As the first responders to emergencies, paramedics are trained to deliver high levels of care in uncontrolled environments. By nature, paramedicine is a high-stakes field where one must be able to think quickly while dealing with distractions and ensuring their own safety. Paramedics must simultaneously ensure that their patient is safe, secure, and receiving the …
Swiss Cheese – An Important Part of Injury Prevention.
No one goes to work to injure themselves or those around them. Healthcare nurses, doctors, and technicians for example, are trained to do quite the opposite. Despite their best efforts however, we must remember that injuries can still happen on accident. The healthcare industry can create risky work environments, where the possibility of injuries is …
Silence Isn’t “Safe”. Speaking Up Is.
No matter their position or speciality, most medical and nursing professionals have had some experience in hesitating with speaking up when they see a safety risk. Even when the medical professional is fully aware of the potential hazard to the patient, staying silent can be seen as a “safe” option. In a large-scale study, 50% of …
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Burning out the Burnout
Burnout affects 54% of physicians and 34-38% of nurses, and the numbers are only increasing. But what is burnout, how does it affect the medical industry, and how can it be prevented? What is Burnout? Herbert Freudenberger coined the term “burnout” in the 1970’s to describe how severe work-related stress and high ideals negatively affected those …
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Impact of Medication Errors on Patients, Healthcare Providers and Hospitals
While it could be the result of systemic issues or plain human error, medication errors can cause severe physical injury and possible death to patients. These preventable mistakes could also cause severe financial, psychological, and emotional stress to the healthcare provider and organisation. In this blog post, we look at some of the negative consequences …
Medication Errors: An Obstacle To Patient Safety
All healthcare professionals strive to provide the safest care possible. Sometimes however, things can go wrong, and harm can be done. As an Emergency Physician for more than 30 years, I have seen many healthcare workers, especially clinicians, suffer from the guilt and embarrassment when their patients experience adverse reactions from preventable medication errors. Medication …