The relationships among knowledge level of continuous quality improvement, level of nursing education, prior experience with continuous quality improvement, years of nursing experience, and nurses' valuation of the continuous quality improvement process

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if valuation of the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process was related significantly to nurses' knowledge level of the CQI process, level of nursing education, prior experience with CQI, and years of nursing experience. The investigator also wanted to determine which combination of variables (knowledge level of CQI, level of nursing education, prior experience with CQI, and years of nursing experience) was the best predictor of nurses' valuation of the CQI process. A convenience sample of 170 staff nurses working in a 690 bed acute care setting was obtained in this study. Significant statistical relationships were found among knowledge level of CQI and valuation of the CQI process, level of nursing education and valuation of the CQI process, and prior experience with CQI and valuation of the CQI process. No positive relationship was found between years of nursing experience and valuation of the CQI process. However, a significant negative relationship was found between years of nursing experience and valuation of the CQI process. The investigator was unable to use regression analysis to determine the set of variables (knowledge level of CQI, level of nursing education, prior experience with CQI, and years of nursing experience) that was the best predictor of nurses' valuation of the CQI process due to the low coefficients obtained with the Pearson Product Moment. V