When Patient Safety is Compromised

Patient safety is a major concern and priority in today’s healthcare system. Each year the Joint Commission establishes new National Patient Safety Goals. Most if not all medical facilities have policies regarding patient safety and even include it in their mission statements.

Typical mission statements like these grace the walls in hospitals and medical centers throughout this country:

“Quality and integrity is at the core of all we do.”

“Establish patient safety as a visible commitment to our putting patients first philosophy.”

“We deliver quality, personalized health care services to our patients and families in a caring manner.”

“To deliver superior healthcare services to our patients and to improve the health of our community. “

“With compassion, we heal, teach, and discover.”

“To save lives by leading the world in patient safety and quality care.”

This all sounds great, but what happens when the staffing is so tight and a critical care nurse reports that the situation is unsafe, that he or she cannot care for the patients in a safe manner because the assignment is beyond their abilities? I think you know the answer because you’ve experienced it already.

In more times than not, the answer is lame.  Nursing administration explains that they have no other recourse, that there are no other nurses available, etc. etc. Frustrating at the least…possibly criminal.

What has been you your experience? Critical Cover-Up is working to expose these unsafe practices.