title: Safety in training and learning in the intensive care unit.
abstract: Resident and subspecialty fellow trainees in the intensive care unit (ICU) present risks for patient safety because of their inexperience yet offer opportunities to promote safe patient care because of their around-the-clock presence and their involvement in frontline processes of care. Most trainees approach their ICU experiences without previous education in performance improvement or patient safety. This article reviews the barriers that are faced by residents in providing safe patient care and outlines the nature of a patient safety curriculum that could tap the opportunities that are presented by trainees to promote safer patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 169 Ashley Avenue, P.O. Box 250332, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. heffnerj@musc.edu
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heffner
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeno
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D012449:Safety