Exploring Distress Caused by Blame for a Negative Patient Outcome

Nurse Leader Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Medical Errors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore nurse leader attitudes and beliefs about medical errors.

BACKGROUND

The perfectibility model suggests errors are avoidable if nurses are trained and follow safety guidelines. This impacts how nurse leaders approach medical errors. Nurse leaders (NLs) may be the first person to whom a nurse reports an error. Leaders support nurses through the investigation process and subsequent recovery.

METHODS

A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to determine NL attitudes toward medical errors using the Medical Error Attitude Scale (MEAS).

RESULTS

MEAS scores were high in all categories. Medical error perception was significant for NLs with institutional support programs and when compared with job titles. Medical error approach and perception were significant for NLs with direct reports who had committed a medical error.

CONCLUSION

This study provides insight into NLs' views on medical errors, awareness of NLs who have had nurses involved in medical errors, and formal caregiver support programs.

Riscos ocupacionais e intervenções que promovem segurança para a equipe de enfermagem oncológica

Resumo Objetivo: analisar as evidências científicas relacionadas aos riscos ocupacionais e às intervenções que promovem segurança no trabalho para a equipe de enfermagem oncológica. Métodos: revisão de literatura realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, IBECS e BDENF. Resultados: a busca identificou 17 estudos primários, publicados em inglês, no período de 2008 a 2017. Dentre os fatores que configuram riscos ocupacionais, destacam-se: o déficit no conhecimento; a pouca disponibilidade de equipamentos de proteção individual para manuseio dos medicamentos antineoplásicos; o estresse; e a ansiedade. Quanto às intervenções que promovem a segurança, evidenciam-se: a manutenção do ambiente laboral favorável ao desempenho da assistência; a disponibilidade de insumos; o bom relacionamento interpessoal; a organização do trabalho; o dimensionamento profissional adequado; o conhecimento, a disponibilidade e o incentivo ao uso dos equipamentos de proteção; e a compreensão dos riscos ocupacionais aos quais os profissionais estão expostos. Conclusão: o estudo possibilitou a identificação de fatores associados à atividade laboral que comprometem a saúde da equipe de enfermagem oncológica, demonstrando a necessidade de intervenções voltadas para a melhoria das relações interprofissionais, a capacitação dos profissionais e o oferecimento de um ambiente de trabalho seguro e condições organizacionais que promovam a saúde dos trabalhadores.

Managing Chemotherapy Extravasation Across Transitions of Care: A Clinical Nurse Specialist Initiative

Chemotherapy extravasation can lead to serious patient harm in patients with cancer. For nurses who administer vesicant chemotherapy, extravasation is a primary concern. Regardless of nurse experience level and despite prevention strategies, extravasations occur. Literature related to nurse management of chemotherapy extravasation beyond initial treatment is lacking, and no descriptors are available for a formalized process. Communication gaps and a lack of standardized follow-up within a 1400-bed, quaternary care academic medical institution contributes to challenges in care continuity when patients transition between hospital and ambulatory settings. With chemotherapy extravasation, the site does not immediately exhibit signs of tissue injury, leading to a false sense of security. As a result, tissue damage can be significant by the time the patient returns for his or her regular appointment. Two oncology clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) recognized an opportunity to bridge the gap and overcome the challenges by addressing patient needs postextravasation. Between 2015 and 2016, a formal consult process was designed, approved, and implemented to observe, manage, and make recommendations for timely care and follow-up. Since implementation of the process, the oncology CNSs have received multiple requests for consultations. Nursing staff report increased comfort levels with this process in place. A formalized process for managing chemotherapy extravasations increases patient safety and patient and nurse satisfaction.

CPR to the Rescue!: An Interprofessional Pilot Program: Cultivating Practices for Resilience (CPR) Camp

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

The hCATS (health Colleges Advancing Team Skills) to CPR (Cultivating Practices for Resilience) Camp was an interprofessional pilot program to promote resilience, introduce strategies for coping with stress, cultivate compassion, and promote work-life balance to prevent burnout among health profession students, faculty, and healthcare professionals who team to provide patient care.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing received funding to partner with the UK Center for Interprofessional Health Education for immersive weekend activities utilizing KORU and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction models, conducted by certified UK faculty experts in self-stewardship techniques such as mindfulness practices.

