title: Patient safety in the NICU: a comprehensive review.
abstract: Patient safety is a worldwide priority aimed at preventing medical errors before they cause death, harm, or injury. Medical errors impact 1 in 10 patients worldwide (WHO), and their implications may include death, permanent, or temporary harm, financial loss, and psychosocial harm to the patient and in some cases to the caregiver. The unique aspects and the complexity of the neonatal intensive (NICU) environment, in addition to the vulnerability of the neonatal population increase the risk for medical errors. The following article offers an overview of safety issues specific to neonatal intensive care and provides strategies and examples on how to ensure safe practice. In particular, the authors focus on strategies to improve the team process. Practice recommendations and research implications are presented.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA. haifa.samra@sdstate.edu
authors.forename: Haifa A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Samra
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rollins
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management; D014481:United States