Quality Control MANAGEMENT

Quality Control MANAGEMENT

During the controlling phase of the management process, performance is measured
against predetermined standards and action is taken to correct discrepancies
between these standards and actual performance. Employees who feel they can
influence the quality of outcomes in their work environment experience higher levels
of motivation and job satisfaction. Organizations also need some control over
productivity, innovation, and quality outcomes. Controlling, then, should not be
viewed as a means of determining success or failure but as a way to learn and grow,
both personally and professionally.
This unit explores controlling as the fifth and final step in the management
process. Because the management process, like the nursing process, is cyclic, controlling
is not an end in itself; it is implemented throughout all phases of management.
Examples of management controlling functions include the periodic
evaluation of unit philosophy, mission, goals, and objectives; the measurement of
individual and group performance against reestablished standards; the monitoring
of expenses and use of supplies; and the auditing of patient goals and outcomes.
Quality control, a specific type of controlling, refers to activities that are used to
evaluate, monitor, or regulate services rendered to consumers. In nursing, the goal
of quality care would be to ensure quality while meeting intended goals.
For any quality control program to be effective, certain components need to be
in place .First, the program needs to be supported by top-level
administration; a quality control program cannot merely be an exercise to satisfy
various federal and state regulations. A sincere commitment by the institution, as
evidenced by fiscal and human resource support, will be a deciding factor in determining
and improving quality of services. In addition, although the organization
must be realistic about the economics of rendering services, if nursing is to strive for
excellence, then developed quality control criteria should be pushed to optimal levels
rather than minimally acceptable levels. Finally, the process of quality control
must be ongoing; that is, it must reflect a belief that the search for improvement in
quality outcomes is continuous and that care can always be improved.
Although controlling is generally defined as a management function, effective
quality control requires the manager to have skill in both leadership and management.
Leadership roles and management functions inherent in quality control are delineated .
To understand quality control, the manager must become familiar with the
process and the terminology used in quality measurement and improvement activities.
This chapter introduces quality control as a specific and systematic process.
Audits are presented as tools to measure quality.

Reference
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA),2011