Quality and Safety Issues Concerning SAID the med' Project

Patient safety is a fundamental requirement in any hospital setting. One safety issue that is prevalent in medical centers is patient falls that result from medication of side effects. I focused my research on trying to address the latter issue through the development of innovative means that I have outlined in this paper. Many drugs are associated with hospital falls due to their side-effects. Some of the side-effects that arise include drowsiness, hypotension, and blurry vision. Falls may also be caused by adverse drug reactions that come from a patient using two or more different medications.

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First, to improve the safety of patients, there is the need to ensure smooth communication throughout the medical facility. Miscommunications are known to have adverse effects on the wellness of the patients (Sullivan 2013). Older patients are on the verge of experiencing falls as a result of poor communication by the responsible health care providers. Also, elderly persons have increased drug use over the last decade. According to a study by (de Jong et al. 2013), the last people have a higher risk of developing adverse drug reactions which are leading causes of falls among the older patients. The table below illustrate types of drugs that are common in causing medication-related falls. The table is derived from research on Drug-related falls in older patients: implicated drugs, consequences, and possible prevention strategies.'

Through my project, the number of falls caused by medication would decrease by incorporating several regulations. First, I will take the initiative of educating the patients on the importance of reviewing the medication given. The patient ought to familiarize with the prescriptions indicated by the physician as well as the possible side effects of the drug. After educating the patients, I will issue them with a leaflet containing all guidelines that act as a constant reminder. I will also hire a nurse who helps in educating the patients on the importance of using the leaflets.

Several ways have already been established to promote patient safety in hospital settings. However, I believe that my project, SAID the med,' will come as a boost to the current situation. Through this project, I will establish a reliable and safe system that will be beneficial to both the patients and physicians. To the patients, it is easy to follow and comprehend while to the care providers; it is an easy method to implement. Educating the patients would take approximately five minutes. Considering that my medical station has a capacity of twenty-six patients, educating them would take about two hours. Despite any project viewed as simple, for it to be efficient, there needs to be the organization, coordination, and unity among the involved stakeholders (Goh et al. 2013).

As necessitated by the National Patient Safety Goals, which have been established by the Joint Commission, to prevent harm, there is need to rethink the means of approaching healthcare. The SAID the med' is a new approach which I think follows the latter statement. Much of the goals set by The Joint Commission are meant to help in solving the rising healthcare problems. Some of the challenges include the fall incidents among the patients. It is my belief that through the implementation of this project, the number of falls in the medical center will eventually reduce.

References

De Jong, M. R., Van der Elst, M., & Hartholt, K. A. (2013). Drug-related falls in older patients:implicated drugs, consequences, and possible prevention strategies. Therapeuticadvances in drug safety, 4(4), 147-154.

Goh, S. C., Chan, C., & Kuziemsky, C. (2013). Teamwork, organizational learning, patientsafety and job outcomes. International journal of health care quality assurance, 26(5),420-432.

Sullivan, E. J. (2013). Effective leadership and management in nursing. (8th ed.). Upper SaddleRiver: Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Joint Commission. The National Patient Safety Goals. Retrieved from: https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/2017_NPSG_HAP_ER.pdf