Essay On Patient Safety

In the healthcare world hundreds of thousands of patients die each year due to medical errors. Medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. With the great technological advances today, diseases that were believed to be deadly are being treated, so patients may live a longer, less painful life. The creation of treatments and cures should cause less death, yet patients who enter a healthcare facility are possibly already facing a greater risk of death compared to their illness. Patient safety practice was created to minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. The risks to the patients consist of medication error, pathogen transmission, and various physical hazards; all of which could be reduced or prevented. In order for this competency to work, all healthcare providers must create a common goal to achieve. The “Patient Safety Movement” has taken it upon themselves to create a goal. The goal that was established is “ZERO preventable deaths by 2020. With the right people, ideas, and technology this goal is believed to be obtainable. To achieve this much needed …show more content…
In order to reduce slips, trips, and falls nurses must look out for spills, wires/cords, tubes/hoses, and improper placement of mats. All of which can be controlled and prevents the risk of patient harm. Patient hazards can be prevented by a standardized handoff communication and proper care plan for each individual patient. Nurses should also provide adequate lighting for patients so they may see the potential hazards. Many physical hazards listed above are considered never events. Patient death due to falling is a major never event. Falling is believed to add 6.3 days to a hospital stay and cost upwards of $14,000. These hazards are a great source of human error and a part that I hope to pay a great amount of attention to