Process owners: empowering nurses to manage anemia. Case study of the anemic patient

At Winthrop-University Hospital, implementation of the National Kidney Foundation's Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI) is guided by the principles of reengineering. On the basis of this model, anemia management is entrusted to a process owner. This advanced practice nurse is empowered with the responsibility of managing anemia and evaluated on his/her success in attaining predetermined quality standards--including ongoing patient satisfaction. This article examines use of the process owner position to evaluate, implement, and proactively manage anemia-related outcomes.