Quality improvement programs and the professional nursing practice environment: an integrative review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• The practice environment significantly influences nursing care quality and patient outcomes.
• Hospitals increasingly adopt quality improvement programs to enhance healthcare delivery.
• Understanding the impact of these programs on the nursing practice environment is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze existing knowledge on the effects of quality improvement programs on hospital nursing practice environments.
• To identify key factors within the practice environment influenced by quality initiatives.

Main Methods:

• An integrative literature review was conducted.
• Searches were performed across major health sciences databases (LILACS, MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL).
• The review included 10 articles focusing on quality improvement programs in hospital settings.

Main Results:

• Quality improvement programs were found to have a favorable influence on the professional nursing practice environment.
• Key areas impacted include measures for the professional nursing practice environment, hospital accreditation, nursing autonomy, nurse-physician relationships, and the nurse's role as manager and leader.

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement programs can be considered beneficial for the professional nursing practice environment.
• Findings offer insights for healthcare administration to implement strategies for continuous environmental improvement.