Keeping patients safe: an analysis of organizational culture and caregiver training.
News headlines and professional publications, such as the Institute of Medicine reports, have brought to the attention of both healthcare providers and consumers the importance of the issue of patient safety. In this article, we describe the study conducted by one hospital to improve patient safety within its culture. The study included the development and use of a culture survey tool. Key learnings from this survey are presented here as well. The article also states the limitations of the study and offers recommendations for further research. The work of improving both the culture and processes of healthcare institutions to reduce error and promote safety is ongoing. The findings from this study add to the growing body of knowledge on successful patient-safety strategies and tools.
Johnson
Kathie
K
Nursing and Patient Services, Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. kajohnson@novanthealth.org
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019985:Benchmarking; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D011367:Professional Staff Committees; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*