Patient safety - Who is trying to harm my patient?

One word drives every label, adjective, and verb shown on this page. My colleague and friend of many years, Anne Llewellyn, MS, BCPA, RN, beautifully wrote, "We are all Responsible for Patient Safety, March 8, 2021. What is missing? "BEHAVIOR." Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) provided the world with the best definition of behavior. "Behavior is what a person does. It is not what he says, not what he feels, or not what he believes," 

For years, I have taught my nursing students that everyone, including themselves, is a potential source of harm for patients during their shifts. ADPIE is a continuous process, from taking reports each shift to giving reports before clocking out. 

Are Nurses Technicians or Critical Thinkers: 

The short answer is both. Over my years as a nursing professor, the common theme from our regional healthcare facilities is that nurses need to be critical thinkers. "We can teach or reteach the technical parts of nursing during orientation and nurse residencies. We do not have time to teach them how to be critical thinkers and how to prevent harm or recognize potentially harmful situations in the earliest stages." 

The most common cause of harm to patients is the behavior of others. To prevent harm and recognize harm potentials earlier, perhaps nurses should recognize that potentially, everyone coming into contact with their patients could cause harm. That includes the nurse responsible for that patient during their shift. The environment has multiple potential risks for harm.

Patient education and creating new habits are crucial for achieving long-term recovery, enhancing health, and reducing morbidity and premature mortality. Our training programs elevate nurse educators and nutritionists to a new level, enhancing their ability to improve outcomes.  BEARS seminars and workshops provide participants with the applied behavior tools and techniques tailored to the needs and goals of each patient with a discharge plan, including medication adherence, nutrition improvement, and exercise tolerance.

Care plans may seem perfect to clinicians. However, it is in the eyes of the patient that we must evaluate the plan. Which of your patients, eight out of ten, will stop following your care plan within 30 days? We can train your patient education staff in both Adherence Management and Nutrition Management Coaching. Let us show you how.