Quality Improvement Team Development is one part of the Performance Management Series. The work of a QI project is accomplished by a team of individuals, which is known as a QI Team. The purpose of the team is to design, manage, and monitor performance improvement activities to achieve the aim of the QI Project.

Objectives: 

At the end of this tutorial you will be able to:

1. Describe the importance of QI Teams
2. Describe how to choose effective members for a QI team
3. Define roles of QI team members
4. Describe stages of group development

This paper is an important update to a 2012 paper that affirmed the key roles of infection preventionists (IPs) and healthcare epidemiologists (HEs) in promoting effective use of antimicrobials in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. The new paper highlights the synergy of IPC and AS programs, including the importance of a well-functioning IPC program as a central component to a successful AS strategy.

In his children’s book Happy Birthday to You, Dr. Seuss eloquently wrote, “Today YOU are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than YOU.” The book was intended to encourage children to celebrate who they are and the ability they have to shape the course of their lives. Those same words can also be powerful in the life of a nurse leader. The long-term care environment is challenging, chaotic, and tumultuous, and that is on the good days. Changes in regulations, staff, processes, and census come fast. Nurse leaders need to celebrate who they are and their ability to shape the course of their lives. Nurse leaders need a little love!

“There is no one alive who is youer than YOU.” So what is your YOU and how can it be used to guide your leadership role? You can begin to identify your YOU by asking the following questions:

(1)   What are my strengths?

(2)   What do I do well?

(3)   What energizes me? and

(4)   How do people say I make them feel?