Culture of Patient Safety

Patient safety culture refers to the result of the values of an organization that are brought about by a commitment by the leadership and management to the organization’s health and safety management. It is important to develop a safety culture because the patients’ life, well-being, and health entirely depend on the caregivers. For this reason, therefore, there must be proper care when handling different patients, especially those in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). Hospital Hope is one such organization, that previously risked patients’ lives for example Mrs. Jackson who developed a CLABSI, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and experienced hypoglycemia, all while recovering in the hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Following such occurrences, the hospital carried out a survey among the staff members and realized that even they did not have faith in the hospital’s patient safety culture. This was the turning point for the organization. 

A number of factors led to the change in practice in the SICU, but I believe the most important factor for change was leadership. Other factors that also played a major role were teamwork and communication. The initial assessment of the patient safety practices was an idea by the hospital leadership. The board understood that they had a mandate to ensure proper patient care and safety besides their financial obligation. Therefore carrying out a survey and acting on the outcome is one important step that only the management could effect. A good leader tries to find out time after time whether their policies are implemented and if there are any positive results, and what better way to get feedback than from the employees (Sammer & James, 2011). 

The hospital leadership initiated the change process. They believed in being an evidence-based organization, and as such, had to make changes to their systems to make it patient friendly. They decided to take steps like joining organizations that made efforts to better patient safety like IHI. They joined such with the hope of learning and improving their facility so that patients do not go through what Mrs. Jackson went through. They wanted a healthcare facility that was conducive for patient recovery, and did not put patients at risk of contracting other diseases (Sammer & James, 2011). 

Good leaders allow others to lead also. Instead of the board taking charge of everything, they delegated the duties to the nurse manager, who further distributed the work to the nurses. By breaking down the duties, management became easier. The nurse manager, in her own capacity as a junior leader, imagined how the ideal SICU unit should look like and made it her goal to work towards that. She asked her juniors to interact with the patients and note their concerns. She wanted to use the feedback to create a model that would work for their unit, and as such become their culture. By having a meeting with the nurses, she realized that there were a lot of underlying issues that needed to be addressed. By creating a forum, she was able to know there were problems within her unit (Sammer & James, 2011). 

Proper leadership gives equal opportunity to everyone. The nurse empowered all members of her team in a way that they were able to voice their concerns without fear of victimization. An example is the new graduate nurse who was able to correct a doctor and insist that he follows the set safety rules. There was a lot of teamwork, with all members working together to ensure that the envisioned system was achieved. The team attended trainings together, and learned as well from their mistakes. Achieving the desired system was easy because of a determined team that had a huge desire to learn. The existence of mutual respect among the staff ensured that they all worked towards achieving a set goal without belittling anyone (Sammer & James, 2011). 

If I worked in a facility that needed a practice change, I would develop a framework that incorporates all the factors that drive towards a patient safety culture. One of the factors I would consider in this framework is evidence-based practice. We would look into previous research to find out trends and information that is relevant, then integrate the medical expertise together with the patient needs. This way, previous problems as well as new ones are addressed. Another factor to consider would be leadership. In as much as I would be the team leader and most would be looking up to me for directions, I would delegate the duties to team leaders so that they relate with the staff at a personal level. This is bound to give workable results because everyone will be involved and subsequently feel motivated. A true leader leads by allowing others an opportunity to lead as well (Sammer et al, 2010). 

I would also consider teamwork as a factor in the framework. It would be impossible to implement anything with a divided team. Team work makes it easier for members to share ideas and this means that they could bring in valuable information. I would encourage all members to respect the opinion of their colleagues and work together towards a common goal of culture of patient safety. I will also emphasize on the importance of communication. This can be achieved by creating a conducive work environment for all. The members must be made to feel that their opinion and input is valued. This will encourage them to open up and present their concerns and ideas. There should also be proper channels of communication in place. 

Within the framework there should also be a learning culture as a factor. All members, whether juniors or their leaders should be willing to learn. In the medical field, research is always ongoing and so members should be ready to embrace changes. No one should feel too superior to learn from whoever. A just culture should also be given strong consideration. Here, both employees and the management are held responsible for their mistakes, hence improving patient safety. Finally, I would also consider patient-centered culture. This involves listening to and involving patients in the provision of care. This kind of culture revolves around individual patient preferences, and is tailored to suit each hospital patient (Kirk et al, 2007). 

A culture of patient safety involves a lot of work around it. It is not easy, but it is achievable. Beginning with the management down to the junior staff, if they all work together, then this is easily achievable. The leaders should come up with a framework that they believe can work for their organization, aimed at bettering patient experience. They do not have to do this on their own. There should be staff involvement and team work to ensure everyone’s idea is considered. A company or organization that respects the opinion of all its workers, down to the junior most is bound to succeed. Everyone has a different opinion and if they are all accorded an equal opportunity, they could bring amazing ideas on board. All said and done, no factor can work on its own. All the seven of them i.e leadership, patient-centered culture, teamwork, a learning culture, a just culture, evidence-based practice, and communication, should be incorporated into a workable framework. This way, all aspects of patient safety are considered and there are reduced cases of patient recovery related sicknesses. 

References 

Kirk, S., Parker, D., Claridge, T., Esmail, A., & Marshall, M. (2007). Patient safety culture in primary care: Developing a theoretical framework for practical use. Quality and Safety in Healthcare, 16 (4), 313-320. doi:10.1136/qshc.2006.018366 

Sammer, C. E., Lykens, K., Singh, K. P., Mains, D. A., & Lackan, N. A. (2010). What is Patient Safety Culture? A review of the Literature. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 42 (2), 156-165. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01330.x 

Sammer, C. E., & James, B. R. (2011). Patient Safety Culture: The Nursing Unit Leader’s Role. The Online Journal of Issues Nursing, 16 (3), 2011 th ser. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No03Man03