DNP 602 Module 3 Quality Improvement Paper Example

Reviewed by Ingrid Vasterling, MSN, RN Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This DNP 602 Module 3 sample paper is the quality improvement paper in Evaluating Research for Practice at ASU, written in the module that pairs quality improvement with qualitative research. ASU DNP 602 asks students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice to understand how quality improvement differs from research and how it applies evidence to local practice. The composite labor and delivery nurse describes a quality gap on her unit, women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy who never return for the recommended blood pressure check, explains why addressing it is quality improvement rather than research, and outlines a project using the Model for Improvement: an aim, measures, a text-based monitoring change and three PDSA cycles.

CourseDNP 602 Evaluating Research for Practice
ModuleModule 3
Paper typeQuality improvement paper
LengthAbout 604 words, 5 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramDNP
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for DNP 602 Module 3

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Asking New Mothers to Come Back: A Quality Improvement Plan for Postpartum Blood Pressure Checks

Student Name

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University

DNP 602: Evaluating Research for Practice

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title names the routine that creates the quality problem, then states what the paper delivers.
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Asking New Mothers to Come Back: A Quality Improvement Plan for Postpartum Blood Pressure Checks

Introduction

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy affect about one in ten pregnancies, and blood pressure can rise to dangerous levels after discharge (Cairns et al., 2018). Guidance recommends early blood pressure assessment for women with these conditions after birth (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2018). On my unit, women are asked to return to the clinic within a week of discharge. A review of three months of records showed that only 41% of 88 eligible women had a blood pressure recorded within 10 days of birth. This paper describes a quality improvement (QI) plan to close that gap.

Quality Improvement Versus Research

QI and research both use systematic methods, but they differ in purpose. Research aims to produce generalizable knowledge, often by testing a hypothesis under controlled conditions, and requires institutional review board oversight. QI aims to improve care in a specific setting by applying existing evidence, using rapid cycles of change and measurement. This project is QI: strong evidence already shows that text-based monitoring increases postpartum blood pressure ascertainment, and the goal is to apply that evidence on our unit, not to prove it again. Even so, our organization's process will still review the project to confirm it is QI and to protect patient data.

Evidence Supporting the Change

In a randomized trial of 206 postpartum women with pregnancy-related hypertension, 92.2% of women given a home cuff and text check-ins had a reading documented within 10 days, compared with 43.7% of those asked to attend an office visit (Hirshberg et al., 2018). Our unit's 41% closely matches the office group, which suggests a similar gain is possible.

Model for Improvement

The Model for Improvement frames the work with three questions (Langley et al., 2009).

The first question concerns the aim: by the end of six months, lift the proportion of women with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy who have a blood pressure recorded within 10 days of birth from 41% to 85%.

How will we tell whether the change helped?

Which change should we test? Women will be discharged with a validated home blood pressure cuff and enrolled in a text program that prompts readings twice daily for 10 days. Readings above set thresholds will alert a nurse, who will contact the patient and escalate to the obstetric provider according to a protocol.

TypeMeasure
OutcomePercentage of eligible women with a blood pressure recorded within 10 days of birth
ProcessPercentage of eligible women discharged with a validated home cuff and enrolled in text monitoring
BalancingNumber of severe-range readings without a documented clinician response within one hour; nurse time per enrolled patient

PDSA Cycles

Cycle 1: Enroll five women on day shift and test whether text prompts are received and readings are returned. Predict that at least four of five will send readings on days 3 to 4.

Cycle 2: Expand to all shifts for two weeks and test the alert and escalation process, including after-hours coverage.

Cycle 3: Add Spanish-language prompts and teaching, since about a third of our patients prefer Spanish, and measure whether response rates are similar across languages.

Sustaining and Spreading

If the aim is met, the change will be written into the unit's discharge protocol, and results will be shared with the postpartum clinic and other delivery units in the health system.

