Perspectives and experiences of Chinese nurses on quality improvement initiatives: A mixed‐methods study

Aim To investigate Chinese nurses' views and experiences in relation to quality improvement implementation, as well as to determine the impact of contextual factors on nursing quality improvement initiatives. Background Nurses play a major role in carrying out quality improvement initiatives. Contextual factors influence the implementation and success of quality improvement initiatives. Studies that investigated the impact of contextual factors on Chinese nurses' practice in quality improvement remain limited. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design was used for this study. A quantitative cross‐sectional survey was used to assess the context of quality improvement initiatives. Simple random sampling was used to recruit quality improvement teams. The sample included 356 nurses from tertiary teaching hospitals; 291 (81.7%) of them completed questionnaires. Nursing managers and nurses (n = 18) were purposively selected to participate in semi‐structured interviews; their experiences and perceptions regarding the contextual factors of quality improvement initiatives were obtained. Results In the quantitative phase, the “microsystem” (mean=5.24) and “QI team” (mean = 4.97) contexts were reported as supportive contexts. The organizational context was weak, with a mean score of 3.92. In the qualitative phase, three themes related to the contextual challenges emerged: (1) nurses' attitudes and satisfaction, (2) team efficacy, and (3) organizational infrastructure and culture. Conclusions Efforts to elevate organizational culture and reward systems are needed in Chinese hospitals. Further education aimed at increasing skills and knowledge should be provided, to ensure effective quality improvement implementation. Implications for Nursing Management During quality improvement initiatives, management tasks should focus on increasing nurses' satisfaction, solving skill and knowledge deficits, and clarifying nurses' roles in relation to quality improvement.