Research and Practice in Quality Improvement and Implementation Science

BACKGROUND:Nurses play an essential role in the achievement of quality depicted by the Quintuple Aim to improve clinical outcomes, patient experience, equity, provider well-being, and reduction of costs. When quality gaps occur, practice change is required and is facilitated by quality improvement (QI) and implementation science (IS) methods. QI and IS research are required to advance our understanding of the mechanisms that explain how evidence is implemented and improvements are made.PROBLEM:Despite past efforts of the evidence-based practice and QI movements, challenges persist in sustaining practice improvements and translating research findings to direct patient care.APPROACH:The purpose of this article is to describe the Synergy for Change Model that proposes that both QI and IS research and practice be used to accelerate improvements in health care quality.CONCLUSIONS:Recognizing the synergy of QI and IS practice and research will accelerate nursing's contributions to high-quality and safe care.