Mind the Gap: National Survey on Quality Measure Education in Undergraduate Programs.

BACKGROUND

Quality measures influence patient outcomes, yet related education is not standardized in undergraduate nursing programs. This study examined how accredited programs teach quality measure content and the cognitive rigor of instruction.

METHOD: A three-phase, descriptive study included development and validation of the Quality Education and Standards Training-Preparing for Quality Measure Performance (QUEST-PQMP) instrument, followed by national deployment to 1,830 programs.

RESULTS

Of the 175 responses, 75 reported a dedicated curriculum and 57 completed the QUEST-PQMP (Cronbach's α = .92). Programs reporting greater perceived student preparedness had higher QUEST-PQMP scores, though instruction emphasized lower-order rather than higher-order cognition. Limited curricular time and faculty expertise were common barriers.

CONCLUSION

Undergraduate nursing curricula vary widely in quality measure content. Integrating this topic with intentional cognitive rigor and faculty development may strengthen graduates' readiness for data-informed, quality-driven nursing practice.