Jill Van Den Bos (2011), Essay Example

Rationale and Support

Jill Van Den Bos (2011) is one of several analysts who believes that billions are spent in settling lawsuits and other problems due to clinical errors. While the source of such mistakes varies between individuals and technology, Bos along with other authors speculate that the cost of medical errors is over $17 billion. The authors distinguish high quality care as one “that does not harm patients, particularly through medical errors” (2). In addition, “The first step in reducing the large number of harmful medical errors that occur today is to analyze them.” In evaluating mistakes made by doctors and other hospital staff, Bos and her colleagues estimate that billions were paid out to patients in the year 2008 alone because of carelessness.

It is this writer’s belief, based off the article Medical Errors: Don’t Let Them Happen To You by Pamela Anderson and Terri Townsend (2015), that most mistakes are completely avoidable when the “five rights” are implemented. The authors lay out the ten keys elements of medication in the publication. The information of the patient along with staff competency are listed as being important factors in the prescription process, and for good reason. After all, it is impossible to give patients the proper amount of dosage without being aware of their family and medical history. In the same manner, explaining proper usage of the medication becomes impossible if the administrator has little knowledge of the ingredients the product contains.

Such is why the “five rights” of prescribing are so important. According to Anderson and Townsend, they are: “1.) right reason for the drug; 2.) right documentation; 3.) right to refuse medication; 4.) right evaluation and monitoring.” Each of these “rights” ensures that patients are treated in a manner that is in line with the ethics of the field, and reduces possibility of error due to negligence. They also fulfill AACN Essential Standard #111 Quality Improvement and Safety along with AACN Element #111-2 Implement evidence-based plans based on trend analysis and quantify the impact on quality and safety.

As nursing professionals, it is our duty to work proficiently and ensure that those working under our guidance uphold the highest standards of service while caring for the ill. In accordance with Nonpf Core Competency / Domain #4 Practice Inquiry,We must be inquisitive and keen to every detail about patients in our care. We must then implement the “five rights” in our everyday routines and  encourage our subordinates to follow suit as PYC Specialty Program Outcome #2, Utilize an evidence-based approach to initiate change and improve primary care practice across the lifespan, suggests. Although nurses are not responsible for prescribing medication to patients, our duties involve collecting information pertaining to patients and accurately documenting analyses in accordance with DSGNE Program Outcome #2: Utilize critical inquiry to advance the discipline and profession of nursing. Such information allows doctors to correctly diagnose illnesses and order a remedy. Mistakes can and will happen if we as nurses do not do our job efficiently.

Reflection

In my endeavor to be a medical professional, I take the role of supporting physicians seriously. I understand the critical role that I will play in the field and know that one act of carelessness could lead to tragedy. While there is no way to be completely perfect in my practice, critical mistakes do not have to take place on a consistent basis.

The medical field often operates like a pyramid. Although doctors are at the top of the system, individuals considered to have lowly positions are actually supporting the most educated workers. Everyone must do their part to prevent the pyramid from falling. Even one person’s carelessness could lead to the demise of the whole system.

This is why I presently study concepts and strive to understand the facts. The knowledge that I retain as a student will be the perception that I carry into the emergency room and, in essence, assist in preventing medical errors.

References

Anderson, Pamela; Townsend, Terri (2015). Medical Errors: Don’t Let Them Happen to You. American Nurse Today. http://www.americannursetoday.com/medication-errors-dont-let-them-happen-to-you/

Bos, Jil; Rustagi, Karen; Gray, Travis; Halford, Michael; Ziemkiewicz, Eva; Shreve, Johnathan (2011). The $17.1 Billion Problem: The Annual Cost of Measurable Medical Errors. Health Affairs.