Implications for Patient Safety and Quality of Care - Essay Example

Bedside Report Proposal

Bedside reporting is a broad topic that has undergone criticism in nursing literature. Bedside Report Proposal entails exchanging important patient information, accountability, responsibility between the incoming and off-going nurses to ensure a safe transition of quality patient service delivery. Though there are different nursing reports, clinical studies indicate current bedside reports as not significant enough to ensure clinical practices. Apart from delays caused during the transition period, pieces also tend to be patient-based, thus rendering the nursing stakeholder group a lesser stakeholder group. The gaps present a theoretical framework that founds a paper. Therefore, the article proposes standardizing bedside reporting to ensure efficient communication and promote patient safety.

Problem Identification

The problem concerns a healthcare institution with a 6-bed surgical unit that admits and discharges patients. The institution also has a swing program for patients in need of special attention and rehab. Most patients under recovery are elderly, requiring careful therapy. The nursing staffs use verbal reporting to oncoming nurses, which is quite inconsistent. The reporting period is thirty minutes and is not useful since it tends to remain longer, making off-going nurses overtime. Ineffective communication causes delays, where might harm the patient outcome. There is a need to develop a reporting plan where communication would be fluid and efficient, ensuring the patient's treatment plan remaining in action, whereas at the same time providing nurses switching shifts takes less period. Thus, it would not only provide better patient outcomes but also satisfy off going nurses who are important stakeholders in the organization. Interior stakeholders, mainly employees, holders, and managers, are directly involved in organizations' actions and approaches. The own shareholders business would well have put onward seed capital where people need in getting started on the significant part within an organization

Literature Review

Studies on previous clinical studies indicate that bedside reporting has been unconventional at the institution and most of the nation's healthcare institutions. According to Mitchell et al. (2017), miscommunication between healthcare personnel is a leading cause of medical and safety errors. The Joint Commission estimates that 80% of medical errors in the United States are caused by poor communication during patients' transfer from one shift to next. Additionally, a third nursing malpractice cases cite a breakdown in touch as the cause (Mitchell et al., 2017). Even though many hospitals direct that bedside reporting be conducted at the end of each shift, it is frequently violated. About 60% of nurses assert reports are time-consuming.

Additionally, a study conducted in 2016 found shift changes are problematic. Therefore, 56% of respondents cited necessary patient safety care data is lost during the process (Mitchell et al., 2017). Thus, it provides enough evidence to formulate proposal inclusivity of all stakeholders involved.

Personal Assessment

The investigation involved talking to the manager after a recent case that involved patient participation. The patient was showing symptoms of UTI. A report was given requesting care prioritized to patient. The patient had to be transferred back to main hospital, causing delays resulting in a sentinel event. The question triggered my investigation to ascertain the extent to which the bedside reports were being implemented. The manager affirmed what was indeed a problem required on primary focus. Also, fellow staff in the unit agreed to had observed similar experiences, demonstrating previous studies on delays and erratic shifts cause medical errors in healthcare facilities. During the investigation, majority of nurses agreed bedside reports are essential for efficient patient care. However, they decided current verbal system was time-consuming, affecting both patient outcomes and the nurse's schedule. The areas could have led to a problem include a short period of transition. Thirty minutes seem short to report, depending on the nature and complexity of the patient.

Further, verbal reporting lacks a practical approach because it does not involve patients. Instead, it requires two nurses' privacy, and briefing takes time, implying now nurses might lose focus, thus explaining delays. Furthermore, there lacks a clearly defined evaluation plan that defines standards, which explains negligence at the unit.

The Solution

The paper proposes a face, bedside hand as a beside report for all stakeholders (Dorvil, 2018). However, the approach involves both oncoming and off-going nurses, as well as patients and families. The process involved all parties' inclusivity, where it ensures patients and their families get the awareness of what to expect within the oncoming shift. They would continue to evaluate their treatment plan. Hence, it saves time because it will ensure professionalism from nurses who remain focused on a patient (McCloskey et al., 2019). The report combines both verbal, written approaches, where important treatment aspects are written and explained verbally. The form of information that would not only ensure a high quality of patient outcome but satisfaction from the nursing unit because of objectivity and professionalism involved.

Additionally, the transition period should be adjusted to a maximum of forty minutes. The period gives enough room for movement between RNs, settling for report, explanation, and clarifying both patient and oncoming nurses. Thus, an implied standard should be set, requiring oncoming nurses' arrival 15 minutes earlier. The adjustments will increase satisfaction from both the nursing unit and patient and ensure a fluid flow of communication, preventing delays and their resultant complications.

Resources for Implementation

The solution requires investing in technology and human capital to succeed. There is a need to expand the patient units to spacious to ensure the patient's privacy is not violated. Extra space is, therefore, crucial. Averagely, the cost of inpatient is estimated at $1,878 per inpatient. Nevertheless, the manager would have to liaise with the Information Technology department to develop a biometric system configured to run new standardized reports (Ofori-Atta et al., 2015). The plan would be an Android application that records time oncoming nurses' check-in and immediately starts a 45minutes count.

Consequently, record details of the report, including patient's details and outgoing nurse. The system is estimated at around $20,000 but provides a strategic long term solution to organization and entire healthcare industry. The core benefit is giving satisfaction to both patients and the nursing unit, which is highly significant in clinical practice. The implementation would be done in phases to ensure a smooth transition. A maximum period of 30 days is recommended for testing and full adoption of the new program.

Significance of the Key Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders in case are patients and nurses. Under a given point, nurses are significant for implementing plans because they are primary caregivers directly affected by current bedside reports. They act as the core foundation of the smooth running of patient care. Involving them ensures needs are catered for, not only for patient care but also for adequate smooth communication flow to prevent overtime. On the other hand, the patients play a significant role in the idea because objective plan is to increase patient outcomes. Involving them would ensure that there is a guarantee in quality patient service delivery and awareness. involved intending to work to provide an integration program that would involve bringing together the entire stakeholder group.

Implementing the new would include a 2-day training program for nurses on how to handle the new system. After that, a transition period of thirty days for a smooth transition would allow nurses to adopt a new approach. The evaluation would include assessing the system's reports by Quality Assurance team and interviewing patients to determine extent to which they are being satisfied by service delivery concerning new bedside reports.

Fulfilments

Scientifically, involved assessing the previous literature on clinical studies regarding bedside reports. Whereby observed concerning findings and connected them to the current situation at hospital. The assessed patterns made evidence-based results that confirmed miscommunication caused by verbal descriptions were problematic to both stakeholders. As a detective observed the service delivery by nurses and grilled the teams on how well they were satisfied by the current system. Perhaps involved collecting evidence that showed that verbal communication was causing incompetence. Finally, as a manager of the healing environment, approached the general manager and provided my observations. Thus the charge of the situation by attempting to talk to the patients and nurses on a better alternative approach could benefit both the nurses, patients, and the hospital.