Patient Safety, Coursework Example

Introduction

Patient safety must be a key priority in nursing practice so that patients are protected from unnecessary risk and harm. Therefore, it is important to recognize these challenges and to take the steps that are necessary to protect patients at all times. It is important to identify resources and opportunities that are available to promote patient safety because these efforts must be recognized for their value and contribution in treating patients under the best possible conditions. Therefore, nurses must work in a manner so as not to place their patients at risk or harm and provide their patients with the best possible circumstances to recover without unnecessary challenges. The following discussion will address patient safety in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of different factors so that nurses will support positive patient outcomes in order to prevent significant risk or harm to their patients.

Analysis

In some cases, nurses may experience what is known as organizational fatigue; therefore, they find it difficult to be effective direct care providers and may be challenged by their surroundings in different ways that may challenge their abilities and contribute to potential errors (Connaughton and Hassinger, 2007). These conditions occur far too frequently and contribute to the challenges that many nurses face in their efforts to balance their work responsibilities with direct patient care duties in an effective manner (Connaughton and Hassinger, 2007). These conditions also demonstrate the necessity to develop strategies that will support effective patient outcomes and reflect upon the challenging nature of nursing practice objectives to enhance quality of care and treatment without compromising patient care in any way (Connaughton and Hassinger, 2007). Therefore, organizational fatigue must be considered more closely because it leads many patients to experience negative outcomes and other concerns that limit their ability to be effective in providing patient care without risk or harm (Connaughton and Hassinger, 2007).

The development of new approaches to nursing practice are largely based upon performance in some organizations. As pay-for-performance continues to emerge as an alternative, it is important to identify areas where nursing practice methods might be affected by negative decision-making that may negatively impact direct patient care (Clarke et.al, 2008). From a pay-for-performance perspective, nurses might be provided with incentives to see as many patients as possible within a given period of time (Clarke et.al, 2008). In essence, this takes away from the opportunities that are available to provide nurses with a framework for quality patient care and treatment (Clarke et.al, 2008). When pay-for-performance measures are at work, nurses do not have the time that is necessary to give their patients their full attention, thereby increasing the risk to patient safety and possible harm (Clarke et.al, 2008). These challenging circumstances play a role in shaping outcomes for patients and for the quality of nursing care over the long term (Clarke et.al, 2008).

Nurses must demonstrate their skill set and knowledge in a consistent manner to provide their patients with the best possible chance for recovery; however, in some instances, this is further complicated by stressful workloads and the basic challenges of achieving optimal performance (Gurses et.al, 2009). These efforts are instrumental in shaping positive outcomes for patients and in providing nurses with a critical platform for professional growth and development (Gurses et.al, 2009). The issues that are most relevant to nurses are indicative of a stressful work environment which includes long shifts, challenging work conditions, tense relationships with colleagues, and other factors that may contribute to negative outcomes (Gurses et.al, 2009). Therefore, the standard burdens associated with nursing performance must be addressed in the context of their impact on patient care and treatment (Gurses et.al, 2009).

Finally, the stressors of daily nursing practice are further exacerbated when an organization or nursing unit is under review for accreditation or another status (Elkins et.al, 2010). These efforts often contribute to even greater stress in the workplace setting and may compromise patient care and even place patients at greater risk (Elkins et.al, 2010). As a result, it is important to identify areas where stress might interfere with patient care and the recovery process (Elkins et.al, 2010). The efforts that are made to accommodate patients must also reflect a means of protecting them from unnecessary risk or harm by using effective decision-making on a consistent basis (Elkins et.al, 2010). These issues are relevant because they have a significant impact on patient care and wellbeing (Elkins et.al, 2010).

Conclusion

The actions taken by the nurse in the case example are relevant because they challenge her ability to provide high quality and consistent patient care at all times. This example demonstrates that when nurses do not act in the best interests of their patients and attempt to cut corners to save time, they place their patients at even greater risk and may find it difficult to overcome situations where unnecessary harm has occurred. Regardless of the amount of time that is required, patient safety must be optimized and must support patient care and wellbeing. With this example, it is necessary to consider the potential risks that she has put her patients in and to evaluate her decision-making abilities because this issue may lead to risk management concerns if indeed a patient is harmed in any way. These challenges must be considered as a means of developing new strategies to improve outcomes and to support patient wellbeing rather than put patients at unnecessary risk.

References

Clarke, S.P., Raphael, C., and Disch, J. (2008). Challenges and directions for nursing in the pay-for-performance movement. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 9(2), 127-134.

Connaughton, M.J., and Hassinger, J. (2007). Leadership Character: Antidote to organizational atigue. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 37(10), 464-470.

Elkins, G., Cook, T., Dove, J., Markova, D., Marcus, J.D., Meyer, T., Rajab, H., and Perfect, M. (2010). Perceived stress among nursing and administration staff related to accreditation. Clinical Nursing Research, 19(4), 376-386.

Gurses, A.P., Carayon, P., and Wall, M. (2009). Impact of performance obstacles on intensive care nurses’ workload, perceived quality and safety of care, and quality of working life. Health Services Research, 44(2 Pt 1), 422-443.