Improving patient safety in 2024

Late last 12 months Special Report on the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2023 has been released. That is an annual report from Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) AND Institute for Protected Medicines Practices (ISMP). The aim of this report is to discover “serious problems that threaten the security of patients and healthcare staff when processes and systems aren’t aligned” (ECRI, 2023).

Patient safety concerns in 2023

Within the report, learn the background and evidence on the critical nature of the highest issues identified in 2023:

1. Kid’s mental health crisis
2. Physical and verbal violence against medical staff
3. Clinician needs in times of uncertainty surrounding maternal-fetal medicine
4. Impact on clinicians who’re expected to work outside their scope of practice and competence
5. Delayed identification and treatment of sepsis
6. Consequences of poor coordination of take care of patients with complex diseases
7. The chance of failing to comply with the “five rights” to make sure drug safety
8. Medication errors resulting from inaccurate patient medication lists
9. Accidental administration of neuromuscular blocking agents
10. Harm that could possibly be prevented in consequence of negligent care or treatment

What impact can nurses have?

The recommendations for motion presented by ECRI and ISMP are divided into 4 pillars: culture, leadership and governance; patient and family involvement; worker safety; and teaching system. As the most important group of healthcare providers, nurses play a critical role in improving patient safety, and there are opportunities in every pillar for nurses to make a difference. From screening, referrals and education to communication, competency and advocacy, we’ve the ability to resolve these problems and improve care.

While we make changes day by day, we also have to be certain that our voices are heard to influence change in our organizations and across healthcare. Consider joining a committee or board focused on patient and workplace safety, engage patients and caregivers as partners, support efforts and research to enhance quality of care and safety, and advocate for total system security.

ECRI. (2023). Top 10 patient safety concerns in 2023 https://www.ecri.org/top-10-pacjent-safety-concerns-2023-special-report