Four elements of a successful quality program. Alignment, collaboration, evidence-based practice, and excellence

The nurse's role in quality improvement and assurance is well established, but this is particularly true as hospitals engage in a culture of patient safety and view quality-related activities as important "safety checks." The role of the nurse in ensuring quality related to patient care and safety cannot be overstated. The achievement of quality and safety in patient care is the result of caregivers doing the right thing the right way the first time. Nurses serve as a critical link to the best quality health care organizations have to offer. This article describes four elements of a successful quality program in a large tertiary health care setting (alignment, collaboration, evidence-based practice, and excellence) and makes the connection between quality and safety in the provision of exemplary patient care. Three examples are provided that show how nurses and other members of the health care team grouped together as a governing council for quality (Performance Improvement Council) and at the bedside as direct caregivers in ensuring patient safety and quality patient care.