The strain on medical workers caused by more extended hours and staff shortages creates a precarious situation for patients and healthcare faculty alike. Dedicate a little time regularly to assess if your facility measures up in these areas regarding safety.
Workplace Safety
Before even considering all of the situations open to risk in diagnosis and procedure, it’s essential to cover the basics of work safety in all areas of the facility. Are all equipment, supplies, and chemicals properly stored? Are routine activities set up ergonomically? Systematic monitoring and testing of systems such as smoke alarms and Medical Gas Alarms Lafayette AL are necessary to ensure you are alerted in the case of emergencies, leaks, and malfunctions.
Patient Discharge
It is best practice to standardize discharge routines so that all of the hard work put into restoring a patient’s health is not needlessly undone. Ensuring that the patient knows exactly how to care for themselves and has been guided well through release can reduce your workload instead of doubling it.
Medication Mistakes
Whether it’s the wrong dosage, drug combination, or wrong drugs altogether, medication errors remain one of the top blunders made in the medical field. In the rush of attending from one patient to another, it’s important to take a moment to double-check or even triple-check prescriptions and directions to ensure accuracy in dosing.
Cybersecurity Issues
Safety is no longer just a physical concern. Since private data is digitized more and more each day, it is imperative to install proper safeguards against hacks and attacks. Malware and ransomware can infect a healthcare facility’s devices, leaving sensitive information vulnerable. Add to that the devastating results if an item such as an insulin pump were to be interfered with, and it becomes clear that attention to medical cybersecurity is a must.
All communities rely on solid healthcare from trusted facilities. Think about these points as you review your safety needs.