Volunteer work abroad to improve the quality of nursing care

Initiatives at a Rural Hospital in Bolivia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the efforts made to improve the quality of nursing care in the intensive care unit of Potosi Municipal Hospital A, in Potosi, Bolivia. The situations in which the author worked to improve the quality of nursing care and the changes that occurred were analyze. A survey on the management of supplies was conducted, and it was found that 0.5 boxes of disposable gloves were needed per day for each patient. Further, 17 study sessions for nurse were held on nine themes, which resulted in changes such as improved suctioning techniques and reduced incidence of bleeding during procedures. However, although a proposal was made regarding the establishment of an education committee to improve the quality of nursing care in the entire hospital, this goal was not realized. The activities implemented by the author to improve the quality of nursing contributed to increased cooperation between many local staff members. However, to provide high quality medical care that truly satisfies patients, a review and improvement based on the National Health Policy and administrative management is required.