Never Events and nursing – prevention is the important thing

When it involves missing events and care, “prevention is the key,” explains Janet Thomas MS, RN-BC. As a unbroken education accreditation and compliance manager, Thomas recognizes the critical role nurses play within the fight against medical errors that ought to never occur.

“Events are never expensive for the organization you work for and can have a major impact on its reputation,” he says. In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published: no refund policy for certain medical incidents to enhance patient safety. These events are considered “preventable” through using evidence-based policies. If an event that may never occur is announced publicly, this implies the general public is informed of an avoidable and sometimes fatal mistake.

As nurses, you’re the primary line of defense to your patients. “First of all, you really want to learn how to prevent these things from happening,” Thomas explains. Lippincott NursingCenter and CEConnection have created a series of Never Events collections to provide help to maximize patient safety and forestall such events in your workplace. You can even give you the option to fulfill your continuing education needs as CE is included in these collections.

Never Events: Symptoms of poor glycemic control

8.0 contact hours – $24.99

Never Events: Air embolism

6.7 contact hours – $19.99

Never Events: Foreign bodies left unintentionally after surgery

6.0 contact hours – $19.99

Never Events: Pressure ulcers, grades III and IV

7.2 contact hours – $34.99

Never Events: Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)

7.7 contact hours – $19.99

Never Events: DVT and PE related to knee and hip arthroplasty

8.6 contact hours – $24.99

Never Events: falls and injuries

7.0 contact hours – $19.99

Never Events: Surgical site infections

6.5 contact hours – $19.99

Never event: Prevention of central line-related bloodstream infections (CLABSI)

6.8 contact hours – $34.95

Never Events: Administration of incompatible blood

6.3 contact hours – $19.99

How don’t have any events impacted your care? What steps do you are taking to forestall them? Share your story within the comments below.