In a healthcare system, patient safety is the responsibility of the nurses, administrators, researchers, and physicians. They ensure that the patient is handled safely and that he/she is not prone to any system healthcare flaw. This perspective of patient healthcare safety is linked with quality healthcare management. The role of nurses, physicians, and healthcare agencies is pivotal in addressing patient safety. Developing a safety culture and its implementation for patient safety and care is also an integral part. The transmission of disease occurs through errors in preventive measures. It can be eradicated through the proper application of preventive protocols.
According to the American Nurses Association, patient safety is linked to the Clean environment provided to the patient. The Institute of Medicine defines patient safety as avoiding injuries or any harm to the patient from the caring procedures. The healthcare procedures intended to help them may also injure them if errors happen. The only solution is to get rid of any failure by following the proper operating procedure to minimize the possibility of any mistake. (Ballard, K.A, 2003)
The role of nurses, physicians, and agencies is worth discussing in implementing quality care leading to the patient’s safety. The American Association of Nurses addressed in the testimony to the Institute of Medicine that nurses are the main pillars of safety assurance. If nurses are stressed and fatigued, they will not play their role efficiently as they will have a loop in their thinking process and will be more prone to accidental injuries while operational procedures and medication errors would also increase. The safety of patients depends on the working environment and nurses’ safety. Nurses must be competent learners and critical thinkers to analyze and assess the patient’s condition and respond accordingly. They should opt for educational programs and train to get clinical practice. Certification of nurses in their respective fields would aid the proficiency in the execution of quality care to the patient.
Developing a safety culture is the fundamental pillar on which prevention of errors and harm to the patient can be enforced. The organizations should report any challenging flaw in the system with trust and work with the potential to remove the error. The safety culture should have elements such as open communication, feedback about safety, training and competency opportunities, adequate trained staff to work, and teamwork among all the employees. (Manali, H.A & Woten, M.B, 2017)
Sharp injuries from sharp objects such as needles and lancelets carry the chance of infectious diseases transmissions such as HIV, and Hepatitis. The nurses must train to practice sharp safety devices for preventive measures from sharp objects. Using retractable needles, blunt suture needles, and needleless safety devices in the form of an IV system is the safety measure for reducing injury risk and the incidence of blood-borne infectious disease reported in the U.K. The illnesses reported were hepatitis through occupational injuries. (Caple C & Schub E.B, 2016)
The development of a joint commission for patient safety happened in 2002. They reported healthcare-associated infection cases in 2, 039 hospitals in 2010, which was contributed to by the national healthcare safety network. TJC identified the causative agent as the pathogen of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus bacteria. They identified the agent and provided measures for prevention. The agent reservoir is the patient, and transmission can be reduced through no physical contact, knowledge to the families of the patient about transmission and education to the staff members about it, and the use of antimicrobial agents in the working environment for the safety and avoidance of disease transmission. (Woten M, 2016)
The onset of mucous malignancy referred to Kaposi’s sarcoma, which is transmitted through saliva. It occurs in immune-suppressed patients. The adverse form is the iatrogenic form. The transmission is through organ and blood transfusion. The prevention strategy should include adequate knowledge about the compatibility before blood transfusion or organ transplant, and the implementation of a united network of organ-sharing protocols should be maintained in the hospitals. (Matteucci R.M & Caple C.M, 2016)
Patient safety is managed by trained employees including nurses, physicians, and healthcare agencies. Healthcare flaws are inevitable. They can happen anywhere anytime, the only need to consider is following proper medical protocol during operational procedures, educating, and training personnel about disease transmission, and following the guidelines to avoid pathogenic diseases.
References
Ballard, K.A. (2003). Patient Safety: A Shared Responsibility. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 105-118.
Caple C & Schub E.B. (2016). Sharps Injuries: Prevention — Using Safety Devices. CINAHL Nursing Guide.
Manneli, H.A & Woten, M.B. (2017). Risk Management: Creating a Culture of Safety. CINAHL.
Matteucci R.M & Caple C.M. (2016). Kaposi’s Sarcoma, Iatrogenic: Blood and Organ Safety. CINAHL Nursing Guide.
Woten M, (2016). National Patient Safety Goals (The Joint Commission, 2016): Risk Assessment for MRSA Acquisition and Transmission. CINAHL Nursing Guide.
