risk management

Table of Contents

Policy #1All PPE gear such as gloves, hats, gown, face mask etc, must be worn before doctors are ready to perform procedures, hand washing and aseptic techniques are two important protocols that must be done to prevent the spread of infection to patients and to reduce the risk of contamination for the benefit of patient safety and health. As simple as the PPE gear may seem, it can be used as a protection for health care workers when they are ready to perform any task given when encountering blood and body fluids which B. Strengths when healthcare workers wear PPE gear • The prevention of spreading germs is less where the PPE gear create a barrier • Healthcare workers are protected from infectious diseases and may reduce the chance of being exposed and touching germs.I have observed that all nursing staffs are dress appropriately in all their prospective PPE gear Weakness when PPE gear not being worn• When PPE gear not being wear, germs can be easily spread from one person to the next, and also the sterile environment. • When PPE gear are not being worn can be catastrophic for individual and even the whole company.What is written?Before entering the theatre department all members of staff and visitors are advised to wear appropriate PPE gears at all given times. Against what actually happen and practice: In the theatre most, nursing staff adhere to the policy while others such as the nursing manager do not always comply with the policy. Improvement can be made by emphasizing the policy that all staff members including all nursing managers, supervisors, head nurses should comply with these policies and should wear all PPE equipment at all given times upon entering the department. Policy #2Risk management policy Risk management is the systematic process of identifying, analysing, and responding to anticipated future events that have the potential to generate unwanted effect (Crane, 2013).• Provide accountability for managing the risks identified• Facilitate continuous monitoring and review• Provide an audit trail• Share and communicate risk management information across the Company. Activities associated with caring for patients, employing staff, providing facilities and services and managing finances are all, by their nature, activities that involve risk. These risks are present on a day-to-day basis throughout the hospital and whilst it may not always be possible to eliminate these risks, they can be managed to an acceptable level (Churchill, 2008). Risk managers must stay up-to-date on relevant information in their organization because research results could prove contradictory to presumptions that would otherwise shape risk management practices. For example, one study published by JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that increasing the hours of sleep residents in teaching hospitals received actually compromised patient safety. The risk-management outcome was to ensure that strategies were in place to improve resident’s sleep schedules and reduce potential risks to patients (University of Scranton,2010). Risk management is both a statutory requirement and an indispensable element of good management at the Sangre Grande General Hospital. It is a fundamental part of the total approach to quality, corporate and clinical governance and is essential to the staff’s ability to discharge its functions as a partner in the local health and social care community, as a provider of health services to the public and an employer of significant numbers of staff.( Camargo,A. et al, 2008).Development of a hospital risk management policy (which may be included within the framework of Clinical Governance) including corporate objectives, management bodies and managers, levels of confidentiality, communication policies, disciplinary measures and psychological handling of errors, incentives, etc. (Churchill, 2008) Good governance is holistic and cannot be achieved without the recognition that its tools (audit, education, risk management, etc.) need to be placed within an over-arching framework. Its systems and processes will enable the creation of an environment where problems will be anticipated, and solutions developed in an efficient manner. As leaders of multidisciplinary teams, doctors and nurses can use the governance process to build systems that reflect our professional values. The motivations for change within the service will then be driven just as much by clinical quality as the other managerial imperatives. These services will then become sustainable and benefit patients in the long term. Good governance requires any organisation to be openly accountable for its performance. This requires an effective assurance mechanism. Analysing the available data and benchmarking the department against its historical performance and a peer group will prevent it from working in a vacuum (Churchill, 2008). Successes can be highlighted, and weaknesses exposed. Knowledge of the latter is the starting point for a further cycle of improvement. Information on performance should flow throughout a department, feeding the collective consciousness and informing the staff of how well they are doing in meeting the departmental objectives. Strengths and weaknesses of Risk management policy The risk management policy comprises of only strengths. It is important that this policy remains in place, as it increases patients and staff safety. As mentioned earlier these policies have to be up-to-date and they have to be assessed. For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published research that found that prolonged urinary catheter use is the leading risk factor for catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Based on this information, a risk management plan was implemented requiring physicians to regularly evaluate the catheter. The result was a decrease in patient risk. The hazards of not preparing for potential issues can have significant, long-term effects.( Camargo,A. et al, 2008). Neglecting to have comprehensive risk management plans in place can compromise patient care, increase liability risks, and result in financial losses. Thus, potential risks have to be evaluated and measured in terms of their potential negative effects. Many patient risks can be reduced by adequately training physicians and staff, encouraging strong communication among staff-members, providing counselling services for those working with patients, and conducting competency assessments.What is written against what happen and practice at the hospitalOn ward 3 at Sangre Grande General Hospital the staffs usually practice good risk management skills. They take simple precautions such as having siderails up for disoriented patients or patients who are at risk for fall. There is still room for improvement in this policy because there are some nurses and doctors who still doesn’t practice some of these risk for management policies. For instances I observed doctors leaving used needles on patient beds. In other instances, nurses left the siderails down on disoriented patients. The policy should be reviewed and enforced. There should also be lectures on this risk management policy as a refresher for the staffs to help reduce risk.