Genesys Regional Medical Center Case Study

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MEMO From: Joshua A. Burger (Gibbs), Phlebotomist, Genesys Regional Medical Center To: Office of Susan K. Kolka, Hospital Administrator, Genesys Regional Medical Center Subject: Excessive needlestick complaints and proposed corrective action 11/11/2009 Introduction Statement of Problem Inpatients of Genesys Regional Medical Center are complaining of excessive needlesticks during their stay at our facility. After receiving dozens of complaints, policy changes were made to allow the patients to receive a heparin lock as standard procedure, but the complaints continued. To promote patient comfort, safety, and well being, the hospital needs to take immediate action to reduce the number of needlesticks that our patients must endure…show more content…
This same protocol inadvertently restricted phlebotomy personnel from drawing blood out of the heparin locks, forcing them to initiate another needlestick procedure. Needs Excessive needlesticks are leaving patients angry and bruised. By addressing this problem immediately, we can help restore patient confidence and staff credibility. We must reduce the number of needlesticks are patients are receiving and eliminate any protocol that inherently or inadvertently increases the number of needlesticks. Scope The proposed plan includes a detailed assessment of methods, personnel requirements, training (including costs), feasibility, and expected results. Proposed Plan This plan takes into account the needs and complaints of our patients, as well as the suggestions made by our phlebotomy and nursing staff members. Phases Excessive needlesticks can be reduced in three phases: (1) Training phlebotomy staff to draw from heparin locks safely and efficiently (2) Changing any protocol that might inadvertently cause more needlesticks to be preformed than intended (3) Shifting responsibility for blood draws out of heparin locks to phlebotomists from the nursing…show more content…
Training could be performed by nursing staff in the hospital conference room. The training would last 2 hours per session. Changing Protocol In the next executive meeting, hospital administrators need to spend their time reviewing and adjusting the heparin lock protocol that was written and implemented in 2008. Shifting Responsibility After training our phlebotomy staff to perform draws out of heparin locks, administrators should require the phlebotomists to follow nursing staff for a period of one week. This would provide ample time for phlebotomists to become familiar with the procedure and ask any remaining questions they may have. Personnel Requirements We are recommending that there be 1 Registered Nurse trainer for every 3 phlebotomists being trained in this procedure. Training Costs The training costs are very minimal and involve only the salaries of the personnel in training for a period of 2 hours.

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