Patient Safety

Patient safety remains one of the most critical and enforced points in the healthcare system today. Patient safety can be defined as the prevention and avoidance of errors or injuries in the process of providing care. Some major patient safety problems recently found include, but are not limited to, medication errors, the spread of infection and even inaccurate documentation. Nursing is always changing and has always focused on maintaining patient safety and integrating new concepts of keeping patients safe. Even though safety of patients is said to be one of the top priorities, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, healthcare system induced deaths are the third leading cause of death in the United States. As nurses …show more content…
“A medication error occurs whenever one or more of the many steps involved in medication administration process is carried out improperly or not carried out at all. This covers a wide range of possible deviations from a prescribed order, as well as an improper prescription to begin with” (Lilley 15). All medication errors are preventable, and all healthcare professionals are aware of the steps to take to ensure there are no medications errors. One of the most basic principles taught to all that handle medications is the “five rights.” The first right is the right drug, nurses should question unclear orders and perform the three medication checks to guarantee the correct drug is being administered. Next is the right patient, always check two different patient identifiers such as name, date of birth or the MRN number to ensure the medication …show more content…
“However, it is recognized that nursing staff and other healthcare professionals do not perform hand hygiene rituals as often as they should or use the correct techniques, because, in the course of a busy day, these actions are not always intuitive and the effectiveness of such a simple act is underestimated (75).” Hands are a very effective way of transferring microorganisms, giving healthcare professionals who frequently come into contact with patients the potential to spread the microorganisms that commonly cause infections. These microorganisms may come from the patient’s body, other people, equipment, or the environment and can cause infection by taking advantage of a breach in host defenses against infection such as a wounds, intravenous devices or a urinary catheter. All health care professionals are expected to perform hand hygiene before touching a patient, before any aseptic task, after exposure to bodily fluids, after touching a patient as well as after touching patient surroundings. In addition to washing hands, health care professionals should also keep short, clean nails, refrain from wearing jewelry on or near the hands, cover all cuts with waterproof bandages and roll up sleeves before washing hands (78). By performing all of these hand hygiene rituals, patients and family are often reassured and instantly feel