IT Related Incident

The purpose of this post is to identify two types of information technology (IT) related incidents, describe an IT incident presented in a case study, and identify the type of IT incident discovered in the study. It will also discuss the possible consequences of the error in this case study, along with the action nurse leaders can use to ensure reporting of IT related concerns. It is thought that computers are way to centralize and streamline information available in the healthcare setting. Developers are able to present all sorts of bells and whistles when showing off healthcare related technology. Yet, with this technology comes many concerns and the possibility for errors.
There are two basic types of IT errors. The first pertains to the human-computer related error. This results when the person using the IT systems does so incorrectly. This would include incidents such as ignoring an alert, overriding an alert, or entering information in the wrong patient record (Wallace, Zimmer, & Possanza 2013). The second pertains to computer related issues. This includes lost data, data displayed improperly, or out of date software …show more content…
There will be a usage learning curve for staff and “bugs” to be worked out in programming. The hope is that no patient is ever harmed by an error due to the use of an EMR. When an error does occur, the nurse has a duty to prevent potential unintentional harm of a patient (Burkhardt, Nathaniel, 2014). Nurse leaders can assure errors, like the overdose of morphine in the case study, are conveyed by having a reporting system in place. Staff should feel confident that reported information will be used to alleviate any errors discovered and a solution is found swiftly. This reporting system should include staff education on what should be reported and the guarantee of no penalty with this reporting (Wallace, Zimmer, & Possanza