Individualized Performance Measurement to Improve Quality, Accountability, and Satisfaction

Nursing has a history of using knowledge from other professions and incorporating it into its practice. One example of this practice is the adoption of crew resource management (CRM) principles to ensure timely, accurate and open communication between healthcare professionals. As a former US Navy aircrewman, I learned the value and importance of this communication tool firsthand, and I believe that it has value in any urgent situation where information needs to be shared between all team members so an informed decision can be made quickly. Utilizing these techniques improves teamwork and coordination of efforts while encouraging all members of the team to participate in the process. I believe that this is an important concept developed by the military that we are beginning to adopt into practice and will result in improved quality and patient safety, not to mention increased staff engagement.