A staff nurse is involved in the Continuous Quality Improvement program on the medical-surgical unit and is reviewing charting for the time of first postoperative ambulation of clients who have had abdominal surgery. Process indicators measure nursing actions that are used to facilitate expected and desired outcomes in clients.
Early ambulation is essential for the prevention of postoperative complications.
Outcome indicators look at client status at the time of discharge and compare it to desired outcomes for clients with the same diagnosis. This relates to the choosing of clients from whom to collect data before the care is given. In this case, the nurse is looking at care that has already been given. Back to Sample Management Questions 2. Although legislation may require that healthcare facilities address quality improvement, the specific outcomes are not established by law.