Quality monitoring for maintenance of skin integrity

In today's cost-conscious health care environment, the ET nurse is in a unique position to be instrumental in improving the quality of patient care. Continuous quality improvement in a cost-effective manner is the goal. Through collaborative efforts, the ET nurse and staff nurses have developed quality indicators for the maintenance of skin integrity in the belief that process, when provided effectively, will increase the probability of a desired outcome. Process indicators measure discrete nursing activities that contribute directly or indirectly to patient care. Closely linked process and outcome indicators were selected. Outcome refers to the effects of treatment on patients. Through evaluation, opportunities for improvement were identified and corrective action has been planned and will be implemented.