PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT REPORT
Some argue that the term “project” is misleading with respect to CQI because a project has an ending. In CQI, a project does not end once an intervention has been applied and is successful. Healthcare professionals continue to monitor, evaluate, and make plans for further improvement, leading to an ongoing cycle. As you think about your Personal Improvement Project and the short-term accomplishments, consider how you could extend this improvement cycle long-term.
For this Assignment, you will not only analyze the personal improvement process you studied and synthesize the findings but apply your knowledge, first for long-term personal improvement and second for application to the professional healthcare setting.
To prepare:
- Review any Instructor feedback from your Personal Improvement Project Outline, and consider any suggestions you may have received from your Instructor and colleagues in the Week 3 Discussion.
- Reflect on the experience you have gained with the improvement process and how it may apply to a professional quality improvement project.
THE ASSIGNMENT (4–5 PAGES, NOT COUNTING TABLES, GRAPHS, DIAGRAMS, AND CHARTS):
Part 1: Aim
- Clearly state the aim of your project.
Part 2: Process Analysis
- Consider the process leading to the results that you aimed to improve. Create a process map to identify the steps in the process and identify the people (other than you) who were involved in the process.
Part 3: Measurement
- Describe the data collection method used, including an explanation of what you measured and how. Be specific.
- Present the data in a table, graph, diagram, run chart, or XmR chart.
Part 4: Changes
- There is a saying, “Not all change leads to improvement, but all improvement leads to change.” Explain the changes you made based on the data. What worked? What didn’t work?
Part 5: Reflection and Application
- Reflect on your Personal Improvement Project and what you learned.
- Explain how you will maintain ongoing improvement in this area long-term.
- Explain how you could use knowledge from this experience to facilitate both a unit-level and an organization-level change in a nursing workplace. Be specific and provide examples.
Required Readings
Johnson, J. K., & Sollecito, W. A. (2020). McLaughlin & Kaluzny’s continuous quality improvement in health care (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Chapter 3, “Integrating Implementation Science Approaches Into Continuous Quality Improvement” (pp. 50–105)
Stausmire, J. M., & Ulrich, C. (2015, December)Links to an external site.. Making it meaningful: Finding quality improvement projects worthy of your time, effort, and expertise. Critical Care Nurse, 35(6), 57–61. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/docs/cemedia/C1563.pdf
Feedback from Professor:
Anne Marie, Before I assign a grade for last week’s assignment, I want to ensure the focus is on your own personal journal. This journal is also centered on patients with CVD. For example, is exercise something you would like to work on personally? You are correct that in week six, you will have the opportunity to analyze the personal improvement process, synthesize the findings, and apply your knowledge from your personal improvement plan to the professional healthcare setting. You are ahead of the game, but this assignment should focus specifically on your personal improvement plan. You have a good concept, but I would like it to be more focused on what you want to improve in yourself. If this isn’t clear, please give me a call. Thanks, Dr. J . This feedback was from assign # 2089
I had to redo the outline:
Cardiovascular disease is associated with a mortality rate of approximately one-third of the population and results in severe illness. It remains a challenge to persuade people to engage in physical activity as recommended, despite the evident advantages. Nevertheless, the evidence is clear that it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease with any increase in physical activity. This outline will function as the roadmap for my personal improvement project, aiding me in the completion of the critical project phases.
Aim
- Topic: My personal improvement project is to increase physical activity through exercise reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVA).
- I initiated a lifestyle modification that involves weekly physical activity through exercise to improve physical endurance by 50%, decrease high blood pressure by 30%, and improve lipid profiles within 6 months by 20%.
Process Analysis
- The implementation and effects of targeted physical activity programs to enhance fitness levels are the primary focus of the process.
- People involved during this process: myself, my family, friends, and my primary care physicians
- The process started with a primary care physician’s referral to a local gym and education, following months of elevated blood pressure and a complaint of low energy.
- This process will stop within three months to evaluate PA programs and gathered data from pre -and- post assessments.
Measurement
- Self-reported weekly activity logs to gather data on my PA type and duration with IFIT app.
- Fitness trackers apps for objective data on my PA levels and heart rates.
- Data are being collected with:
- Functional capacity measured using a 30 minutes’ walk on a treadmill at least 3 times weekly or aerobic exercises
- Daily Blood pressure monitoring
- Laboratories result from Doctor’s follow up appointments
Changes
Based on the data that has been collected, I anticipate that my health status will result in favorable results. My health status will be improved by the increase level of my energy, blood pressure, and physical activity. This may entail altering the intensity, frequency, or variety of exercises used in physical activity.
Reflection and Application
- Collaborating with local fitness facilities and community wellness centers to adapt the training program to broader community settings will result in long-term improvement.
- This personal project experience may serve as an inspiration for a successful implementation of a quality nursing project, and the efficacy of the PA program will educate nurses on the importance of providing individualized patient care to improve patient outcomes.
Note: This is a built up subject from assign # 2084, # 2089, # 2090
