What does PDSA stand for in quality improvement?

• A. Plan, Do, Study, Act
• B. Prepare, Do, Standardize, Assess
• C. Plan, Design, Start, Apply
• D. Process, Deliver, Analyze, Act

Answer: (A)

PDSA stands for Plan, Do, Study, Act, a four-step cycle used in quality improvement to test changes on a small scale and learn from the results before wider implementation. In Plan, you set a clear aim, predict what will happen, and outline the steps and measures. In Do, you carry out the change on a limited basis and collect data. In Study, you analyze the data to see if the change produced the expected improvement and compare results to your predictions. In Act, you decide whether to adopt the change, adapt it, or abandon it and start another cycle. This iterative, data‑driven approach helps nurses test improvements—like a new hand hygiene tactic or a care checklist—so real-world practice can be refined safely before spreading. Other phrasing of the cycle isn’t the standard set of terms used to describe this process.