Are we stuck in a familiar routine?

“Do you exercise with music?” “Sure! I always have my Ipod with me when I exercise!” Hey, do you Zumba?”  “I don’t know…what is Zumba?” It’s a dance exercise music class! “It’s exciting and many individuals do it together!” “If you like music, I recommend you try Zumba!” “I’ve been using the machines forever but that sounds like fun, how can I learn more and get involved?”

 

“Do you use QSEN?”  “I don’t know, what is QSEN?”  It’s teaching quality and safety in education of nursing. “Well, of course I teach quality and safety- how can you effectively teach and prepare future nurses without it?” “But, do you use QSEN?” “I don’t know, do I?”

 

We need to ask ourselves that question! “Do I teach QSEN”?

 

We are all familiar with the formerly known, Institute of Medicine’, now the National Academy of Medicine’s call for action to increase the numbers of future nurses, their level of nursing education, and scope of practice to meet the growing healthcare demands of our society. In addition, consumers have increased their demand for excellence of care, embracing quality and safety. QSEN was developed to assist in responding to this call for action. QSEN identified six competencies to guide educators and clinicians to work together in meeting our future societal demands in healthcare delivery and provide best practice care. These competencies include patient centered care, safety, quality improvement, evidence based practice, informatics, and teamwork/communication.

So ask yourself, “Do I teach QSEN?”

The days of working in silos, parallel to one another is over. The success of our future healthcare depends on the collaboration of disciplines, driven by best practice and technology, and systems thinking. This change of thinking must become universal, transparent, and available to our future nurses. Therefore, nursing curriculum changes are necessary now. We can no longer ask ourselves, “What is QSEN, and do I do it?” We need to act.

We need to get off the individual exercise machine and expose ourselves to the newer, more efficient and effective methods of working together for the same quality and safety outcomes. We cannot remain stuck in a familiar routine when there is so much more available.  

What is the message?

QSEN sees the benefit of changing from the familiar and ordinary task-oriented method of teaching quality and safety to a broader systems thinking method, engaged with others and driven by best practice care.

So, stop expending energy independently, and become more engaged with others seeking the same outcomes.

The QSEN Academia Task Force will assist in that process. You may comment on this post below. Tell us your story on how you were introduced to QSEN and how you are bringing it to your educational programs. What works, what is missing, what barriers have you encountered? Share with us, and we can exercise to music together!!! Visit our website here: http://qsenacademictaskforce.weebly.com/

Randi Flexner DNP, APN-C, FNP-BC, RN, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, QSEN Academia Task Force