NURS-FPX4030: Assessment 3 – Patient Safety Improvement Plan Course: NURS-FPX4030 – Making Evidence-Based Decisions Institutional Context: Common undergraduate nursing assessment used across U.S., Canadian, UK, Australian, and UAE universities Assessment Type: Written Assignment Length: 1,050–1,400 words Weighting: 25 percent Due: Week 7 of semester
Assessment Overview Healthcare organisations depend on nurses who can identify safety risks and design practical solutions. This assessment requires you to create a structured Patient Safety Improvement Plan based on a real or simulated clinical problem. The task reflects common professional expectations placed on graduate nurses in hospitals, community health centres, and aged-care facilities. Your plan must demonstrate clear reasoning, appropriate use of evidence, and realistic strategies for improving patient outcomes.
Assessment Purpose This assignment evaluates your ability to analyse a safety concern, apply evidence-based research, and propose targeted interventions that reduce harm. You must show that you can connect theory to practice and communicate professional ideas in an organised written format. The assessment measures critical thinking, academic writing, and practical problem-solving skills that are essential for safe nursing practice.
Task Description Select one patient safety issue commonly encountered in clinical environments. Examples include medication errors, patient falls, hospital-acquired infections, poor handover communication, or incorrect patient identification. Using current scholarly evidence, develop a detailed improvement plan that addresses the problem and explains how your proposed strategies would be implemented in a real healthcare setting.
Required Components Your assignment must include the following sections:
Clear identification and description of the chosen patient safety issue Explanation of why the issue is significant to patients, staff, and organisations Analysis of contributing factors and potential root causes Review of recent scholarly evidence related to the problem Specific improvement strategies supported by research Implementation plan including roles, resources, and timelines Methods for evaluating the success of the proposed interventions Ethical, cultural, and professional considerations Structure Requirements Present your work using the following format:
Introduction outlining the safety problem and context Background and significance of the issue Evidence review from peer-reviewed sources Proposed improvement strategies Implementation plan Evaluation and outcome measures Conclusion summarising key points Formatting and Submission Guidelines Word count: 1,050–1,400 words excluding references APA 7th edition referencing style Minimum of six scholarly sources published within the last five years Double-spaced, 12-point professional font Title page and reference list required Submit as a Word document through the course learning portal Grading Rubric Content and Analysis – 40 percent Accurate identification of safety issue Depth of analysis and critical thinking Understanding of clinical context Use of Evidence – 25 percent Quality of research sources Integration of scholarly literature Appropriate application of evidence Improvement Plan – 25 percent Practicality of strategies Clarity of implementation steps Evaluation methods Academic Writing – 10 percent Organisation and coherence Grammar and professional language Correct referencing and citation Academic Integrity Requirements All work must be original and produced individually. Use of artificial intelligence tools to generate assessed content is not permitted unless specifically authorised by the instructor. Plagiarism, contract cheating, and academic misconduct will result in formal penalties according to institutional policy.
Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this task, students will be able to analyse patient safety risks, interpret scholarly evidence, design realistic improvement strategies, and communicate professional nursing recommendations in a formal academic format.