A good QI proposal convinces a reader that a specific local problem is worth fixing, that your team can fix it, and that you will know when it has been fixed. This guide walks through each part, from the gap to the timeline, with a worked aim statement.
Reviewers of a quality improvement (QI) proposal are not looking for a grand idea. They want proof that you understand one problem in one place, that the fix is realistic, and that success can be measured. A QI project is not research: it aims to improve care locally and quickly, not to produce generalisable knowledge, and that difference shapes your methods and your ethics review. Your program handbook will say how much detail your proposal needs, so read it before you outline.
Begin with the gap between what should happen and what does happen on your unit or in your clinic. Describe the current practice, the desired practice (usually an evidence-based standard or a national guideline), and the local data that shows the distance between them. One or two sentences on why the gap matters to patients come next, followed by a short evidence summary that supports the change you plan to test. If you need a model for that summary, see our evidence-based practice paper guide.
The aim statement is the sentence everything else hangs on. It should say what will improve, for whom, by how much, and by when. Keep it to a single sentence, and make sure a reader could tell in six months whether you achieved it.
| Version | Aim statement |
|---|---|
| Weak | We want to improve fall prevention on the unit. |
| Stronger, still vague | We will reduce falls by using better assessment tools. |
| Strong | On a fictional 24-bed medical-surgical unit, we will raise the share of patients with a documented fall-risk reassessment every shift from a baseline of 60 percent to at least 90 percent within six months of the start date. |
The strong version names a population and setting, a measurable process, a baseline, a target, and a deadline. (The figures here are invented to show the structure; your numbers must come from your own baseline data.)
Most nursing programs expect the Model for Improvement developed with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). It starts with three questions: What are we trying to accomplish? How will we know that a change is an improvement? What change can we make that will result in improvement? You then test changes in Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.
Describe at least the first cycle in detail and sketch the second, so the reader sees that you plan to learn as you go rather than launch everything at once.
Our nursing writers can help you shape the aim, structure the PDSA plan, and polish the full proposal.
A proposal with no measures reads as a wish. Use a small balanced set, and say where each number will come from (chart audit, electronic record report, observation tool).
| Measure type | What it shows | Fictional example |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Whether patients are better off | Falls per 1,000 patient-days |
| Process | Whether the new steps are being done | Percent of shifts with a documented reassessment |
| Balancing | Whether the change causes new problems | Nurse time per admission assessment |
Name the people who own the process: unit manager, staff nurses, pharmacists, physicians, patients or families where relevant. Say what each will contribute and how you will secure their buy-in. Then give the timeline as a short table of phases (baseline data, first PDSA cycle, second cycle, sustain plan, evaluation) with dates or week numbers. Add a line on approvals: most programs require a determination from your institution that the project is QI rather than human subjects research. Cite the standards you rely on in APA 7 unless told otherwise.
Students often propose a solution before defining the problem, so the aim reads "implement a checklist" instead of naming a patient or process result. Others set targets with no baseline, choose too many measures, or plan one huge change instead of small tests. A fourth trap is skipping the sustain plan: say who will keep the gains going after your project ends. Follow your institution's academic-integrity policy and program requirements, including any rules on using real unit data.
Tip. Write the aim statement first, then check that every other section supports it. If a section does not, cut it or change the aim.
Length depends on your program. A course assignment may run six to ten pages, while a capstone proposal can be longer. Follow the rubric you were given, and see our capstone project guide if the proposal leads into a larger scholarly project.
Usually a focused one. You need enough evidence to show that the change you plan is worth testing, not a full systematic review.
Yes, and reviewers often like it. State that you will plot your measure over time to see whether changes are real, and describe how often you will collect data.
No. Research tests a hypothesis to create new knowledge, while QI improves a local process. If your project is research, see the research proposal guide instead.