Improving patient outcomes in a dialysis unit: an integrated approach to CQI

Continuous quality improvement (CQI), staff education, and patient education are essential, interrelated components of nursing practice that share the common goal of improved patient outcomes. The nurses of the Nashville Veterans' Administration Medical Center dialysis unit effectively combined these activities to improve the iron balance, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels of chronic hemodialysis patients on erythropoietin. The integration of these components increased the effectiveness of each one, thereby enhancing the improvement of patient outcomes.