Which two foundational quality improvement concepts does the nurse apply during the evaluation step?

• A. Focus on patients; Use of data
• B. Focus on budget; Use of data
• C. Focus on staff; Focus on policy
• D. Focus on patients; Focus on staff

Answer: (A)

Evaluation in quality improvement centers on measuring whether patient outcomes actually improve and using data to judge whether those improvements meet goals. The nurse combines a patient-centered focus with data use: attention to how the care changes affect patients, safety, and experience, along with systematic collection and analysis of metrics to determine impact. This data-driven, patient-focused approach provides objective evidence about effectiveness and guides decisions to sustain, adjust, or discard the changes. While budget, staff, or policy considerations can influence projects, they don’t define the core evaluation focus, which is on patient outcomes assessed through data.