NDNQI Nursing Quality Indicators
Overview of NDNQI
The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), now managed by Press Ganey, is the largest nursing quality measurement program in the United States. NDNQI collects and reports unit-level nursing-sensitive quality data from participating hospitals, enabling benchmarking and quality improvement. CPHQ candidates should understand NDNQI because it represents a key data source for measuring how nursing care directly affects patient outcomes.
Nursing-Sensitive Indicators
Nursing-sensitive indicators reflect the structure, process, and outcomes of nursing care. Key indicators include:
- Patient falls and falls with injury: Rates of patient falls per 1,000 patient days, stratified by injury severity.
- Hospital-acquired pressure injuries: Prevalence rates from periodic surveys, categorized by stage.
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI): Infection rates linked to nursing practices around catheter insertion, maintenance, and removal.
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI): Rates associated with central line care and maintenance.
- Restraint use: Prevalence of physical restraints, reflecting nursing assessment and alternative intervention practices.
- Nurse staffing: Hours of nursing care per patient day, skill mix (RN to total nursing hours), and nurse turnover rates.
Unit-Level Reporting
A distinguishing feature of NDNQI is its unit-level focus. Rather than reporting at the hospital level, NDNQI collects data by unit type (medical, surgical, critical care, pediatric, and others). This granularity allows nurse leaders to identify specific units that need improvement and to compare their units against similar units nationally.
Using NDNQI Data for Improvement
Organizations use NDNQI benchmarking reports to set performance targets, identify best practices from high-performing units, and track the impact of improvement interventions. The quarterly reports provide trend data that supports ongoing monitoring. Connecting staffing data to outcome data helps organizations make evidence-based decisions about nurse staffing levels and skill mix.
Connection to Magnet
NDNQI participation and data reporting are closely linked to Magnet designation requirements. Magnet applicants must demonstrate sustained excellence in nursing-sensitive outcomes, and NDNQI provides the benchmarking data needed to support those claims.