Conclusion

Asking new mothers to return for a blood pressure check is a routine that fails many of them. Applying existing evidence through a QI project offers a practical way to protect women during a dangerous period after birth.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). ACOG committee opinion no. 736: Optimizing postpartum care. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 131(5), e140-e150. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002633

Cairns, A. E., Tucker, K. L., Leeson, P., Mackillop, L. H., Santos, M., Velardo, C., Salvi, D., Mort, S., Mollison, J., Tarassenko, L., & McManus, R. J. (2018). Self-management of postnatal hypertension: The SNAP-HT trial. Hypertension, 72(2), 425-432. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.10911

Hirshberg, A., Downes, K., & Srinivas, S. (2018). Comparing standard office-based follow-up with text-based remote monitoring in the management of postpartum hypertension: A randomised clinical trial. BMJ Quality & Safety, 27(11), 871-877. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2018-007837

Langley, G. J., Moen, R. D., Nolan, K. M., Nolan, T. W., Norman, C. L., & Provost, L. P. (2009). The improvement guide: A practical approach to enhancing organizational performance (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

DNP 602 Module 3 instructions, in plain terms

The posted syllabus places the Quality Improvement Paper in Module 3, Quality Improvement and Qualitative Research, worth 10 of 100 points, alongside a qualitative research quiz. The paper is the course's first written assignment and introduces the distinction between QI and research that runs through DNP project work. The prompt usually asks you to identify a quality problem in your setting, explain how QI differs from research, apply a QI model and propose measures and change cycles. The rubric, length and required QI model are posted in Canvas. Reading the module materials on QI first will help you frame the problem correctly. Many students reuse their PICO topic here.

Inside the DNP 602 Module 3 example

The paper opens with the clinical problem and a small local data review that sizes the gap. A section explains the difference between QI and research and why this project is QI. Evidence for the change is summarized with one strong trial and compared with local data. The Model for Improvement structures the plan: a dated numeric aim, a table listing outcome, process and balancing measures, and a specific change. Three PDSA cycles show small-scale testing, and a closing section addresses sustaining the change. Local data from a short record review sizes the gap, which makes the aim realistic and gives the project a baseline to compare against. The language cycle addresses equity.

Where the marks sit in the DNP 602 Module 3 rubric

Faculty tend to grade QI papers on a well-defined quality problem backed by local data, accurate explanation of how QI differs from research, appropriate use of a QI model, measurable aims and measures, a feasible change and plan for testing, and APA writing. Faculty reward an aim carrying both a target figure and a deadline, and balancing measures that show awareness of unintended effects. Grounding the change in existing evidence explains why the project is QI. Small, sequential PDSA cycles show understanding of how improvement is tested. Explaining how the project will be reviewed by the organization, even as QI, shows awareness of ethical oversight expected of DNP students. A plan to sustain the change also adds credit.

DNP 602 Module 3 help with common mistakes

The most common mistake is describing a research study and calling it QI. Make clear that you are applying existing evidence locally. Another is an aim without a number or date. Include a balancing measure. Keep PDSA cycles small at first. Use local data if you can, even from a brief record review. If you would like help planning a QI project for a problem in your setting, send it to the desk. Check whether your organization requires a QI determination form before starting. Keep the paper focused on one problem and one change, since a short paper cannot carry several.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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DNP 602 Module 3 questions, answered

Where can I find a free DNP 602 Module 3 sample paper?

The quality improvement paper is shown above in full: a postpartum blood pressure check gap, QI versus research, an improvement plan with aim, measures and three PDSA cycles, with references.

What is the difference between QI and research?

Research produces generalizable knowledge, often testing a hypothesis; QI applies existing evidence to improve care in a specific setting through rapid cycles.

How many points is the DNP 602 QI paper?

The syllabus lists the Quality Improvement Paper at 10 of 100 points.

What is a balancing measure in QI?

It tracks side effects of the change, for example slower responses to alerts or more staff time.

What QI model can I use in DNP 602?

Many students use the Model for Improvement with PDSA cycles; check Canvas for any required model.