The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies. Analysis of the data As the population continues to age, falls among the elderly are of great concern. It is important for healthcare facilities to implement dashboards to help improve performances of their facility and staff and to monitor patients who may be at risk for falls. The Sinai inpatient rehab unit used the National Data of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) to help measure nurse sensitive quality indicators such as falls. Falls are important to be monitored due to rising cost of care for patients who have fallen, and this will help decrease the chance of harm to patients.
Some hospitals may turn lobbies into patient receiving areas and open hallways will accommodate patients beds. Hospitals need a plan to evacuate and receive patients. There are four goals to help during a disaster and they are: to assess the needs of disaster populations, match available resources to those I need, prevent further effects and implement strategies and evaluate the effectiveness (Noji 2000). Poor communication during a disaster, trauma or crisis can affect the safety of a patient. Communication dynamics differ between a disaster, trauma and crisis because they are all different situations.
In addition to the general risks of surgery, there's always the possibility of issues arising due to anesthesia. In some ways, cosmetic surgery can be more challenging if the patient doesn't tolerate general anesthesia. Many of these procedures are done in surgery centers or in an operating suite in the physician's office. For most patients, this isn't a serious concern. But for the patient who becomes critically ill during surgery, being in a facility with an ICU and extensive resources for the very sick patient can make a tremendous difference in the outcome.
They can ensure smooth handoffs as the patient transitions through the continuum. They often prevent medication errors, reduce infection rates and facilitate patient transitions from hospital to home. (Howell, 2013) Nurses at every level take a leadership role through knowledge and caring. Demonstrating understanding of the person, health and environment helps to drive nursing practice and patient care. (AONE, 2010) Leadership is not just managing but facilitating.
The question is what role do nurses play when it comes to medication safety? Nurses play many different roles in the world of medicine; however the most important role is to assure that patients are receiving their medication safely. One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “Five rights: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time” (Choo, Hutchinson & Bucknall, 2010, p.854). Verifying the patient’s identity ensures that the correct patient is receiving the medication, confirming that the medication written on the order is the same medication being prepared, ensures the right drug, dose and route is given. Some medications must be given at specific time, so it imperative to provide the medication to the patient at the correct time.
When a never event occurs, the first step must be to understand why it happened and seek to learn from it, not simply to apportion unfair blame to an individual. Failure to learn the lessons of a single never event or a prevented never event could be perceived as organizational failure on grounds of patient safety for which Board leaders, particularly the Chief Executive and Medical and Nurse Directors are accountable. On other hand,“…the causes of a patient safety incident cannot simply be linked to the actions of the individual healthcare staff involved. All incidents are also linked to the system in which the individuals were working. Looking at what was wrong in the system helps organizations to learn lessons that can prevent the incident recurring.’’(NPSA, 2009,
The problem with Vasovagal Syncope is that falls and other types of injuries can occur during an episode. The person could need to see a doctor if they are occuring frequently enough, to rule out a heart problem. The symptoms of V.S. are also very dependent on the person. The most common things that happen right before a person faints are lightheadedness, tunnel vison and fuzzy thoughts/visual disturbances.
Hypertension, if left untreated can cause long-term damage to the cardiovascular system, the renal system and the eyes. It can also be a significant risk factor for myocardial infarction, cardiovascular accident, renal failure and loss of sight. “The number of people with hypertension continues to rise in the UK and worldwide, placing enormous social, economical and health burden on the sufferers, their dependants and statutory health care providers” (Chummun 2011). As a nurse, detecting hypertension and appropriate management can improve a patient’s life. Hypertension can be treated and controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medication, thus reducing the risk factors.
Many people obtain injuries and illnesses which may lead to seeking medical attention. A visit to the hospital or a medical office is the first step to take. This is when register nurses come into place to help these individuals. Register nurses provide health care to individuals, families, and communities. They provide services designed to prevent illness, promote health problems, and achieve optimal recovery from adaptation to health problems.
. A nurse’s perceptions about quality of life and health promotion could affect the care of a dying patient with a lingering illness, such as cancer. Nurses are patient advocates and it is their responsibility to respect patients’ wishes regardless of their personal opinion. A nurse may personally feel that a patient should use any and all medications available to them such as pain medication, etc. during a lingering illness.