OUTCOMES

Thirty-nine participants from 7 UK colleges and UK HealthCare participated in 4 distinct CPR Camps, completed program assessments, and created team projects. Mean scores from each cohort significantly increased in a retrospective pre/post analysis of student perception of knowledge in all of the following categories: (1) habits and practices for resilient people, (2) strategies for building resilience and preventing/coping with stress/burnout in self and others, and (3) work-life balance (with the exception of cohort 4, for work-life balance). Students indicated on open-response items specific strategies they were willing to adopt going forward. These outcomes met our objectives for developing participants' understanding of resilience practices and adopting useful stress reduction practices. Planning and implementation of team projects successfully brought different professions together to advance learning in resilience.

CONCLUSION

The CPR Camp initiative is an effective model for promoting and sustaining resilience-building strategies among health profession students. Similar programming conducted and/or attended by academic and/or health system leaders, such as clinical nurse specialists, can help cultivate practices for resilience among the members of the interprofessional workforce, enabling teams to better cope with stress, prevent burnout, and ultimately improve team-based care delivery for patients and their families.

Policy impact: When policy fails

The best policies are evidence-based, providing feasible solutions to healthcare issues to prevent unintended consequences. Nurse researchers need to generate evidence with which to create policy. The obligation to monitor the impact of policies and standards rests on nurse leaders who have the duty to advocate when policies fail. Nurses providing direct care are beholden to report failed policies. Advocacy in the situation of a failed policy often requires moral courage to prevent moral distress amongst the ranks of nurses who enact policies at the intersect of care. In this article, the impact of three healthcare policy issues on nursing end-users will be evaluated: aid in dying, titration of vasoactive medications, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services 30-minute rule.

Creating a Care for the Caregiver Program in a Ten-Hospital Health System

Critical care clinicians involved serious adverse events may experience a constellation of distressing emotions that may interfere with home and work life. Offering support after a serious adverse event may restore a clinician's ability to cope with the event, reestablish emotional balance and assist a clinician to function capably in the workplace and at home. A description of a care for the caregiver program implementation at a 10-hospital health system provides a roadmap to implement this program in other hospitals and health systems.

Physician Burnout, Well-being, and Work Unit Safety Grades in Relationship to Reported Medical Errors

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate physician burnout, well-being, and work unit safety grades in relationship to perceived major medical errors.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

From August 28, 2014, to October 6, 2014, we conducted a population-based survey of US physicians in active practice regarding burnout, fatigue, suicidal ideation, work unit safety grade, and recent medical errors. Multivariate logistic regression and mixed-effects hierarchical models evaluated the associations among burnout, well-being measures, work unit safety grades, and medical errors.

RESULTS

Of 6695 responding physicians in active practice, 6586 provided information on the areas of interest: 3574 (54.3%) reported symptoms of burnout, 2163 (32.8%) reported excessive fatigue, and 427 (6.5%) reported recent suicidal ideation, with 255 of 6563 (3.9%) reporting a poor or failing patient safety grade in their primary work area and 691 of 6586 (10.5%) reporting a major medical error in the prior 3 months. Physicians reporting errors were more likely to have symptoms of burnout (77.6% vs 51.5%; P<.001), fatigue (46.6% vs 31.2%; P<.001), and recent suicidal ideation (12.7% vs 5.8%; P<.001). In multivariate modeling, perceived errors were independently more likely to be reported by physicians with burnout (odds ratio [OR], 2.22; 95% CI, 1.79-2.76) or fatigue (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.15-1.65) and those with incrementally worse work unit safety grades (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.36-2.12; OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.48-2.49; OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.13-4.58; and OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 2.06-9.28 for grades of B, C, D, and F, respectively), adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics.

CONCLUSION

In this large national study, physician burnout, fatigue, and work unit safety grades were independently associated with major medical errors. Interventions to reduce rates of medical errors must address both physician well-being and work unit safety.