Errors in the workplace are inevitable; however, healthcare professionals must
always practice with a First Do No Harm attitude and be proactive in
... [Show More] alleviating
mistakes. Creating a just culture is one strategy that has been proven to be effective
in improving patient safety by encouraging nurses to learn from each others’
mistakes Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2010 (as cited in Shepard,
2011).
In this discussion, please answer the following questions:
How do nurses promote patient safety and improve quality at your workplace (or
previous clinical setting)? What changes would you suggest be made on your unit or
facility to improve a nonpunitive culture of safety?
Shepard, L.H. (2011). Creating a foundation for a Just
Culture workplace. Nursing2011, 41(8), 0146-48.
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Collapse SubdiscussionJerline Price
Jerline Price
Mar 25, 2019Mar 25 at 7:58pm
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“Safety: The Nurse of the Future will minimize risk of harm to patients and providers
through both system effectiveness and individual performance (QSEN, 2007)”
(Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing Initiative, 2016, p. 42).
Safety is “critical to promoting high quality patient care” (American Association of
Colleges of Nursing, 2008, p. 13).
Patient safety is an essential, if not the most important component of nursing care.
From bedside care, near misses, falls, or hospital acquired infections; nurses
interact the most with patients, therefore it is our responsibility to create a safer
environment. “Care is either save or it’s not.” Meaning, everyone should be more
vigilant and observant. Round more frequently, so there’s a better picture of changes
in patients behaviors or mentation.
At the facility where I work, we understand that patient safety is not only a nursing
responsibility. We also know that at times nurses do get extremely busy with other
tasks, therefore we have implemented two hour rounding every shift by the nurse,
the unit secretary, and the ER technician. With every interaction, we offer toileting,
ask about pain, make sure call lights are within reach, and the surrounding area is
free of clutter.
Patient identification should also be prioritized in every patient interaction.
Implementation of bedside verification using complete names, birthday, and medical
record numbers, can decrease instances of specimen mislabeling, improper
consents, and incorrect medication administration or dosages.
Every nurse should strive to provide safe patient centered care. Creating a culture
that supports patient safety should be something shared across every organization.
Hood, L. J. (2018). Leddy & Pepper's professional nursing (9th ed.). Philadelphia,
PA: Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of
baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from
http://www.aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/AACN-Essentials
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Collapse SubdiscussionTammy Antonio
Tammy Antonio
Mar 26, 2019Mar 26 at 2:13am
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Jerline I agree with you that safety should be the priority whenever we come in
contact with patient, although it is a bit harder in the ER, because we don’t have
techs or hourly rounding, I feel it is important to that we try and accommodate that in
order to keep everyone safe by providing additional help or ways to help prevent
issues with safety.
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Collapse SubdiscussionMichelle Hedman
Michelle Hedman
Mar 28, 2019Mar 28 at 11:48pm
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Jerline,
I like how you highlight that everyone is responsible for the safety of the patient.
Developing a culture where everyone has ownership of the patients safety is another
way in which we provide positive outcomes for our patients. Creating this across an
organization takes inter-professional collaboration, communication, teamwork, and a
common set of core values (Hood, 2018). As organizational leaders develop this
culture of safety and patient centered care delivery it will also be necessary to
implement some sort of patient engagement (Sharma, Knox, Mleczko, & Nwando
Olayiwola, 2017). This patient engagement will also lead to increased outcomes of
safety for patients (Sharma, Knox, Mleczko, & Nwando Olayiwola, 2017). An
excellent example of this is the utilization of the Surgical Safety Checklist within the
operating room. Developed by The World Health Organization as a part of the "Safe
Surgery Saves Lives" campaign this is the standard for patient safety within the
operating room (Link, 2018). Overall involving everyone, as you highlight in your
post, should include all personnel from ancillary staff, physicians, nurses, and
patients. It is based on a team communication approach empowering each person to
be active participants in the process. Thereby, maximizing the positive outcomes
and safety for our patients [Show Less]