title: Sentinel alert sounds the alarm on worker fatigue; hospitals urged to mitigate risks.
abstract: Noting that there is a documented link between worker fatigue and adverse events, the Joint Commission has issued a Sentinel Alert, urging health care organizations to focus on the issue and make sure that policies and procedures are in place to mitigate risks. Experts advise hospital leaders to monitor worker shifts and make sure that people are able to leave work as scheduled when their shifts have concluded. Limit health care workers to no more than three consecutive days of 12-hour shifts, especially if these shifts are at night. Scrutinize handoff procedures so that worker fatigue does not lead to errors during this potentially hazardous time. Make sure that distractions are at a minimum during these transitions, and that patient information is conveyed in both verbal and in written form.
mesh_terms: D001305:Auditory Fatigue; D056902:Clinical Alarms; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States