Herzing NU 451 Unit 5 Assessment
No references, two flowcharts, and a process you personally perform. Those three constraints together mean the diagram has to carry the argument on its own.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 25, 2026
With no citations, the flowchart is the evidence
The instruction that this paper needs no references is unusual and it changes what quality looks like. Nothing external is propping the argument up, so the flowchart has to be granular enough for a reader to see where the process breaks. Most submissions fail here by drawing four boxes at the level of assess, plan, implement, evaluate, which describes nursing rather than a process and offers nowhere to insert a change. Draw the steps at the level you actually perform them: retrieve the medication, scan the patient, scan the medication, resolve the mismatch, document. The waits, the loops back and the decision points are where improvement opportunities live, and they only appear at that resolution. Nothing in the assignment lets you compensate for a coarse diagram with a well-argued paragraph, which is unusual and worth planning around from the start. Detail is the only currency this assignment accepts.
The constraint that it be a process you perform routinely is the second thing to honour, because the temptation is to choose something important rather than something you know. You cannot draw a unit-wide admission process accurately from memory, but you can draw your own shift handoff, your own dressing change, your own controlled substance waste procedure, and an accurate small diagram beats an aspirational large one. Then insert exactly one change and make the second flowchart differ from the first visibly, since the assignment is graded on the comparison and a redesign that changes everything makes the effect of any single change impossible to see. The strongest submissions also say, in the middle paragraph, what they expect the change to do and how they would notice, which is the beginning of a measure even where the brief does not ask for one. That expectation is also what makes the third paragraph worth reading rather than a description of the second diagram.
Likely learning objectives
- Draw a process at the resolution at which it is performed.
- Locate improvement opportunities at waits, loops and decision points.
- Choose a process you can diagram accurately from your own practice.
- Change one step so the comparison between diagrams stays legible.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Quality Improvement Instructions Use the following steps to apply quality improvement principles in your current clinical situation. Identify a process or procedure that you perform routinely and wish to improve. Using a flowchart, delineate each step of the procedure. Identify the step in the flowchart where you would insert a change for quality improvement. Design a new flowchart that now shows the improved process. This paper needs no references or citations. You will need: An introductory paragraph which explains what you would like to improve Herzing NU 451 Unit 5 Assessment Another paragraph which explains the step where you hope to change the pattern and insert a quality improvement process Another paragraph explaining the new flow after you make the change. Please add a cover page with the title of your QI project. Resource: FLowcharts are easily made in Microsoft Word. Here is a video explaining the process’ Watch: Making a FlowChart
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required). Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
What Unit 5 requires
- 01Identification of a process or procedure you perform routinely and wish to improve.
- 02A flowchart delineating each step of the current procedure.
- 03Identification of the step where a change for quality improvement would be inserted.
- 04A new flowchart showing the improved process.
- 05An introductory paragraph explaining what you would like to improve.
- 06A paragraph explaining the step where the change is inserted, and a paragraph explaining the new flow.
- 07A cover page with the title of your QI project.
Current process, the change point, the new flow
The process and why it needs improving
Introduce the procedure and the problem you have observed with it.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A problem observed in your own practice.
The current flowchart
Diagram every step, including waits, decisions and loops back.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Resolution fine enough to expose a failure point.
Where the process fails
Point at the step where delay, rework or error concentrates.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A specific step rather than a general observation.
The change
Explain the single change and why that step was chosen.
What the assessor is likely looking for
One change, justified.
The improved flowchart
Redraw the process with the change in place.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A visible, traceable difference.
What you would expect to see
Say how you would notice whether the change worked.
What the assessor is likely looking for
The beginnings of a measure.
Where the improvement method is documented
Recommended databases
- NCBI Bookshelf
- AHRQ
- PubMed Central
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Search sequence
- 1.Read a quality improvement methods overview for flowcharting conventions.
- 2.Look at AHRQ improvement guidance for how a change is selected and tested.
- 3.Find an example of process mapping in a clinical setting for the level of detail.
- 4.Check what measures are commonly paired with the process you chose.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Quality Improvement Methods (LEAN, PDSA, SIX SIGMA)
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2024
Quality improvement methods, for flowcharting and change selection.
Section 4: Ways To Approach the Quality Improvement Process
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024
AHRQ's approach to the improvement process, for testing a single change.
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024
AHRQ patient safety, for why process detail matters clinically.
Patient Safety and Quality
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, NCBI Bookshelf · 2008
Patient safety and quality, for process failure points in nursing work.
Development of a centralized progress management system using lean thinking and efforts to improve operational efficiency
BMC Health Services Research · 2025
A lean-thinking process improvement study, as a worked example of before and after.
Before you submit
Common mistakes
- Drawing the nursing process instead of a specific procedure.
- Choosing a large organisational process you cannot diagram accurately.
- Changing several steps so the effect of any one is unclear.
- Producing a second flowchart nearly identical to the first.
- Omitting waits and decision points, which is where the opportunities are.
Submission checklist
- Is the process one you personally perform?
- Are steps drawn at performance level rather than at concept level?
- Do the flowcharts include decision points and waits?
- Does the second flowchart differ visibly at one identified step?
- Are all three paragraphs and the cover page present?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.
Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.