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Finding a new way to educate employees about fall prevention is a big challenge because, though the topic is important, it can be hard to keep people's attention.
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While it is difficult to surprise me anymore, I discovered that in 2011 we opened more not-for-profit, freestanding, off-site hospital surgery centers then we did actual for-profit surgery centers. In looking at our current workload and "pipeline" projects, it looks like the trend is going to extend into 2012.
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[Editor's note: This is the first part of a two-part series on issues surrounding social media and ambulatory surgery. In this issue, we give you some horror stories and tell you how to avoid them. We tell you how to be proactive about your online presence, as well as how to develop a social media policy. Next month, we discuss legal issues and employee training.]
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Previously, some scheduled surgery patients at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI, failed to return phone calls because they had just spoken to someone.
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All manner of electronic devices are common in any healthcare setting, and individuals increasingly are likely to use their own smart phones, tablets, and other personal electronics while at work. The proliferation of electronics is leading some patient safety experts to worry that patient safety might be threatened by "distracted doctoring."
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Despite the progress toward safe patient handling, about eight in 10 nurses still suffer from frequent musculoskeletal pain and six in 10 worry about having a disabling musculoskeletal injury, according to a 2011 online survey by the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring, MD.
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Hospitals have been put on alert to recognize fatigue among health care workers as a risk to patient safety. But for now, hospitals won't face any regulatory consequences for failing to address it.
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The housekeeper had always done a thorough job cleaning patient rooms, but lately her work was haphazard. When a supervisor pointed out things she'd missed, she said, "Oh, I must have forgotten." Forgotten? How could you forget how to do a job you'd done every day for 30 years?
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A federal advisory panel gave a boost to policies that require health care workers to receive the flu vaccine but stopped short of endorsing the strongest mandates. If health care employers can't achieve an influenza vaccination goal of 90% "in an efficient and timely manner," then they should "strongly consider an employer requirement," a subgroup of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) said.
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A new Washington state rule requires employers to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazardous drugs. The hazardous drugs control program must include:
