Nurses have the tools to improve patient safety

Nurses have the tools to improve patient safety

Nurses welcome the release of the Adverse Events Report from the Health Quality and Safety Commission, and urges managers to work with nurses to keep patients safe in care.

NZNO associate professional services manager Hilary Graham-Smith congratulates nursing staff and the HQSC on the culture of transparency where meaningful insights and changes can be taken from adverse events. “There has been an increase in reported events, and every event is an opportunity to learn from mistakes and improve patient care.”

“When hospital managers roster the right mix of skills within the nursing team we can make a real difference to patient safety. NZNO works in partnership with district health boards to implement a safe staffing programme by rostering the right staff in the right place at the right time. The programme hasn’t been implemented in every hospital yet and we urge hospital managers to pick up the pace.”

“It’s heartening to know that a key indicator of injury prevention, the number of broken hips, has decreased. But nearly all falls are preventable if district health board managers plan ahead and allocate the right funding to respond when there’s a spike in patient numbers.”

“Everyone has the right to leave healthcare services feeling like staff and management did everything they could to keep them safe. We have the programme to help make that happen. Let’s make it happen now, for patients and the nursing team.” Ms Graham-Smith says.

ENDS

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