Critical Thinking Tools for Quality Improvement Projects

TOPIC: This article explores the use of 4 quality improvement tools and 2 evidence-based practice tools that, when used within the nursing process, encourage critical thinking about quality issues. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Patients and families expect to receive patient-centered, high-quality, and cost-effective care. Caring for critically ill patients is challenging and requires nurses to engage in quality improvement efforts to ensure that they provide evidence-based care. PURPOSE OF PAPER: To explore the use of critical thinking tools and evidence-based practice tools in assessing and diagnosing quality issues in the clinical setting. CONTENT COVERED: The nursing process serves as the framework for problem solving. Some commonly used critical thinking tools for assessing and diagnosing quality issues are described, including the Spaghetti Diagram, the 5 Whys, the Cause and Effect Diagram, and the Pareto chart.