Assessment Guidelines on PROMOTING QUALITY IN NURSING (Service Improvement Plan)
Summative Assessment
A 5000-word essay introducing a service improvement plan based on an aspect of professional practise or patient care.
The service improvement plan needs to be based on existing research sourced by undertaking a literature review.
To develop a structured and viable service improvement plan there needs to be the implementation of a suitable change theory.
An action plan of the proposed service improvement plan will be required in the appendices.
Module Learning Outcomes
1. Critically examine the service user experience to establish potential for improvement in a defined aspect of care/ professional practice.
2. Interpret and critique information from a variety of sources, drawing conclusions to propose a flexible and creative approach to problem-solving
3. Demonstrate application of understanding of change management in proposing improvements to care delivery,
4. Demonstrate the capacity for conceptual, critical, and independent thinking
Suitable Essay Structure Example
• Introduction
• Background + Introduction of the Service Improvement Idea
• Literature Review
• Change Management, applying the Service Improvement Plan
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• References
• Appendices
Introduction approx. 250 words
• Best to be written last once you know what you are introducing
• Set the scene for the reader of what will be covered and explored within the essay
• Identify the topic area and a brief rationale for its selection
• Signpost the reader to the overall structure of the essay
Background approx. 500 words
• Identify the service improvement plan and link it to relevant policies, guidelines, and legislation
• Provide statistics, trends, and targets related to the issue
• Identify the current situation for patients and the challenges they experience
• Imagine the reader has no insight into the issue, use this section to identify the challenges and give a foundation to base the discussion on
Literature Review approx. 2000 words
This section needs to be split into three areas:
1. Search Strategy
2. Critiquing tools/framework
3. Issues/focuses raised by the literature
Search Strategy (This will take some time so do not leave it too late to start)
• How were the literature and research found? Think of this section as a recipe summary, but contain it to a maximum of two paragraphs
• Start big with a broad focus and then as you read narrow the search down. For example, Healthy Eating –Availability of healthy foods during a hospitalisation
• Consider the search engines you wish to use…. more than Google please! Provide a rationale for your approach
• Application of Keywords, phrases, and Boolean operators – Consider the rationale and strengths/limitations for applying these
• Identify the inclusion and exclusion criteria you will apply date, language, adults, children, country, and peer-reviewed – Again consider the rationale for these and the strengths/limitations
• Include a search table in the appendices identifying how the literature/research was found
Critiquing Tools/Framework
• Provide a rationale for using a critiquing tool/framework
• All the papers need to be critiqued in the essay in terms of their findings, but you will need to include an example of one of the research papers being reviewed with the critiquing tool/framework of your choice
• If you struggling to find a suitable tool, you may wish to explore the CASP Critiquing Tool
Literature Review Continued
Issues/focuses raised by the literature
• Discussion on the research methods used by the key pieces of research found during the search
• Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed Methods
• Sample Size
• Data collection methods – interviews/focus groups/questionnaires
• You need to have at least 5 research papers on your topic to complete this section
• Explore the findings of the papers and build a discussion showing the issues within the topic area
• Link in other pieces of literature and evidence – policies, websites, books, guidelines, articles
Top tips for this section
• Do not leave this to the last minute as it will take time to find suitable research papers
• Utilise the library and study skills plus support to undertake this piece of work
• Do not delete searches, save as you go otherwise you might struggle to find the resources again
• The literature review needs to identify the challenges regarding your topic area so you can identify what is needed to try and improve the concern
• The skills that you will show and demonstrate in this section will relate to the following learning outcomes:
• Learning Outcome 1
• Learning Outcome 2
• Learning Outcome 4
Change Management approx. 2000 words
• Identify a suitable change theory and provide a rationale for its selection, why this one?
• Discuss the chosen change theory model and explore the strengths and limitations of the theory
• Embed your service improvement plan into the different stages of the change theory
• Recognise and explore the challenges with implementing change – utilise other literature and evidence to deepen this discussion
• Identify potential ways to overcome challenges and barriers to change
• Leadership
• Communication
• Multi-disciplinary working
• Consider the resources needed to implement the change is it just leadership, communication, and multi-disciplinary working?
• This section must consider the service user – how are they involved in the change? How will they benefit?
• Consider how you will know that the change has taken place and is embedded
• Identify recommendations for future practice based on your findings and ideas
Conclusion approx. 250 words
• Draw the KEY points from each section of your essay together
• Demonstrate the value of evidence-based practice, the issues around change implantation, and what the role of nurses is in this aspect of care delivery
• You could identify the essential role of the nurse in delivering safe and responsive care that meets needs and how this is a requirement for a developing professional
• No references or new evidence in this section
References (minimum of 60)
• The clue is in the assessment guidance, this is a literature review therefore you need to include literature and evidence!
• Needs to follow the Anglia Ruskin Harvard Referencing Guidelines, available through the library website
• You must include a broad spectrum of literature and evidence: research papers are a must, books, journal articles, guidelines, policies, strategies, legislation, charities, websites
• There should be no usage of newspapers, NHS choices, or T.V news programs – Consider the Academic rigour of the literature and evidence
• Ensure all your in-text references are cited in alphabetical order in the reference list
• Remember if you have more than one resource with the same year and date you need to cite it as NMC (2018a) and NMC (2018b) both in the text and reference list, otherwise, the reader cannot identify which resource relates to which point.
Appendices
• You will have at least 3 appendices
1. Search Table
2. Critiquing Tool/Framework applied to one piece of the identified research papers
3. Action plan identifying the need for changes to embed the service improvement plan
• Appendices should be recognised within the essay (see appendix A)
• Search table – needs to show how literature was found and hits were reduced down to a more manageable amount
• Critiquing Tool/Framework – Needs to be applied to one piece of research as an example and demonstration of your knowledge
• Action plan – needs to be based on SMART or PDSA and reflect your service improvement idea. Needs to be a step-by-step approach to implementing the change
• If you include a diagram of the change theory, you will need to cite a reference underneath the diagram and include it in the reference list
Remember, appendices are supportive pages to help explain what you are saying in the main essay. They do not count in the word count and therefore allow you to provide further clarity rather than use the word count upon the description.
