Measurement and standards in continuous quality improvement.

So where does all of this lead us? Many QA professionals are currently concerned that CQI will displace their role. Nurses are concerned that they will have to learn an entirely new process and language. In a National Association of Quality Assurance Professionals position paper, Martin (1990) points out that CQI builds on and strengthens the weaknesses of traditional quality assurance approaches. Quality improvement is not a substitute for quality assurance; it is a supplement to expand health care providers' understanding of the components of excellent patient care. Change and variation surrounds us at all times. Continuous quality improvement teaches the premises of variation and change. Through a better understanding of variation and application of this understanding to continuous improvement of the system of care, we will help assure better outcomes for our clients. Nurse administrators and staff nurses should endorse the arrival of continuous quality improvement. As leaders in QA, we are indeed positioned to become leaders in CQI.