NR 544 Week 2 Scholarly Discussion Forum

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-544: Quality & Safety in Healthcare

Prof. Name:

Date

Data Collection and Risk Management

Saleema underwent a total hip replacement in March 2015, but her post-operative recovery was complicated by persistent bleeding from the surgical site. Initially diagnosed as a superficial hematoma, her condition worsened despite multiple visits to her doctor and the emergency room. The issue persisted for three weeks until a home care nurse identified the severity of her blood loss and called for emergency medical assistance. Upon further evaluation at the hospital, it was discovered that Saleema had developed a severe infection that had spread to the bone. Emergency surgery was performed, and she was placed on vancomycin therapy via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line. Unfortunately, she developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome as an adverse reaction to the medication, leading to severe skin peeling and acute renal failure. She was readmitted to the hospital, where she subsequently contracted Clostridium difficile (C-diff) and vancomycin-resistant infections. Despite medical interventions, Saleema succumbed to septicemia two months after her initial surgery. Her tragic outcome highlights the importance of thorough post-surgical monitoring and effective risk management in healthcare settings.

Interview Plan and Preferred Method

To gather critical information about Saleema’s case, a structured interview with her family would be conducted. This interview would aim to collect details regarding her symptoms, healthcare interactions, and any concerns about her care. The preferred interview method would be a semi-structured interview, as it allows for a combination of open-ended and specific questions, enabling the collection of both detailed personal experiences and standardized data for analysis (McGrath et al., 2019). This approach ensures that the family can share their observations while also allowing the investigator to focus on key areas of concern related to risk management and potential system failures. The interview would be conducted in a private and comfortable setting, ensuring a compassionate and professional approach to discussing a sensitive case.

Interview Questions and Measurement Levels

Two critical questions for the interview would be:

“Can you describe any changes in Saleema’s symptoms that were concerning to you after the surgery?” – This question would be measured using qualitative (nominal) data, as it seeks descriptive responses regarding observable symptoms and concerns. Nominal data is useful in categorizing responses into themes such as pain, wound changes, and systemic symptoms (Polit & Beck, 2021).
“On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied were you with the responsiveness of healthcare providers to Saleema’s concerns?” – This question would use ordinal data, as it involves a ranked scale of responses that indicate levels of satisfaction but do not have equal intervals between them (Field, 2020). Using an ordinal scale helps in understanding perceived gaps in communication and patient care responsiveness.

Conducting a thorough interview using these methods and questions would provide valuable insights into potential lapses in care and opportunities for improving patient safety protocols.

References

Field, A. (2020). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical Teacher, 41(9), 1002-1006. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1497149