Date of Award
Summer 2015
Project Type
Thesis
College or School
CHHS
Department
Nursing
Program or Major
Nursing
Degree Name
Master of Science
First Advisor
Pamela P. DiNapoli
Abstract
Background: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Care Centers were established to centralize and integrate the knowledge and skills of pulmonary medicine, nutrition, gastroenterology, nursing, respiratory therapy, social work, and genetics to efficiently provide care for people living with CF. The high quality, specialized care that is given at CF Care Centers has led to the improved length and quality of life for people living with CF.
Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project was to identify any gaps in providing effective, high quality care to patients with CF to reduce the variability in nursing practices and improve their quality of care.
Methods: The site of this quality improvement project was a nationally accredited CF Care Center that serves both pediatric and adult patients with CF. Using the Chronic Care Model as the theoretical framework, a quantitative SERVQUAL survey was developed. The SERVQUAL survey is a tool that identifies gaps in quality of care. The tool was used to identify nurses’ expectations and perceptions of the quality of care given to patients with CF.
Results: Forty-seven out of 60 (78.3%) nurses completed the SERVQUAL survey. The results of the gap analysis showed that each dimension of the survey had a negative gap score, which indicates a gap in quality of care. The unweighted gap score (UGS) of the tangibility dimension was -0.92 with a weighted gap score (WGS) of -13.40. The UGS of the reliability dimension was -0.53 with a -9.47 WGS. The responsiveness dimension’s UGS was -0.65 and had a -11.76 WGS. The assurance dimension’s UGS was a -0.72 with a -21.07 WGS. The UGS for the empathy dimension was a -0.45 with a WGS of -9.09.
Conclusion and Implications for CNL Practice: The results of the gap analysis indicate that to improve nurses’ perceptions of CF quality of care and care delivery education should focus on the assurance, tangibility, and responsiveness dimensions, with less focus on reliability and empathy components. A summary of the gap analysis results, interpretations of the findings, and the role of the CNL in developing an educational module to improve quality of care are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Nadeau, Alisha M., "Using Servqualto Identify Gaps in Quality Care for Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: A Hospital-Based Quality Improvement Project" (2015). Master's Theses and Capstones. 9.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/9