CPD focus: using the Model for Improvement to enhance the quality of patient care

The Model for Improvement is a quality improvement (QI) method widely use in health and social care. It comprises two stages: first, the QI project team answers three questions to determine what the issue is, decide how improvement will be measured and collate ideas for change; then second, the team conducts plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles to test its ideas. Sufficient understanding of this methodology is essential for nurses, particularly nurse leaders and managers, whose roles include fostering QI. This article describes the Model for Improvement and how it can be applied in practice settings. The methodology is illustrated by a fictional case study on a nurse-led QI project for improving tracheostomy care.