You are an advanced practice nurse (APN) leader at a fictional non-profit community hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital. Your Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) has asked you to design and implement a hospital-wide Quality Improvement (QI) initiative that engages nurses and builds their QI skills.

Key Requirements

· Develop a comprehensive QI initiative that promotes nurse engagement and skill development

· Demonstrate familiarity with QI processes, leadership approaches, and graduate-level critical analysis

· Integrate evidence, best practices, and research from at least 12 scholarly sources

· Align your proposal with St. Mary’s mission, vision, and strategic plan (provided on Blackboard > Assignments)

Paper Structure & Grading

Follow the grading rubric precisely. Omitting or vaguely addressing any criterion will lower your grade or result in a non-pass. Each section below maps directly to the rubric:

Introduction

· State the purpose and scope of your QI initiative

· Preview the paper’s structure

Background & Significance

· Define Quality Improvement and its importance to healthcare, patients, and stakeholders

· Explain how QI connects to all nursing levels, emphasizing nurse leaders

· Identify the first step your APN leader will take, including:

· A specific QI tool or measure

· Rationale for its selection

· How to interpret and apply findings to guide decision-making

Initiative Development

· Outline strategies to engage nurses actively in QI

· Describe leadership style(s) and approaches you will use

· Detail resources, training, and support mechanisms

Implementation Plan

· Present a step-by-step rollout timeline

· Assign responsibilities and communication channels

Evaluation & Sustainability

· Define clear metrics and data-collection methods

· Explain how results will inform continuous improvement

· Propose strategies to sustain nurse engagement over time

Conclusion

· Summarize key recommendations

· Reflect on potential challenges and mitigation strategies

Resources & Submission Guidelines

· Download St. Mary’s Mission, Vision & Strategic Plan from Blackboard > Assignments.

· Review the detailed grading rubric in the course shell.

· You have one submission opportunity, late or incomplete work may not be accepted.

· Refer to the syllabus for formatting, citation style, and grading policies.

Tips for Success

· Be specific and succinct, avoid vague statements.

· Integrate multiple, credible sources; each reference must support a clear point.

· Align every element of your proposal with the hospital’s strategic goals.

· Proofread for clarity, coherence, and APA formatting.

Additional Resources You Might Explore

· Example QI tools: Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, Root Cause Analysis, Lean methodologies

· Leadership frameworks: Transformational, Servant, and Situational Leadership

· Peer-reviewed journals on nursing QI best practices (e.g., Journal of Nursing Care Quality, BMJ Quality & Safety)

This assignment is to be submitted as an essay- with an introduction, questions developed at the graduate level, and a conclusion to summarize and synthesize key points. APA must be strictly followed. The page requirement for this project will be a MINIMUM of 10 pages/ [not counting references and the cover page]. Penalty will be imposed for exceeding or not meeting the minimum page requirement.

REFERENCES Must have DOI Numbers for me to look them up- If I am unable to verify the references points will be deducted.

Great resource to assist you: Reference List: Author/Authors – Purdue OWL® – Purdue University