Scenario
Patient Identification Errors in Healthcare: Ensuring the correct identification of
patients is a foundational aspect of safe healthcare delivery. When errors occur in this
basic step, the ripple effects can be catastrophic. Here’s why understanding and
preventing patient identification errors is essential:
o Patient Safety and Well-being: The most immediate and alarming consequence
of patient identification errors is the potential harm to the patient. Administering
the wrong medication, performing surgery on the wrong site, or providing
inappropriate treatments can lead to severe complications, prolonged recovery,
or even death.
o Loss of Trust: When patients or their families experience or witness
identification errors, their trust in the healthcare system can be severely eroded.
This loss of trust can make patients hesitant to seek care in the future or follow
medical advice, potentially compromising their health.
o Professional Reputation: For healthcare professionals, being involved in an
identification error can have lasting implications on their reputation. Such errors
can lead to disciplinary actions, loss of licensure, or legal consequences.
o Legal and Financial Implications: Patient identification errors can result in
lawsuits, leading to significant financial penalties for healthcare institutions.
Beyond the direct costs of litigation, there’s the potential for increased insurance
premiums and the costs associated with implementing corrective measures.
o Operational Disruptions: Identification errors can disrupt the normal flow of
operations in a healthcare setting. They may necessitate additional tests,
procedures, or interventions to correct the error, leading to delays and
inefficiencies.
o Emotional Toll on Healthcare Providers: Realizing that one has been involved
in an identification error can be emotionally devastating for healthcare providers.
Feelings of guilt, anxiety, and doubt can lead to burnout and may even cause
some professionals to question their career choice.
o Increased Healthcare Costs: Beyond the direct costs associated with correcting
the error, there are indirect costs to consider. These might include extended
hospital stays, additional treatments, and the long-term care needs of patients
who experience complications due to the error.
o Regulatory and Accreditation Implications: Healthcare facilities are subject to
regulations and standards set by accrediting bodies. Identification errors can lead
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to penalties, increased scrutiny, and potential challenges in maintaining accreditation.
Instructions
For this assessment, you will analyze a safety quality issue in a health care setting and identify a quality improvement (QI) initiative.
Be sure that your plan addresses the following, which corresponds to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Please study the scoring guide carefully so that you know what is needed for a distinguished score.
• Explain factors leading to a specific patient-safety risk in a health care setting.
• Explain evidence-based and best-practice solutions to improve patient safety and reduce costs.
• Explain how nurses can help coordinate care to increase patient safety and reduce costs.
• Identify stakeholders with whom nurses would coordinate to drive safety enhancements with a specific safety quality issue.
• Communicate using writing that is clear, logical, and professional, with correct grammar and spelling, using current APA 7 style.*
• Number of references: Cite a minimum of 4 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your findings and considerations. Resources should be no more than 5 years old.
