Improving Patient Safety With Error Identification in Chemotherapy Orders by Verification Nurses

Reducing error and improving patient safety.

Improving patient safety by improving medication communication.

Any time that information about a patient's medication is communicated, there is a potential for error that occurs because of misinterpretation of abbreviations, acronyms, and dose designations. In the following discussion, corrective approaches for reducing the use of error-prone terms will be reviewed. Terms on the "Do Not Use" list are identified and the rationale for using "Tall Man" letter...

Progressive Care Nurses Improving Patient Safety by Limiting Interruptions During Medication Administration.

BACKGROUND Because of the high frequency of interruptions during medication administration, the effectiveness of strategies to limit interruptions during medication administration has been evaluated in numerous quality improvement initiatives in an effort to reduce medication administration errors. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based strategies to limit interruptions du...

Nurses' role in communication and patient safety.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION is critical during the countless interactions that occur among healthcare workers on a daily basis. Staff must know how to communicate effectively and work collaboratively in teams so that appropriate information is shared in a timely manner. When effective communication is absent, patient care is compromised. Communication breakdowns have long been cited as a root cause...

Improving patient safety in haemodialysis

Thomas Inman (1820-76) wrote 'Practice two things in your dealings with disease: either help or do not harm the patient', echoing writings from the Hippocratic school. The challenge of practicing safely with the avoidance of complications or harm is perhaps only heightened in the context of modern medical settings such as the haemodialysis unit where complex interventions and treatment are rout...