Following the closure of the project, the team noted that factors such as the need to curb patient falls in all medical and surgical units and the risk of falls associated with other patients outside the geriatric unit required the project’s continuance. The argument was reiterated to the stakeholders, who affirmed their support for adopting an organization-wide implementation of fall prevention interventions.

However, restraining factors such as unstable cost of supplies, missed deadlines, delays in completion of some tasks, high cost of project implementation, busy schedules for nurses who were participating in other projects or jobs, resistance from patients who were impatience with the repeated education sessions, and the time-consuming nature of the project implementation impeded the HIP. However, the proactive project team, PM, and supportive management helped identify the barriers and overcome them to avoid significant stalling of the HIP. Even in overwhelming situations such as tight schedules for participant nurses, the team collaborated to make the success of the HIP a reality.    Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

Overall, the HIP successfully achieved the goal of reducing patient falls by 40%. The PM and the team noted that the outcomes surpassed the expected goal. Upon implementing the multimodal fall-prevention interventions, the team noted that patient falls would decrease significantly every two weeks until the project completion. It is worth noting that the staff members were committed to the project because their passion for educating clients, training on fall prevention, and executing different procedures during the HIP was evident. The care providers maintained therapeutic relationships with the clients, assisting them in improving their safety while walking and lying in bed at the hospital until discharge. The engagement ensured that all tasks were completed and documented well in appropriate documents, and the project management tool was exemplary. Their engagement in the project was another factor that supported the project going on as planned and achieving its goal. It is expected that the same passion and commitment to the project will help the organization fully adopt fall prevention interventions as a new practice to ensure that patient falls is a thing of the past in the organization.

ORDER HERE TODAY

E2.   Significance of the HIP to the Role of a Nurse Leader

Nurse leaders are among the healthcare professionals whose roles are significant in the project. They oversee care at nursing units, ensure care providers adhere to protocols and standard operating procedures, and oversee the provision of high-quality care that maintains patient safety (Ofei & Paarima, 2021). This HIP is significant to the role of a nurse leader because it features their scope in ensuring the quality of care and improving the safety of their clients. The project focused on how nurse leaders can transform practices in healthcare organizations to improve the work environment, quality of patient care, and health outcomes. The project would require nurse leaders because of their expertise in driving practices toward achieving project goals and improving patient outcomes. Their participation in the continuation of the project will be a significant factor that will promote better patient outcomes. According to Sevy Majers & Warshawsky (2020), nurse leaders can support evidence-based practice, and projects help enhance the culture of inquiry and best decision-making practices for patient care.   The PM feels that the HIP is an appropriate example of the impact on nurse leaders in spearheading and addressing the problems experienced in patient care. Nurse leaders are significant in lending their support to HIP because they can align the goals of nursing units to those of the organization, and this project would benefit from their roles. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay

References

Levin, S. P., & Levin, M. (2019). Managing Ideas, People, and Projects: Organizational Tools and Strategies for Researchers. iScience, 20, 278–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2019.09.017

Ofei, A. M., & Paarima, Y. (2021). Perception of nurse managers’ care coordination practices among nurses at the unit level. International Journal of Care Coordination, 24(1), 17-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053434521999978

Sevy Majers, J., & Warshawsky, N. (2020). Evidence-Based Decision-Making for Nurse Leaders. Nurse leader, 18(5), 471–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.06.006 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Goal and Project Outcome Essay